Our early Sunday games begin with the Detroit Lions (5-4) trying to keep pace with the Minnesota Vikings. To do so, they’ll need to defeat the Chicago Bears (3-6) at Soldier Field.
The game will be tossed right into your waiting eyes by the FOX network and its local stations at 1 p.m. EST.
The Game: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears (+3)
O/U: 41.0
The History
The Bears and Lions have played 174 games since 1930 with Chicago leading the all time series 97-72-5.
Detroit has won seven of the last eight games between the two squads. They split their games last season.
DETROIT LIONS (5-4)
The Lions come into this game off two consecutive wins and one of them even half-way counts. Two weeks ago they beat the Green Bay Packers 30-17 without Aaron Rodgers. Last week they defeated the Cleveland Browns 38-24, which is way too close for a game against the Browns. In fact, the Lions trailed 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford is probably realistically out of the MVP conversation since Detroit has been unimpressive this season. I would argue that there’s not a guy more important to his team’s success currently playing in the league. Like the Packers and the Indianapolis Colts, the Lions would be absolutely worthless without their quarterback. Stafford has completed 62.6 percent of his passes this season for 2,461 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s easily on pace for his seventh consecutive 4,000-plus yard season.
Stafford knows how to use his weapons in the passing game. Last week against the Browns, he completed balls to eight different guys. Golden Tate remains his go-to target. He caught six passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. Detroit really doesn’t have a No. 1 receiver right now. Marvin Jones Jr. and Tate are both twos. It’s possible Kenny Golladay may turn into that top guy, but not as a rookie this year. He’s missed too much time with injuries.
Speaking of injuries, the Lions might be without Ezekiel Ansah on the defensive line Sunday. He’s been held out of practice all week. Back up running back Dwayne Washington has missed with a hip injury. The good news is safety Don Carey, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and guard T.J. Lang all look like they’ll play.
CHICAGO BEARS (3-6)
Rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubsiky is coming off his best statistical performance as a pro. Against the Packers, he was 21 of 35 for 297 yards and a touchdown. Head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains have been reticent to let Trubisky do too much over his first few starts, so it’s encouraging to see them open the playbook up, even if it did come in a 23-16 loss.
Trubisky worked the ball down the field with seven different guys and wasn’t afraid to take his shots. Dontrelle Inman led Chicago with six catches for 88 yards. Joshua Bellamy caught two passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. It’s important to remember that these are not the starting wideouts the Bears planned on fielding this season. In fact, Inman and Bellamy probably wouldn’t have played much at all, so Trubisky is not exactly tossing it to Rice and Taylor here.
Jordan Howard put in a workman like 15 carries for 54 yards, but was mostly ineffective. Of his 54, 25 yards came on a single carry. That means he was 14 for 29 the rest of the day. That won’t do it against the Lions either.
The Bears are looking at the absence of three key players in this one. Linebackers Sam Acho and Danny Trevathan haven’t practiced all week. Acho has a shoulder and Trevathan a calf. Tight end Dion Sims is out with an illness and it doesn’t sound like he’ll suit up Sunday either.
The Pick
The Bears may have finally turned Trubisky loose, but asking him to go score for score with Stafford is too tall an order. Trubisky just doesn’t have the weapons at receiver or the experience. If Stafford gets any help from the running game, this one won’t be close. Lions 31, Bears 20
This week
Straight up: 1-0
Against the spread: 0-1
Last week
Straight up: 9-5
Against the spread: 6-8
Season
Straight up: 87-59
Against the spread: 75-70
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