1.) Don’t Give Up to Many Points
I know allowing as few points as possible in a game seems obvious. However, while all eyes have been on the exponential growth of the offense, the defense has struggled a lot, giving up over 30 points in the past two games. The first two games were without defensive leaders Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn. Their presence might not have been felt by the fans, but they are greatly missed by the players on the field. The defense is facing a confusing Lions offense. They’ve scored over 30 points in three games and under 16 points in three games. They have been very up and down throughout the season. This is a chance for the Bear’s defense to right the ship. They have played some of the best offenses in football in the past few weeks. Going up against the Lions could be an easier task. Then again, it might be just as difficult. Who knows. As long as they can limit the points scored by Jared Goff and Lion’s offense, the Bears should have a victory in their sights.
2.) Let the Aerial Attack Begin
The Lions have one of, if not the worst, defense in all of football. They have allowed over 260 passing yards per game this season. They have also allowed almost 150 rushing yards per game. The Bears are the best rushing offense in the league this season, so that shouldn’t be a worry. However, they rank dead last in passing yards per game. This is a real chance to air the ball out against one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL. Justin Fields has progressed as a passer in the past few games. His rushing yards have been in the spotlight, but he also has seriously improved his passing numbers. In the past five games, he has eight passing touchdowns to only two interceptions along with 851 passing yards. All of this with 28 or less passing attempts in each of those games. If the Bears want to get back into the win column, they need to let Fields throw the ball against a weaker Lions secondary. While his rushing ability is second to none, it can only go so far. If he can also produce an excellent passing game, he and the Bears will dominate the Lions.
3.) Get to the Quarterback
The Bears have been one of the worst teams at pressuring the quarterback all season. They have only 13 sacks on the season. A huge part of the Bears loss against the Dolphins was their inability to get to the quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa had all day to throw and it killed the Bears secondary. They let up over 300 yards passing and 35 points to the Dolphins. The Lions offensive line has allowed under 20 sacks all year. It will be a very tough ask for the Bears defensive line but if they want to stop the Lions defense, they need to get to the quarterback.
Momentum
The Bears are coming off an inspiring loss, with Justin Fields looking like a true franchise quarterback and the defense looking less than good. The Lions are coming off an upset win against the Packers. While this would normally be a huge upset, the Packers have looked horrible the past few weeks and aren’t getting any better. This game should be close as both teams have bad defenses and good offenses. The Bears are getting healthier though, as Byron Pringle is coming back from IR. Seeing as though the Bears offense just went toe-to-toe with the best in the league, the Lions offense should seem much less scary.
