The Amazing Chicago Rushing D

I was originally going to title this post "Bench Ahmad Bradshaw In Week Four" but I thought I'd give props to the Bears defense instead.

Through three games, the Chicago Bears leads all NFL teams with the least amount of rushing yards given up (119) which is 44 yards less than 2nd place (While 44 may not seem like a like put this into perspective: the difference between 2nd and 3rd place in 16 yards and the difference between 3rd place and 4th place is 6 yards)

Here's what backs have done against Chicago this year:
- Jahvid Best: 20 yards on 14 carries (1.4 YPC)
- Felix Jones: 7 yards on 7 carries (1.0 YPC)
- Marion Barber: 31 yards on 11 carries (2.8 YPC)
- Brandon Jackson: 12 yards on 7 carries (1.7 YPC)
- John Kuhn: 31 yards on 6 carries (5.2 YPC)

The more successful backs against Chicago are the pound-it-up-the-middle backs like Barber and Kuhn, but I still don't trust really YPC numbers when a back only gets 6 carries. Call it confirmation bias, but I still don't like any running back to do well (real or fantasy) against the Bears.

Not only do the numbers back it up, but if you watch the Bears, those linebackers (especially) just look amazing against the run. They seem to know what play is going to happen before the offense knows it- and they actually execute.

So if you asked me to predict which Giants running back would do well against the Bears, history would tell you the more physical back (Jacobs) would do better against the more "finesse" guy (Bradshaw) but Jacobs has looked AWFUL since the beginning of 2009 and (if) he plays against the Bears, I don't care what his "skill set" is, he sucks.

In Week Four, in one league I own Ahmad Bradshaw, the only reason I'm starting him is because I only have four backs (five including my stud's handcuff- Anthony Dixon) and my fourth back is Felix Jones- on a bye. This week I ranked Bradshaw as the 31st best RB. I would only start Bradshaw if you're like me and you're back ups are on bye. But otherwise, i would bench Bradshaw and any other RB facing the Chicago Bears. That it until Brian Urlacher and/or Piso Tinoisamoa get hurt.