December 2, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (42) runs for a short gain during the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

1. It appears running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis has been on a tear for the last three games. Do you see him going for another 100+ rushing yards this Sunday? And what was the reason(s) for his slow start?

JM: I do assuming your stud nose-tackle, Jay Ratliff is out due to his strained groin. The Cowboys have been gashed in the running game this year, and the Bengals are on a roll due in large part to their renewed dedication to establishing the run game. Earlier in the year, they were breaking in three new starting offensive lineman, including rookie guard Kevin Zeitler and rookie undrafted center Trevor Robinson. Slowly they have developed into one of the NFL’s better offensive lines, and only seem to be getting better every week.

2. What did you think of Guard Nate Livings while he was with the Bengals, and now that he is on the Cowboys’ O-line?

JM: With the Bengals, he was a bit of an enigma. He had flashes of greatness at times, followed by moments that made you wonder how he was a starting NFL lineman. He seems to have found himself in Dallas, as he is the 15th-rated offensive guard according to Pro football Focus, though he has allowed six sacks this year. I don’t know if that’s in part due to Tony Romo holding the ball too long to look for the big play, or he’s still a major liability at guard. Either way, I see defensive tackle Geno Atkins having a big day against whoever lines up at that spot.

3. How well has Terence Newman transitioned onto the Bengal’s defense since moving over from Dallas last season?

JM: He got off to a rough start this year, but as the season wore on and he learned the system better, his play has significantly improved. A lot of that also has to do with the front seven playing better and getting more pressure on opposing QBs and not leaving Newman on an island. It will be interesting to see how he plays this week, as the Cowboy’s receiver corp of Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, as well as tight end Jason Witten, he’ll be tested against his former team. I don’t see him holding up against Bryant and/or Miles if the Bengals can’t get pressure on Romo.

4. With Mohamed Sanu out for the year, who will replace his recent offensive production?

JM: Rookie receiver Marvin Jones was actually ahead of Sanu on the depth chart foressentially all of the preseason and the regular season until he injured his knee on a kickoff against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game he was set to get his first career start in. Once he went down, Sanu was thrown into the lineup and played very well. With Sanu out last week, Jones got his first career start, accounting for two receptions on three targets for just 20 yards. The coaching staff believes in him and thinks he’s ready to breakout any week now. Hopefully it’s this week.

5. What is your prediction for Sunday’s match-up?

JM: This game will be close throughout. Neither side will lay down with their playoff lives on the line. This essentially is a playoff game, as it will be hard for the loser to bounce back with a difficult remaining schedule and make the postseason. I think the Bengals defensive line is too much for the Cowboys’ offensive line to handle, and keep Romo contained.
On offense, The Bengals will look to attack the Cowboy’s weak front seven and allow Green-Ellis to have another big day while also controlling the clock and keeping Romo off the field as they win a hard-fought 20-17 game.

1. Do you believe in Jay Cutler? Is he the emotional wreck the national media makes him out to be? Tony Romo or Jay Cutler?

MB: I still believe in Jay Cutler, but he’s making it a little harder to do so.  This is sort of a make-or-break season for Jay.  Since he’s been in Chicago, there’s always been an excuse, whether it’s a lack of weapons or the 7-step drops in the old offensive system, there’s been some other reason why Cutler hasn’t been successful.  This offseason, the Bears brought in Brandon Marshall, his favorite target from Denver and drafted promising rookie Alshon Jeffery to bolster the wide receiving group.  They canned Mike Martz and promoted Mike Tice to install a more Jay-friendly offense and added Jeremy Bates, another familiar face from his days in Denver, as QB’s coach to help mentor Jay.

Cutler is made to look a whole lot worse by the national media than here locally.  He has a weekly radio show that he does and seems to be generally affable and has a pretty decent sense of humor.  I think most guys in the locker room respect the competitor that Jay is, but would probably prefer he handle some of his business behind closed doors rather than on the sidelines and in the media.

If choosing between Cutler and Romo, I’d still have to take Jay.  He’s much more gifted physically with a much better arm and enough mobility to get the job done.  Cutler is a few years younger than Romo, so that doesn’t hurt either.

Sep 23, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson (39) is tackled by Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers (90) during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

2. We all see the weapons on offense. Tell us more about Chicago’s defense, outside of Peppers and Urlacher.

MB: Peppers and Urlacher grab a lot of the headlines, but you left off a bunch of guys.  First, how could you miss linebacker Lance Briggs?  He’s been to more consecutive Pro Bowls than Urlacher and is a tackling machine.  You can look for him to blow up at least one DeMarco Murray run for a big loss.

The defensive line has had a resurgence this season with the play of tackles Henry Melton and Stephen Paea.  They’ll be collapsing the pocket from the inside and flushing Romo out for Peppers and rookie DE Shea McClellin.

In the secondary, Charles “Peanut” Tillman is coming off a Pro Bowl season last year and has been solid again to start 2012.  He has an amazing knack for forcing fumbles, so the Cowboys had better practice good ball security.  On the other side, Tim Jennings has been the Bears’ defensive MVP with 4 INT’s and 2 tipped passes that led directly to interceptions by his teammates.  Jennings may only be about 5’8″, but he plays much bigger than his size.

3. How has new offensive coordinator Mike Tice made a difference to the Bear’s offense? And how has new QB coach Jermey Bates helped Cutler this year?

MB: So far, I think Tice may be hampering the Bears’ offense while they’re transitioning to his system.  Ultimately, I think the offense will improve, but the Bears are still going through some growing pains while he tries to figure out what works and what doesn’t.  When the Bears offense has been out of sync, I feel like it’s because Tice has been out of sync.

I don’t know what value Bates has brought other than another Cutler “guy” to coddle him and make him more comfortable.  Cutler’s breakdowns in mechanics, especially when under pressure, are maddening and I’d think that the quarterbacks coach should be able to straighten those out.

4. What’s the Bear’s biggest weakness?

MB: This may sound familiar – Offensive line.  When new GM Phil Emery joined the Bears, he had a lot of holes to fill and for the most part has done a great job, but one area he neglected was offensive line.  Left tackle J’Marcus Webb has been little more than a turn style and starting left guard Chris Spencer has lost his job to free agent Chilo Rachal after just 2 weeks.  J’Webb could be right behind him.  Second year man Gabe Carimi, last year’s top draft choice, missed all but the first 6 quarters of the season to a knee injury.  The hope is that his early season struggles are him just getting his game legs under him, but he’s been vulnerable too.  We expect to see Cutler running for his life early and often on Monday.

5. What’s your prediction for the game on Monday night?  Please include a final score.

MB: The Bears played pretty well in their last trip to Dallas and that was behind a makeshift offensive line.  I’m not sure that they’ll be able to repeat that success this time around.  As much as is made about the offenses, this game comes down to two top-10 defenses.  The Cowboys rank #1 overall while the Bears rank #7.  Each team is 2-1 and the 1 has been a clunker.  I think Jay Cutler spends a good chunk of time running for his life as I’ve set the over/under for DeMarcus Ware sacks at 3.5.  The Bears’ running backs Matt Forte and Michael Bush are both dinged up and their status is up in the air for Monday night, which puts more pressure and Cutler and the passing game.  It doesn’t add up for me.  Cowboys win 19-13 in a defensive showdown.

Sept. 8, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) signals to teammates during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

#1. What are your feelings on QB Russell Wilson and his NFL debut against the Arizona Cardinals?

KM: Wilson was a bit over-hyped after his pre-season performance. He performed about as well as you’d expect a rookie to perform. He missed some plays, and he made some plays. He also wasn’t helped much by a banged up offensive line that let through too much pressure. The line should be better this week, and in turn so should Wilson.

#2: How much of a factor will the 12th man be this Sunday?

KM: People who have never been to a game in Seattle just don’t understand how much louder it is up there than anywhere else in the league. The 12th Man is a huge advantage, especially for the defense. That said, the game is still decided by the players on the field. The fans can only do so much.

#3: What’s the injury status on RB Marshawn Lynch? And what can you tell us about his back-up, Robert Turbin?

KM: Lynch’s back spasms are nothing new. They’ve been an issue off and on since he came to Seattle in the middle of the 2010 season. He’ll be limited in practice this week, but he’ll play and take most of the carries on offense. As for Turbin, exactly what he is at this level remains to be seen. He’s built like a power back like Lynch, and runs like one, but he also has surprisingly good speed if he gets out in the open field. He is still developing a feel for the Seahawks zone based running game, but he showed in the preseason that he can be more than just a 5 carry/game RB in this league.

#4: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Seattle defense?

KM: The Seahawks rush defense was one of the best in the NFL last season, giving up just 3.6 yards per carry. This year, it appears to be even better. 330 lb DE Red Bryant isn’t the type of player you’ll find on any other 4-3 defense, and it shows on the stat sheet. On the other hand, a player like Bryant can’t be depended on to generate a pass rush like a standard 4-3 end does, and it leads to the Seahawks having a very inconsistent pass rush that can be the downfall of this defense at times.

#5:  What’s your prediction for Sunday’s Cowboys vs. Seahawk game?

KM: With the way that Wilson and the Seahawks O-line played last week, I have a tough time believing that the Seahawks will win this game. Being at home should help, and the Seahawks run defense should be able to shut down DeMarco Murray, but unless the pass rush improved Tony Romo should have a good day. I think this will be a close, low scoring game. 16-13 Cowboys.

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