2) Bring the heat to Matthew Stafford
The new and improved Lions offense revolves around quick delivery for the purpose of avoiding pass rush. However, we witnessed exactly what happens to the Lions when the defense can force Stafford to move around in the pocket. Chicago’s week 4 tilt against the Lions happened to be one of the few occasions where Matt Stafford got flustered. He threw two interceptions and was called for an illegal forward pass off a scramble play.
To earn this key, the Bears don’t need to put up crazy sack numbers like they did against San Fransisco. Chicago simply needs to pressure Stafford early and often. The Bears only recorded two sacks against Stafford, but he was continually flushed out of the pocket. Stafford isn’t the slowest quarterback in the NFL, but flushing him from the pocket would be a significant advantage for Chicago.
For the Bears to earn this key, they must record two sacks and apply continuous pressure. They also must create a turnover. Whether that takeaway is due to a rushed throw or a strip sack, the Bears need a takeaway from their front 7. Speaking of turnovers…