While Eastern football may have had a year to forget in 2010, a team with a sizable following on campus that is having a lot of success is the Chicago Bears.

The Bears will try to continue their run this weekend in their first playoff contest of 2011.

This weekend the Bears will take on the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The Bears had a bye last weekend, while Seattle stunned the defending champion New Orleans Saints in the wildcard round.

The Seahawks came from a relatively weak division, winning the NFC West with a 7-9 record, making them the first sub-.500 playoff team in NFL history. This might lead teams like the Bears to overlook them, but this is a mistake they simply cannot afford to make.

The Saints appear to have looked past the Seahawks and into the divisional round, and they lost as a result. The Bears may be concerned with their potential opponent in the NFC Championship game, but they need to take these playoff games one week at a time.

The Bears need to prepare for Seattle just as they would any other opponent, especially considering the fact that the Seahawks handed Chicago their first loss during the regular season.

The Bears’ main concern with Seattle will be shutting down running back Marshawn Lynch. The Bears must not allow him to steal the game for Seattle like he did against New Orleans with his superhuman run late in the game for the winning touchdown.

While the Bears can’t look past the Seahawks’ passing attack, lead by veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and young receiver Mike Williams, the main threat is going to be on the ground. On the offensive side of the ball, Chicago will want to take advantage of the strong throwing arm of Jay Cutler and the speed of receivers Devin Hester and Johnny Knox by taking some shots down the field with long passes.

The Bears are going to bring to this game more than just an aerial assault, as they have perhaps the league’s best one-two punch at running back with Matt Forte and veteran Chester Taylor.

Both cannot only run, but also block and catch the ball out of the backfield, so expect them to continue to expand their roles in offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s offense. The Bears also feature a special teams unit that is considered by many to be the best all around unit in the NFL.

Led by special teams coordinator Dave Taub, the unit features a trio of explosive returners including Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, and defensive back Danieal Manning, all of whom have the potential to go all the way with any return.

The Bears special teams also features place-kicker Robbie Gould, who remains one of the league’s most consistent kickers, and punter Brad Maynard, who, despite his age, continues to be one of the best directional punters in the league. Certainly not to be forgotten is the Bears’ unsung hero, long snapper Patrick Mannely, who makes all of the kicks and punts possible with near perfect snaps every time.

The Bears are one of the best all around teams in this year’s playoffs, but as always is the case, they have to follow the old cliché and take it one game at a time.Hopefully Eastern can follow the Bears with a playoff season next year in their final season under head coach Bob Spoo.

Brad Kupiec can be reached at 581-7944 or bmkupiec@eiu.edu