When the Lions have the ball
In what may be his finest season to date, Matthew Stafford continues to carve up opposing defenses through the air. Aided by two dynamic receivers also having standout seasons in Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones, the Lions’ passing offense is the primary reason that they have been competitive in nearly every game this season.
Golladay, in particular, is well on his way to his first Pro Bowl nod and could be in for a big game in his hometown. He has 17 receptions and 249 yards in four career games against the Bears. Golladay has torched opposing defenses all year, and should still have an advantage against the Bears’ veteran outside cornerback duo of Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara.
The Lions got some solid production from rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson in last week’s loss to the Oakland Raiders (3 receptions, 56 yards), his best performance since Week 1. Hockenson luckily avoided his second concussion in just over a month after a hard hit in the fourth quarter last Sunday and will look to build on last week’s outing against the Bears’ safety tandem of Eddie Jackson and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
The Bears’ defense starts and ends with All Pro linebacker Khalil Mack, who is in the midst of another Pro Bowl season despite Chicago’s overall regression. Mack dominated the Lions’ offensive front at Soldier field in last season’s matchup and will be licking his chops again considering the middling play of Lions tackles Rick Wagner and Taylor Decker this year.
The Bears’ bruising 3-4 front will be missing its anchor in Pro Bowl tackle Akiem Hicks, who is currently on injured reserve with an elbow injury. Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols are capable stand-ins, though Chicago’s run defense is allowing nearly 14 more yards on the ground per game (93.5 through eight games) than their league-leading mark from 2018.
Still, they likely won’t face much of a threat from a feeble Lions rushing attack which is continually trying to cobble together an effective complement to their dynamic aerial assault. If the Lions can come close to matching the number of yards that the Bears surrender against the run, it will be a major advantage for them.