November 01, 2024
Analysis

Three things to know about the Chicago Bears’ Week 13 opponent, the Detroit Lions

By Sean Hammond

Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift runs the ball against the Washington Football Team during the second half Nov. 15 in Detroit. (AP photo)

In another NFC North matchup, the Bears (5-6) and the Lions (4-7) will square off at noon Sunday from Soldier Field in Chicago. Much has changed since Mitch Trubisky and the Bears erased a 17-point deficit at Ford Field in Detroit during Week 1. Both teams come into this Week 13 game sporting losing streaks.

Here are three things to know about the Detroit Lions:

Losing Lions

The Lions’ future is in flux. The organization fired head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn on Saturday, following a loss to the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving Day. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell steps in as interim head coach.

Losing to a team that fired its head coach is never a good look, as Patricia learned against the Texans – who fired Bill O’Brien way back on Oct. 5. It would be an equally bad look for Matt Nagy and the Chicago Bears, should they extend their losing streak to six games and lose to Bevell’s Lions.

That being said, the Lions have lost two straight, and four of their last five games. Their defense has surrendered 20 points or more in six consecutive games.

Not running wild

The Bears and the Lions are statistically two of the worst rushing offenses in the NFL. While the Bears are dead last with 82.2 rushing yards per game, the Lions aren’t much better at 96.6 yards per game (27th in the NFL).

Adrian Peterson ripped off 93 yards on 14 carries in Week 1 against the Bears, but hasn’t come close to matching that performance recently. Rookie D’Andre Swift had been playing well before a concussion kept him out of the last two games. His status for this week is uncertain. Swift ran for a career-high 116 yards and two touchdowns in Week 6 against Jacksonville.

On the flip side, while the Bears have struggled, this might be a chance for the them to have a solid rushing performance, as they did against Detroit in Week 1. The Lions run defense ranks 28th in the NFL. They placed starting defensive tackle Danny Shelton on injured reserve Wednesday.

Kenny Golladay remains out

The Bears avoided the Lions’ top receiver in Week 1, and that could happen again. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has been playing without Kenny Golladay for much of the season. Currently, Golladay has missed the last four games with a hip injury. He hurt his hip in Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts and ended his day after 18 snaps. In total, Golladay has missed six games and the Lions have lost five of those contests.

When he does play, Golladay adds a dynamic weapon for the Lions. In the four complete games he has played in, Golladay has two 100-plus-yard performances and has caught four passes in each game.