Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions: 3 Must-know statistics before the game

Here are three statistics to know before the Bears kickoff vs. the Lions

Something will have to give on Sunday afternoon when Matt Nagy and Matt Patricia — two three-year coaches without a Week 1 victory to their name — prepare to do battle in the 2020-21 season opener. Once known as the NFL’s premier opening weekend team, the Chicago Bears are hoping to open the new NFL decade on a positive note.

Just three years ago, the Bears owned the record for most Week 1 wins (55), but have since been surpassed by Green Bay (57). It’s been rough sledding as of late; after opening the 2010s with four straight Week 1 wins in the Cutler era, the Bears have fallen to 0-1 in each of their last six seasons.

The Nagy-Pace-Trubisky grouping survived another summer together, but that doesn’t mean their seats aren’t as hot as they’ve ever been. The pressure to win is noticeably high. Which makes this kickoff game against the Lions — a team they’ve swept in each of the last two seasons — a virtual godsend. Chicago’s been at their best against this NFC North rival, and are hoping to continue that trend of dominance.

Injuries are already shaped the type of game this could be. Game changers on both sides have already been listed as doubtful in Kenny Golladay of the Lions, and Robert Quinn of the Bears. And $50 million man Halapoulivaati Vaitai could be a stretch for Sunday, too. To think, depth could be tested right away on both sides.

In the meantime, there are tons of trends and history on both sides that can tell us quite the preview. In 11 season openers, Matthew Stafford is 6-4-1 and has gone 266-of-409, for 3,200 yards, 21 TDs and 16 INTs for a 90.7 QBR. But, the Bears own bragging rights, winning the last Bears-Lions opener in 2010, the Megatron end zone catch game. Among those, here are three statistics to know for Sunday’s tilt.