Oct 22, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) is tackled by Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman (33) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Bears won 13-7. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Bears (9-6) and Detroit Lions (4-11) meet up at Ford Field on Sunday with a playoff berth at stake for the Bears.  Win and hope the Green Bay Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings to earn a trip most likely to San Francisco to take on the 49ers.  Sounds plausible, right?

When the Bears and Lions met up at Soldier Field in prime time earlier this season, the Bears came away with a 13-7 win, hardly a runaway win to give the Bears any overconfidence heading into Sunday.   Back during their first matchup, the Lions were still thought to be playoff contenders following a strong 2011 season, but seven straight losses turned them from  contenders to pretenders.

To help us get prepped for this latest divisional matchup, we reached out to longtime friend Zac Snyder who runs SideLion Report.  Here are our questions and Zac’s answers:  (more…)

YOUR CAPTION HERE (Photo via Twitter)

I haven’t done a Create a Caption in a while and couldn’t think of a better photo from the Bears’ 13-7 victory over the Lions than this photo of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was sacked late in the ballgame and came up with a face full of grass.  If you’re new to Create a Caption, it’s pretty simple.  I provide the photo, you provide the funny, sarcastic or insightful caption.  Fire away in the Comments.

Nov 13, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers (90) forces Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) to fumble the ball in the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE

As the Detroit Lions prepare for their trip to Chicago to face the Chicago Bears on Monday night, Lions QB Matthew Stafford was speaking to the Chicago media in his pre-game conference call with the media.  The quarterback answered a number of questions about the slow start of his all-world WR Calvin Johnson.

“Well, Calvin is Calvin and he is a great receiver, but it’s really my fault that we haven’t been clicking so far this season,” said Stafford.  “The truth is, I am a firm believer in the Madden Curse.”

According to Wikipedia, while appearing on the cover has become an honor akin to appearing on the Wheaties box, much like the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx, certain players who appeared on Madden video game box art have experienced a decline in performance, usually due to an injury.

“There have been times this year when Calvin has been wide open, but that damn curse enters my mind and I might just put the ball out of reach or airmail it into the 3^rd row,” continued Stafford.  “I mean, I don’t want to get him hurt or anything.”

Johnson seems to appreciate his quarterback having his back, “My chances will come.  We will be down enough this season, so there will be plenty of garbage time for me to get my numbers when the defenses play a little softer.”

In other news, it has been rumored that DT Ndamukong Suh is planning to drive himself from Detroit to Chicago for the game on Monday.  As such, the Chicago Bears, in association with the Chicago Parks and Recreation Department and Chicago Police Department will be issuing a joint warning about parking near Soldier Field.

 The Cover Stew is a satirical look at the Chicago Bears, Football and Life in General.

Sep 23, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws from the pocket against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at LP Field. The Titans beat the Lions 44-41 in overtime. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-US PRESSWIRE

Matthew Stafford aggravated a leg injury he suffered this past week during a Tennessee Titan defensive score late in the game on Sunday. Stafford will undergo a MRI tomorrow to see what the severity of the injury is to the leg/hamstring. When Stafford left the game he was 33-42 for 278 yards, but he wasn’t around for the dramatic and strange ending to the Detroit Lions 44-41 loss in overtime.

Shaun Hill took over at quarterback and calmly went 10-13 for 172 and a hail mary to tie it on the final play of regulation.  Why in the world the Lions went for it on 4th and 1 on the 7 yard line in overtime instead of kicking the tying field goal is anyone’s guess, but it seems that the entire team has a different excuse for the failed attempt.  It’s unclear how long Stafford could possibly be out for with the injury, but the Lions are noticeably a better team with Stafford in the lineup as witnessed to last seasons 10-6 record when Stafford didn’t miss a game in his first complete healthy season.

The Lions are now 1-2 and at the bottom of the NFC north.  Even though Hill is a capable backup everyone in Detroit will be holding their collective breaths until the results of the MRI are released!

It was BEARly worth mentioning, but they are our rivals!

