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

The Chicago Bears need to finish stronger in the second half

Many statistics from the last time these two teams faced off would indicate a Bears victory, outside of the final three minutes of the game. For the better part of a year and a half, this problem has afflicted the Bears, who have lost 11 games by one possession since 2022. Inter-divisional games have also been a problem for this regime, who just won their first such contest two weekends ago.

For any divisional game, let alone a rematch from less than a month ago, a close, hard-fought game should be expected no matter who ultimately prevails, but the Bears will have to play great situational football in the second half, something that has evaded them in recent history. Outside of their blowout loss versus the Kansas City Chiefs, who ended up benching many starters, the win against the Vikings marked the first time that the Bears outscored their opponent in the second half with Justin Fields playing the full game.

Executing down the stretch falls on both the shoulders of the players and the coaches, and to earn a victory against a group as strong as the Lions, it will be essential to play smart and sound football for the full 60 minutes. The Bears proved that they can compete with this Detroit squad, but they will need even more to prove that they can beat them.