When the Detroit Lions head to Chicago to take on the Bears this week, there will be a few more differences than just the location. The teams played each other just two weeks ago, but the NFL stands for Not For Long because things can change quickly. Somehow, the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions have been different teams since then. What are the notable changes?
5. The Detroit Lions run game will look different against the Chicago Bears this week
When the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions played back in week 11, the Lions' offensive front looked a little bit different. They had one injury on the line, but the impact appears to be greater with their more recent injury.
In week 11, the Lions were without left guard Jonah Jackson. Jackson has been in and out of the lineup all season, first with an ankle injury and, more recently, with a wrist injury. So, they slid in rookie Colby Sorsdall against the Chicago Bears. He was not great, but the other four spots held it down, and the Lions got the win.
This time around, Jackson is back, but there is more shuffling all over. The Lions' starting center, Frank Ragnow, will miss this game with a knee injury. This is bigger than getting Jackson back because it is starting a change at multiple positions.
The Lions elected to put Graham Glasgow at center. Glasgow was their starting right guard. Then, they had Sorsdall move from being the depth left guard to starting at right guard.
So, the Chicago Bears will technically see three new spots, although Ragnow is out and Jackson is in. Glasgow at center, Jackson at left guard, and Sorsdall at right guard is not only a combination the Bears did not see last time; it is something the Lions have only done together for 37 snaps.
This shuffling could be an advantage for the Chicago Bears.
4. The Chicago Bears will see a weaker defensive front
The Detroit Lions just put defensive tackle Alim McNeil on the injured reserve with a knee injury. This is significant because McNeil has been the second-best Lions defensive player by pretty much any way you look at it. He is not Aidan Hutchinson, but he impacts the game more than anyone else.
Alim McNeil has 12 run stops on 201 snaps, and Hutchinson has 12 on 236. The combination of Isaiah Buggs, Quinton Bohanna, and Benito Jones have 11 on 294 snaps. These are the top three replacements for McNeil.
McNeil has 33 pressures on 327 rush attempts, while those three combine for 20 on 328 attempts. The Detroit Lions' defensive line just got extremely thin.
The Chicago Bears already had some success running the football against this front the first time that these teams played. Beyond that, the Chicago Bears are weakest at giving up pressure straight up the gut, and that threat just went down significantly. This is a worse defense than the Bears saw in week 11.
3. The Chicago Bears could see a big injury impact the passing game
The Detroit Lions suffered a tough injury to starting linebacker Alex Anzalone. Anzalone was their top linebacker and one of their best defenders this year, especially in coverage. One of the big issues the Lions have is their linebackers in coverage against tight ends and running backs. Their only good defender in that area was Alex Anzalone, but he is gone now.
Once he left, the Saints started to mount a huge comeback. It came with Alvin Kamara catching six passes for 58 yards, but also a Jimmy Graham touchdown and Foster Moreau having 28 yards. We already wrote that these players can expose them, and while the Saints do not have the talent at tight end, the Bears do with Cole Kmet.
The Lions will look for Malcolm Rodriguez or Jalen Reeves-Maybin to fill in as a WILL with Jack Campbell at the MIKE and Derrick Barnes in the SAM role. This is not as good of a linebacker group, and it may be highlighted by the loss of Alim McNeil as well.
2. The Chicago Bears saw this speed threat start his progression
The Chicago Bears were one of the first teams to see the progression of rookie Jameson Williams. After being suspended for the first four games of the season, the Lions took time to ease their first-round pick into the mix. However, the team had a bye week four weeks ago, and the last three weeks have given them the most production they have seen from Williams.
In the last three games, he has run 64% of the routes on offense, which is up from 40% in his first five games. This has led to more production.
Williams had a 32-yard touchdown against Chicago and ended with 44 yards. He had 51 yards against Green Bay with a 38-yarder included, and against New Orleans, it was only one catch for 11 yards, but it was also one rush for a touchdown from 19 yards out.
So, in two of the three games, he has a touchdown, and in two of the three games, he has a 30-yard reception. In all three games, he has made a notable impact. Detroit has had bad injury luck this week, but this is one nice addition that they can trust. This is not the same player who barely saw the field in the first ten weeks of the season, and the Chicago Bears have to be on notice to avoid any big plays.
1. The Chicago Bears are much healthier than the Detroit Lions.
The Chicago Bears are not nearly as different roster-wise compared to the Detroit Lions. Some of that can be because while the Lions were losing players left and right, the Bears had a bye week. Also, while the Lions were the healthier team early in the season, this is trending to Chicago.
The Bears are not much different, but week 11 was also the return for key names such as Justin Fields, Nate Davis, and Tremaine Edmunds. These are supposed to be game-changing players.
Davis looked a bit rusty against Detroit but looked much better in the week 12 win over Minnesota. He should be at his best after the bye week. The Chicago Bears defense has spent two games as a unit with all of their corps pieces, and even week 12 had them without Tyrique Stevenson. Sunday may be the best defense looks on paper.
Of course, this will be game three for Fields since returning from his injury. Fields is rushing well and taking fewer sacks than before. It could be because he has better help than ever before.
So, the Detroit Lions roster mostly has fallen apart in recent weeks while the Bears roster has come together. We will see what this means soon.