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Jay Cutler
Stop laughing.
Seriously, stop it.
Jay Cutler has been pretty good lately. In four games since returning from injury, the Bears have gone 2-2 with the two losses coming by a combined six points. Cutler's lowest passer rating in any of those games was 88.4.
Now, remember that the Chargers are 25th in the league in passing defense (by DVOA) and then remember what Jay Cutler is capable of doing to bad defenses that can't get pressure on him.
This could end up being a long night for the San Diego Chargers.
Keenan Allen
Keenan Allen has been targeted 89 times this season. That equates to one-third (seriously, 33%) of Philip Rivers' pass attempts this season. The next closest? Danny Woodhead, with 49 targets. Woodhead is also the team's second leading receiver by yards, as well.
Keenan Allen wasn't just a huge chunk of the Chargers offense, he was nearly the entire passing offense. As the only receiver that defenses had to worry about occasionally double-covering, Allen will be missed on more than just the stat sheet. The Bears can stick a LB and a safety on Antonio Gates and wait for Malcom Floyd, Stevie Johnson, or Dontrelle Inman to beat them.
The Home Away Crowd
There's a good chance you're a Chargers fan living in southern California while reading this and I have an important question that you can answer in the comments if you want to:
Do you want to go to this game?
If you don't already have tickets, would you buy them? Are you eager to see if the Chargers can lose a fifth consecutive game? Does a battle between a 2-5 team, coached by the most conservative coach in the league, and a 2-6 team, coached by the second most conservative coach in the league, sound like it's worth your money?
For me, the answer is no.
However, for Chicago Bears fans, the answer is undoubtedly yes. If they have the means, why not leave Chicago in November for sunny San Diego and your last chance to check Qualcomm Stadium off of your list of sporting event locations that you've seen a game played?
What I'm getting at is this: Expect a lot of Bears fans to be at this one, and expect them to be the loud ones. With this quite possibly being the last nationally-televised NFL game ever played at Qualcomm Stadium, expect the Chargers fans to be wearing paper bags on their heads and carrying anti-Spanos signs. That's not helping the guys on the field.