Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions – Preview

By Ha Kung Wong  Chicago Bears

Twitter: @FBGarbageTime

So, Chicago is probably still more concerned about the Chicago Cubs than the Chicago Bears at this point, as the Cubs begin the NLCS this weekend, which puts them one step away from reaching the World Series (something they haven’t done in 70 years) and two steps away from winning the World Series (something they haven’t done in 107 years).  But after winning two in a row, the Bears may have suddenly become relevant again.  It’s true that it’s near impossible they catch up with the Green Bay Packers, but is a Wild Card out of the question?  If everyone gets healthy, perhaps not.

But first, let me admit that I was wrong last week.  In my defense, how was I to know that Jamaal Charles would have a non-contact ACL tear in the second half of the game, allowing Jay Cutler to mount a stirring comeback with Marquess Wilson and a lob pass from a busted play to Matt Forte with 18 seconds left?  Without Charles, the Kansas City Chiefs had no ability to consistently move the chains, and as they bogged down, Cutler picked up.  And what’s on tap for Week 6?  The 0-5 Detroit Lions.

Let’s take a closer look at that Week 6 matchup.

Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions

Chicago BearsDetroit Lions

Bears Offense

Let’s face it, the Bears offense hasn’t been that good.  They’re currently tied for 5th to last for passing yards per game (200.2), 16th for rushing yards per game (116.2) and 4th to last for points scored per game (17.2).  But remember that Jimmy Clausen almost single handedly sunk the passing stats for the year, plus Alshon Jeffery has spent equal time on the bench as he has on the field.  That may all change this week.

Cutler appears to be back to form, which is good news for all his receiving options.  He’s put in back to back good performances (281 yards and 2 TDs / 252 yards and 2 TDs) leading to the first two wins of the season, and he’s done it without leading WR Alshon Jeffery.  Now it looks like both Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal may be a go for Week 6:

“May”, of course, being the operative word there.  But if both get back on the field, along with a reliable Michael Bennett and a much improved Wilson, we may finally realize the high flying offense Bears fans anticipated before the season began.

Interestingly, regardless of this potential return to form in the pass game, it may be Matt Forte that leads the offense in Week 6.  That’s because the Detroit Lions defense has given up the 6th most rushing yards to opposing offenses per game (126.6) and the most rushing TDs (8) this year so far.  Of course, that doesn’t mean that Cutler won’t have his as well.  Although the Lions defense has been better against the pass, they still give up a league leading 9.2 yards per pass attempt.  In comparison, Oakland and Kansas City gave up 7.5 and 7.6 respectively, so we can expect a couple successful long balls from Cutler this weekend as well.

As we know, Ndamukong Suh is no longer in Detroit, and their defense has suffered as a result.  And as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson, when asked how he felt about it, Cutler responded in true Cutler form:

“Nobody is going to miss that guy.”

That is, I suppose, except for Lions’ fans.

Bears Defense

Bears Defense converge on Alex Smith in Week 5. - Getty Images

Bears Defense converge on Alex Smith in Week 5. – Getty Images

Regardless of how much they allow opposing offenses to score (4th worse in the league per game), the Bears defense has quietly been effective.  In fact, they’ve allowed the 4th least yards per game to opposing offenses (304.6).  Perhaps some of that is due to the special teams leaving opposing offenses with short fields, but at least part of that has been due to an overachieving secondary that has allowed the 3rd least passing yards per game (185.8).

Detroit has had problems with both parts of their offense, so much so that they even benched Matt Stafford in the second half of their Week 5 game.  I don’t think Stafford deserved being benched, but for someone who’s continuously underachieved, you have to wonder how this effects his confidence.  And although Ameer Abdullah looked to be the back of the future for Detroit during the preseason, things quickly got ugly for him once he took over as the lead back in the regular season while Joique Bell was on the mend.  Bell is likely back this weekend, but both have struggled mightily to get something going on the ground.  All this adds up to a good day for the Chicago defense.

Prediction

Neither team is what one would call “good”, but the Bears have been improving over the last couple weeks while the Lions have begun to sink to new lows.  I’d be surprised if the Lions can turn it around for this week, even given that they’re 3 point favorites on most sites.  The Bears manage to find a way to keep the win “streak” alive.

Chicago Bears 20  – Detroit Lions 17

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