The Lions struggled to move the ball in their first meeting. They had 11 yards on their first four possessions and ran for just 66 yards in the game, and Stafford threw those two interceptions. The Lions want to get on the scoreboard early and force an ill-equipped Bears team to play from behind. File Photo by AJ Sisco/UPI |
License Photo
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Ford Field. TV: CBS, Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots.
SERIES HISTORY: 173rd regular-season meeting. Bears lead the series, 97-71-5. The Bears beat the Lions in the last meeting on Oct. 2, 17-14. One memorable matchup between these two teams was in 2010, when the Bears beat the Lions 19-14 in the season opener after Calvin Johnson had a late touchdown catch nullified because he "didn't complete the process of the catch."
GAMEDATE: 12/11/16
KEYS TO THE GAME:
The Bears can't count on Lions QB Matthew Stafford throwing two interceptions right to them as he did in the first game between these teams. The Bears need to challenge the Lions' receivers with man-to-man coverage and mix in more blitzes than they've shown in the past to keep Stafford off stride.
This will put more pressure on inexperienced safeties such as Deon Bush, so the pass rush needs to be effective helping the secondary. The Lions have no real running game, so blitzing and playing man-to-man against a quarterback who isn't known for great mobility makes all the more sense. A strong interior pass rush is needed again from Akiem Hicks. He had a big game last week, with two sacks, and pressure up the middle is one of the best ways to force Stafford into mistakes.
This is Bears QB Matt Barkley's first start on the road; and, to keep him comfortable, Chicago will need to get running back Jordan Howard moving early and often. Barkley isn't mobile and the Bears were able to keep Detroit's defense off balance last time by moving Brian Hoyer around in the pocket or moving the pocket entirely. So this will be more difficult to do. Without a running game, it will be almost impossible to do.
The Lions struggled to move the ball in their first meeting. They had 11 yards on their first four possessions and ran for just 66 yards in the game, and Stafford threw those two interceptions. The Lions want to get on the scoreboard early and force an ill-equipped Bears team to play from behind.
Defensively, the Lions' focus will be on stopping rookie running back Jordan Howard and making sure Eddie Royal doesn't have another big game.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH:
--Lions OG/C Graham Glasgow vs. Bears DL Akiem Hicks. Center Travis Swanson is out (concussion). If Swanson can't play, Glasgow will slide over to center from his left guard spot for the first time this year. Hicks is coming off a monster 10-tackle, two-sack game, and he had a sack on Matthew Stafford in the first meeting. He rushes from all over the line and will be a bear for the rookie to handle.
--Lions S Rafael Bush vs. Bears WR Eddie Royal. Adairius Barnes should play as the Lions' third cornerback with Quandre Diggs out for the season, but Bush is the third safety in the Lions' big nickel package and will see the field plenty this week. He has two key interceptions this year. The bears hoped to isolate Bush on Royalm but Royal is doubtful with a toe injury. Royal had seven catches for 111 yards and a touchdown in the Week 4 meeting.
FRIDAY INJURY REPORT:
CHICAGO BEARS
--Doubtful: T Mike Adams (back), WR Eddie Royal (toe)
--Questionable: LB Jonathan Anderson (hamstring), CB Johnthan Banks (ankle), WR Josh Bellamy (shoulder), WR Marquess Wilson (groin)
DETROIT LIONS
--Out: C Travis Swanson (concussion)
--Questionable: DE Ezekiel Ansah (ankle), S Don Carey (hamstring), TE Eric Ebron (knee), WR Marvin Jones (quadricep), LB DeAndre Levy (knee), RB Theo Riddick (wrist), RB Dwayne Washington (ankle), LB Tahir Whitehead (knee)
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Bears DE Akiem Hicks. He is a steady performer at defensive end and provided an interior pass rush when nose tackle Eddie Goldman missed more than half the season with an injury. Hicks has had to be versatile throughout his career, but his height and overall size made him a better fit in the Bears' 3-4, and they already had drafted Goldman the previous year to be at nose.
FAST FACTS:
Bears QB Matt Barkley had career-high 97.5 passer rating last week.
Bears rookie RB Jordan Howard rushed for 117 yards and three TDs in Week 13 and became the fifth rookie in Bears history with three rushing TDs in a game. He ranks second among rookie RBs with 883 yards rushing and five TDs on the ground.
Bears DE Akiem Hicks has four sacks and a forced fumble in the last four games.
Lions QB Matthew Stafford has 916 passing yards and seven TDs in the past three games vs. the Bears.
Detroit WR Anquan Bolden has TD catches in six home games with the Lions. Since entering the NFL in 2003, he ranks third with 13,627 yards receiving.
PREDICTION:
The Lions are in the playoff chase, the Bears are not and this game in Detroit should show why. Chicago is 0-6 on the road this season and probably will not avoid losing its first seven road games in a season for the third time in franchise history (1969 and 1974).
OUR PICK: Lions, 38-21.
--Frank Cooney
