Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions: 3 Must-know statistics before the game
No. 3: The Bears’ defense has forced the Lions into tons of penalties
As much as we won’t admit it, there’s a legitimate world in which the Chicago Bears walk into Ford Field and fall to 0-1. The Bears, by definition, figure to be a better team than Detroit, but the little things could come to be quite the deciding factor in Week 1. Things like finishing off series and not settling for 3-point drives, third-down efficiency, and of course, the penalty battle.
The Lions eventually shored up their penalty problem once December rolled around, but beforehand, few teams in the NFL accrued more flags.
And in the two meetings against Chicago last season, they reared their ugly head quite a few times. In the losses, they drew 17 flags, which cost them 161 yards. In each game, they drew six penalties, both season-highs.
Kyle Fuller comes to mind immediately, with both his incredible shoestring tackle of J.D. McKissic. But, he also drew penalties that set the Lions’ offensive attack back a bit.
The Bears’ secondary gets a bit of an easier job this week, with Kenny Golladay listed as doubtful. In 2019, he destroyed the Bears to the tune of 7 catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns during a two-game slate. There’s still tons of talent in that receiving corps, but this plays to the Bears’ advantage.
Beyond that, the Bears will have chances to create penalty opportunities on their front line. The Lions committed 25 of them a season ago, which ranked 9th in the NFL. Pair a fired up Khalil Mack with Akiem Hicks — who are both going against an inexperienced offensive line — and it could spell doom for the Lions.