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Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears: Who Has the Advantage?

By Clyde A. Speller

Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron (85) scores a touchdown against Chicago Bears free safety Adrian Amos (38) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Lions won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions tight end Eric Ebron (85) scores a touchdown against Chicago Bears free safety Adrian Amos (38) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Lions won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Normally, this posting would consist of a breakdown of how the Chicago Bears will matchup against their opponent in a detailed way, showing how their run and pass offense and run and pass defense measures up. Seeing how horrible the Bears (0-3) have been thus far this season, I think it’s just best for me to get straight to the point and tell everyone that the Detroit Lions will have the overall advantage on Sunday at Soldier Field.

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First, and foremost, Chicago is once again entering a game this season with 16 players on their injury report. Four of those 16 players are starters that didn’t participate in practice as far as Thursday of this week. There is no chance that cornerback Kyle Fuller (knee) will play this year, since being placed on injured reserve. Linebacker Danny Trevathan (thumb) and nose tackle Eddie Goldman (ankle) both haven’t seen the practice field since Week 3, while running back Jeremy Langford is nursing a bad ankle of his own. Most importantly, quarterback Jay Cutler is slated to miss his second consecutive game with his sprained thumb.

Outside of the injuries, let’s look at the on-the-field aspects of this matchup. As mentioned, the Bears’ No. 1 cornerback in Fuller is on the shelf for good, which leaves Chicago with a bunch of young, inexperienced cornerbacks to play alongside veteran Tracy Porter. Jacoby Glenn, Bryce Callahan, and rookies Deiondre Hall and Cre’Von LeBlanc have all had a positive moment or two this year, but are they ready to face a team that has had one of the best pass offenses in the NFL through the first three weeks?

The Lions’ 312.7 passing yards per game average is third in the league, their quarterback Matthew Stafford is ranked third in passing yards (985), and tied for third in the NFL with seven touchdown passes. Coming into Week 4, Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones is the league’s leading receiver with 408 yards, and is coming off a 200-plus yard game in Week 3. Statistically, the Bears’ pass defense is ranked 10th in the NFL, but this is the same defense that had trouble containing rookie quarterbacks in Weeks 2 and 3. With the group of defenders Chicago has in their secondary, there could be a chance that their ranking could drop by game’s end.

The one glimmer of hope that the Bears have on the defensive side of the ball is that Detroit’s offensive line has surrendered eight sacks so far this season. This could be somewhat of a coming-out party for rookie outside linebacker Leonard Floyd. A breakout game such as this is greatly needed, considering that their top pass rusher from last year, Lamarr Houston, is out for the year with a torn ACL.

As for the offense, Chicago’s passing game could have an unexpected good day, especially coming off the heels of backup quarterback Brian Hoyer’s 317-yard, two touchdown performance in last week’s loss. This will only happen if Hoyer is given the protection he needs to pick apart a Lions defense that has surrendered the most touchdown passes (10) through the first three weeks of the season.

Sep 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard (24) runs the ball during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Bears won 21-7. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard (24) runs the ball during the second half against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Bears won 21-7. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Looking at the Bears’ running game versus Detroit’s run defense on paper, Chicago should have the upper hand in this matchup. The Lions are giving up and average of 5.2 yards per carry, which is the most in the NFL. Bears rookie running back Jordan Howard, who will be starting, is averaging a whopping 5.6 yards per carry. However, the one thing that could keep Chicago from taking advantage of this is the lopsided play calling of offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. So far this year, the Bears have run the ball only 53 times (fewest in the NFL), and has held the ball on an average of about 23 minutes per game. Howard’s effective running could be Chicago’s only key to coming away with their first win of the 2016 season.

So, with all of this being said, can the Bears snap a six-game losing streak against the Lions? Can the Bears get their first home win since Week 4 of 2015? Can the Bears wipe away the dirty memory of September, and start fresh with their first victory of the season in October? If you ask me, the answers to all of these questions are no. The Lions simply have too much of an advantage in this one.

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