Bears vs. Lions predictions: Will Chicago snap their 5-game losing streak?
The Chicago Bears (3-7) will battle the Detroit Lions (0-9-1) on Thanksgiving, where Chicago will be looking to avoid dropping six straight games for the second consecutive season.
The Bears are coming off a short week after Sunday’s loss to the Ravens, and it wasn’t made any easier by the dysfunction at Halas Hall amid speculation about Matt Nagy’s status this season.
Can Chicago snap their losing streak against the Lions in Week 12? Our Bears Wire staff shares their predictions for Thursday’s game.
Alyssa Barbieri (9-1): Bears 20, Lions 13
AP Photo/David Banks
This is a game the Bears could easily lose given the hectic week at Halas Hall amid speculation that Matt Nagy will be fired after Thanksgiving. But this is a team desperate for a win playing a bad Lions football team that hasn’t won a game. The Bears will manage to save Nagy’s job — at least for a week — with a win in Detroit. Nagy’s track record certainly seems to indicate it given he’s 5-1 against the Lions and 2-0 on Thanksgiving.
Chicago will be without rookie quarterback Justin Fields, who continues to nurse bruised ribs, which means Andy Dalton will be making his first start since Week 2. The Bears offense won’t need to score more than 20 points to pull out the win, and they should be able to do just enough against this Lions defense.
The Bears defense is coming off a six-sack performance, and they have a chance to get back on track against either Jared Goff or Tim Boyle. The biggest challenge will be stopping the run and D’Andre Swift.
While a loss would likely mean the immediate removal of Nagy as head coach, it would be so Bears to get a win and drag out the Nagy dysfunction for another week with the Cardinals and Packers and deck.
Brendan Sugrue (9-1): Bears 21, Lions 13
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Go figure the Chicago Bears have the most chaotic week right before they’re supposed to play on Thanksgiving. It’s been three days since they last played but they’re engulfed in rumors about head coach Matt Nagy’s future and along with players showing their displeasure for the current situation. It would be easy to pick them to be distracted and wind up with their sixth straight loss, but I’m not going to do that.
Despite all the distractions, Nagy will still lead this team to their first win in over a month. He’s undefeated on short rest and Thanksgiving games in Detroit, plus he’s starting Andy Dalton in place of Justin Fields due to his rib injury. While we can all recognize that Fields is the future of the franchise, Nagy seems to develop better gameplans with Dalton in place. It’s only fitting the journeyman runs the offense like the coach wants to show he’s capable of doing his job well.
For Detroit, they’re having quarterback issues of their own. Jared Goff is still up in the air as to whether or not he can play due to his own injury and Tim Boyle didn’t impress in his first start last weekend. If the Bears can stop D’Andre Swift and Detroit’s running game, they should have the victory in hand.
We’re in for a doozy to start Thanksgiving though, so maybe use the game as background noise while you help prepare the meal. Watching too much could cause you to lose your appetite.
Ryan Fedrau (6-4): Bears 24, Lions 20
Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports
There’s not much to say about this Week 12 matchup against the Lions. The Bears are the obvious favorites and already have a win against Detroit this season. On the other hand, Chicago just lost a football game to an undrafted quarterback in his NFL debut.
This game will be enough to save Matt Nagy for another week, but the remaining schedule for two games against the Vikings and another against the Packers doesn’t look good for Nagy. Don’t forget they play the Cardinals in Week 13.
The Bears win 24-20, it’s ugly, but running the football and defense will win this game.
Sky Kruse (1-0): Bears 31, Lions 14
AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps
The Bears are 5-1 against the Lions in the Matt Nagy era. The Bears are book favorites right now at -3, but I’ll think they’ll win by more than that. Both teams are most likely going to have backups playing this Thursday, but the Bears have the edge in veteran back up Andy Dalton.
I think the Bears defense will bounce back against the Lions but have to make sure to keep D’Andre Swift in check. Robert Quinn will have to show out against first-round tackle Penei Sewell.
Let David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert take this game over. Then let Dalton hit Darnell Mooney with a deep shot in play action. Nagy cannot overthink this game, even if his job is on the line. If the Bears lose this game, expect Nagy to be gone.
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