Detroit Lions will look to get a win with a fresh start in Week 13
After getting dismantled by the Houston Texans on their annual Thanksgiving Day game, the Detroit Lions have parted ways with former head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn. The team will look to start anew with former offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell taking the reigns as interim head coach.
Bevell’s first game as interim head coach will be against a longtime rival in the Chicago Bears who are on a five game losing streak. Let’s dive-in to the matchup history between the longtime rivals, what happened in their last matchup, what to watch for, what the Lions need to do to win and a prediction for the game.
Matchup history
As the Lions and Bears are in the same division, this causes them to play each other twice a season which has resulted in many matchups over the years. The Bears have quite the historical advantage with a 102-74-5 record and have won five straight matchups when playing the Lions.
Last matchup
These two teams faced off against each other in the opening game of the season where the Bears took the game with a 27-23 score. The Lions were up 23-6 heading into the fourth quarter but blew it. They did have a chance to win in the final seconds of the game but running back D’Andre Swift dropped a pass which the media bashed him for.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 297 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 93 yards on 14 carries.
Wide receiver Danny Amendola caught five passes for 81 yards while tight end T.J. Hockenson caught the same amount of passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Kicker Matt Prater missed a field goal attempt but did make one of 44 yards. Punt returner Jamal Agnew averaged 33 yards a return over two punts.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky threw for 242 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Anthony Miller got 76 yards on four receptions with a touchdown while Allen Robinson caught five passes for 74 yards. Kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson got 110 yards over three kick returns.
What to watch for
There have been many reports stating how players were not fond of Patricia. Can they now regroup and play under a new (interim) head coach? How exactly will the offense run? Will Bevell still make the calls or will he leave that up to Stafford now that he has a bigger role to take on?
Keys to the game/What the Lions need to do to win
The Bears are known for their defense far more than their offense. The Bears have the likes of linebacker Khalil Mack, defensive end Akiem Hicks among others that have done a fine job of slowing down the opposing offense. If the Lions are looking for a fresh start and a win, they should rely more on throwing the ball than handing it off to the running backs.
The defense will also need to be aware and awake of where the ball is. Quarterback Nick Foles missed last game with a hip injury meaning Trubisky could very well start again who is prone to throwing interceptions.
Prediction
With the Lions starting fresh, the players will be less tense and more relaxed when out on the field. Based on reading many reports, it sounded like Patricia ran his players into the ground during practices throughout the week.
Due to this, the players will be more motivated as well as willing to be out on the field and to give it their all. Also with the Bears having a weak quarterback no matter who starts under center, the Lions will hand them their sixth straight loss with their offense doing most of the heavy lifting.
Final score prediction: Detroit Lions 26, Chicago Bears 13