Chicago Bears Gameday: 3 Keys to Victory over the Detroit Lions

After a week of full practice, quarterback Justin Fields is slated to return to the (3-7) Chicago Bears' starting lineup after a four-week absence, where he will lead the team on the road against the division rival (7-2) Detroit Lions. While Fields was recovering from his thumb injury on his throwing hand, the Bears were able to string together two wins against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Carolina Panthers, largely on the backs of a run-first offensive scheme and an improved defensive unit.

With Fields at the helm, the offense should look differently than it has with Tyson Bagent as the signal caller, but still, it will be important for the team as a whole to continue to improve in other areas to support the former Ohio State quarterback down the stretch of this season.

Currently, Fields is in the penultimate year of his rookie contract, indicating that these next seven games may dictate his future with the team. If Fields can help the team win some games, he may prove himself as the answer moving forward, but if not, the team's draft position may make it difficult to not draft a new quarterback in 2024. Either way, Sunday's matchup versus the Lions is a crucial first game back for the quarterback, but for the Bears as a whole to come out of Detroit with a win, it will be essential to accomplish the following three keys to success: