5 things to watch in the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions game — plus our Week 14 predictions
The Chicago Bears return from their bye week Sunday at Soldier Field in search of their first two-game winning streak since 2021. But the 4-8 Bears will have to pull off the upset against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions (9-3), who stormed back from a 17-point deficit to win the first meeting Nov. 19.
With kickoff approaching, here’s our snapshot look at the game.
Player in the spotlight
Lions quarterback Jared Goff
Goff had an uncharacteristic stretch of turnovers with three interceptions against the Bears on Nov. 19 and three fumbles against the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 23.
The Bears game was just the third time in his career he has thrown more than two picks and the first since 2019. His career high of four interceptions came against the Bears at Soldier Field in 2018 when he played for the Los Angeles Rams.
Now Goff, who has thrown only five other interceptions this season, goes up against a Bears defense that totaled four more picks in Week 12 against Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs.
“Really (it was) just taking away the soft spot,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said of the Lions game. “They like to attack the middle of the field. … So taking away the middle of the field and also creating pressure for them. I know we had a lot of pressures and sacks in there as well. So it’s just making him uncomfortable in that way, taking away where he wants to throw the ball.”
Led by Montez Sweat, the Bears had eight quarterback hits and two sacks in the game.
As Sweat noted, when the Bears’ pressure results in the back end of the defense getting a takeaway: “That (expletive) is like poetry in motion, man. That’s what you want.”
However, Goff bounced back in the first meeting with the Bears, leading two touchdown drives in the final five minutes to fuel the victory. More on that next.
Pressing question
Will the Bears be motivated by the way they lost to the Lions?
Johnson offered the reminder to his teammates this week. Yes, a healthier Bears defense has come up with seven interceptions in two games. But the Bears also let Goff and the Lions surge back from a 26-14 fourth-quarter deficit to win 31-26.
Now the Bears are focused on being dominant through the entire four quarters.
“Like, ‘Hey, don’t forget how we lost the game last time,’ ” Johnson said. “Just going out there and making sure we’re being intentional with our communication, being on top of the details. We know what we can do physically with this team, but we’ve got to go out there and finish, and that takes a certain mental focus and locking in to finish it throughout this week and finish it in the game.”
The Bears closed out a 12-10 victory against the Vikings in Week 12, but they still have the Lions loss in the back of their minds, safety Eddie Jackson said.
“This is probably the worst-feeling loss I feel like as players that we’ve had,” Jackson said. “To go out the way we did, it just sucks. I feel like everyone still has that taste in their mouths.”
But Lions coach Dan Campbell told reporters in Detroit this week that his team is hungry too.
“I’m not worried about revenge (from the Bears),” Campbell said. “I’m worried about what this team presents.”
Keep an eye on …
Justin Fields’ rushing stats
Campbell was strong in his praise for Fields when talking with reporters about the challenges he presents. In Fields’ last three games against the Lions, he has rushed for 104, 132 and 147 yards.
But Campbell said he thinks Fields also is improving in looking down the field while on the move in order to find the pass when it’s there.
“Every week, I guarantee you, every team does the same as what we’re talking about, (which) is how (do) you contain this guy?” Campbell said. “You keep him in the pocket, you don’t let him out and every week he gets out. Every week. … It’s a different speed, it’s a different quickness and it’s hard to simulate in practice. We’re going to do the best we can with it, but it’s always got to be an emphasis. Listen, he’s dangerous. He’s one of these rare, dangerous players.
“And I’ll tell you what he’s done a really good job of, from last year to this year. … If it’s a pass and he starts to move, he’s still moving with eyes down the field, much more than I felt like he had previously. And that’s extremely dangerous because even in Minnesota, he had two or three receivers wide open after he had kind of run, found a way through, broke contain and all of a sudden he gets an explosive pass off of it.”
Bears running backs rushed for 79 yards in the first meeting with the Lions, but they could be a healthier group this time as D’Onta Foreman is cleared to come back from an ankle injury that pushed him out of the Lions game early.
Stretching it out?
The Bears are looking for more explosive plays this week than they showed against the Vikings, when they tried to combat the opponent’s pressure with the horizontal passing game. The Bears managed just four Cairo Santos field goals in the game as Fields threw for 217 yards.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said a lot of the quick passes in that game were “RPO-ish” based on what the Vikings defense presented, and Fields made the right diagnosis on all but a couple of them.
“At least half of those (short passes), you’re not calling them to do that,” Getsy said. “That’s the reaction because of what you’re presented. And so as you go through those types of game plans, you want to have answers for your guys. Whether you’re changing to a max protection, whether you’re changing to a perimeter RPO screen … there are a bunch of different ways you can attack it. And I think it’s really important when you play a team that does that much that you don’t have too much for your guys too.”
Getsy also said the Bears missed out on three to four explosive plays because of protection issues or miscommunication issues in the backfield or up front. Eberflus said the Bears need to see more big plays.
The Lions, of course, are not the Vikings, though pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson presents challenges. The Lions defense has given up 30.3 points and 373.5 yards per game over the last four games. The Lions also placed defensive tackle Alim McNeill on injured reserve this week with a knee injury.
When Fields was asked if he was ready for a more normal offensive approach, he said: “I’m looking forward to it.”
Injury report
The Bears will be without wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who suffered a pectoral injury while blocking this week in practice. Fellow receivers Tyler Scott (hamstring tightness) and Velus Jones Jr. (illness) are questionable to play.
“You’ve just got to have your backup plans,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said of receiver depth. “We’ll be ready.”
Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (knee) also is questionable.
For the Lions, center Frank Ragnow (knee/back/toe) and backup quarterback Hendon Hooker (knee) are out. Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) is questionable.
Predictions
Brad Biggs (8-4)
Before center Frank Ragnow, who has multiple injuries, went down and defensive tackle Alim McNeill (knee) was placed on injured reserve, something was amiss in Detroit. The Lions have won three of their last four games — the only loss a 29-22 setback to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving — but they have been exceedingly lucky. Good teams have a way of making their own luck, and the Lions certainly qualify. But the defense has been off of late. The Lions have allowed an average of 30.3 points and 373.5 yards in the four-game stretch. That’s 76.6 yards more per game than they allowed through the first eight. The Bears ran for 183 yards in the Week 11 meeting, the first of three straight games opponents have gone for 100-plus yards on the ground. The Bears are healthy. They should have an advantage in the elements. Their defense is playing better. They look primed to pull off an upset.
Bears 27, Lions 24
Colleen Kane (8-4)
The Bears defense is undoubtedly playing better through some combination of health, chemistry and the Montez Sweat effect. But is it expecting too much to think they could rattle Jared Goff into another three turnovers this time? Maybe. Meanwhile, Bears quarterback Justin Fields looked pretty good the first time against the Lions, who have faltered on defense of late. But given the Bears offense’s odd but well-explained showing against the Vikings, in which they threw mostly passes at or behind the line of scrimmage and didn’t get in the end zone, it’s hard to know if they’re building momentum. The Bears and Fields should be a lot more productive in this one, but I don’t know that it’s going to be enough to overtake the division leaders.
Lions 28, Bears 26
Dan Wiederer (8-4)
It’s now or never for the Bears. An opportunity for a signature win over a playoff team awaits with the Lions coming to Soldier Field just three weeks after rallying for a 31-26 win in the teams’ first meeting in Detroit. The Bears controlled that game for more than 55 minutes and have their defense trending in the right direction. They probably can’t expect to create another four turnovers in the rematch. But whatever takeaways they do get, they have to cash in. And Justin Fields and the offense will have to remain productive against a defense that gave them a multitude of big-play opportunities last month.
Bears 24, Lions 23