DA BEARS

Nov 13, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers (90) and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) go face to face during a fight in the second half at Soldier Field. The Bears defeated the Lions 37-13. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE

Detroit Lions

Record- 10-6 ( Lost to the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round)

Coach- Jim Schwartz 18-30 0-1 playoffs

Key Subtractions- Qb Drew Stanton,  Lb Bobby Carpenter, Cb Aaron Berry, Cb Eric Wright

Key Additions- Wr Jarett Dillard,  T Jonathan Scott, De Everette Brown, Cb Jacob Lacey

Meeting Dates- Week 6 in Chicago, Week 17 in Detroit

All-Time Record- Bears lead 94-65-5

Strength of Schedule- 20th

Fantasy Impact- Matthew Stafford rounds 1-4, Calvin Johnson Round 1, Brandon Pettigrew rd 6 (more…)

August 25, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) calls a play against the Oakland Raiders in the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

A major scare happened for the Detroit Lions  yesterday while playing in Oakland and no it wasn’t the Raiders fans.  Matthew Stafford watched in horror as his left hand blew up on the sideline after Dave Tollefson drove him  to the ground after an incomplete pass. While falling to the ground Tollefson helmet and Stafford’s left hand collided.  It looked very bad for Stafford with bandages and a brace being applied, but the team and the city were relieved when X-rays were negative.  Stafford was 8-10 for 68 yards before the injury, and he is not expected (like almost every other regular starter in the NFL) to play in the last pre-season game but should be ready for their opening game versus the St Louis Rams on September 9th.

Stafford wasn’t the only injury the Raiders inflicted upon the Lions.  The Raiders roughed up two cornerbacks in Bill Bentley and Chris Houston. Bentley has a shoulder injury while Houston has an ankle injury.  Running Back Kevin Smith left the game with what looked like a serious ankle injury, but his X-ray’s like Staffords were negative.  A lot of injuries but all of these players without any setbacks are expected to be on the playing field week one.

The scariest part of the game really should be that Mikel Leshoure has not established anything so far in the pre-season.  Even though he is suspended for the first two games, Leshoure is able to practice and play in the pre-season. He has dressed for the pre-season, but he has hardly played or impressed,  and when he’s been given the ball it hasn’t been very productive. Leshoure carried 5 times for 1 yard and had 1 catch for 6 yards.  The Lions have a lot of hope that he will be RB1 after his suspension, but his pre-season production diminishes that anticipation!

It was BEARly worth mentioning, but they are our rival!

DA BEARS

The Bears look to cross one "goal line" with a winning season in Detroit on Sunday.

We try to do a little Q&A with the opposing team’s blogger each week and with the upcoming rematch against the Lions, Side Lion Reports’ Zac Snyder took a few moments of his time to answer a couple of quick questions in our Blogger Exchange Program.

Bear Goggles On: It looks like the Bears catch a break with Shaun Hill sidelined with a busted finger and Drew Stanton getting the call on Sunday.  Give Bears fans who might not be familiar with Stanton a little preview of what to expect from him.  What are his strengths? Weaknesses? How does Stanton impact the Lions offensive game plan?

Side Lion Report: Stanton’s strengths are more of the intangible variety. He is one of those tough grinder guys that get labeled as “gamers”. That is all well and good if there is legitimate NFL talent behind it, but Stanton has mired as a third string quarterback for a reason. He does have the ability to make a couple plays with his feet but the game plan will be limited with Stanton under center. I expect a lot of short passes and an attempt at running the football as Stanton is asked just to manage the game.

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Believe me, working with the rival NFC North bloggers is not all it’s cracked up to be, especially the Packers blogger, who is a complete douche bag. Just another reminder for why I hate the Packers, their fans and have at least a mild case of lactose intolerance.

So we’ve decided to put a few posts together to settle who is best at some of the high-profile positions and what is more high-profile than quarterback? I would have cringed at the thought of pitting the Rex Grossmans and Cade McNowns of seasons past against the Big Ten’s cast of quarterbacks, but I think that with Jay Cutler, we are at least competitive with our NFC North rivals for competency at the quarterback position.

Let’s look at the contestants, shall we?

Jay was tireless in his preparation, spending extra time with his top target, Greg Olsen.

Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears

2009 Stats: 16 Games, 27 TD’s, 26 INT’s, 3,666 yards, QB Rating = 76.8

Cutler had a tough year adjusting to his new team in 2009. If you’ve ever seen someone try to carry 20 years of incompetence on his shoulders, it was Cutler. With the lack of any proven wide receivers, an offensive line who seemed better suited to be Walmart greeters and an scheme that hadn’t changed since the mid-90′s (1890′s that is), Cutty didn’t have much of a chance to succeed. Surround him with the top talent of the NFC North and he has the tools to lead the division to glory.

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