Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions – Week 13 Preview, Keys to Game (Video)
The Chicago Bears (5-6) struggled mightily with the first-place Packers in a loss last Sunday night and their fifth consecutive defeat put Matt Nagy’s squad in a must-win situation to keep slim playoff hopes alive. The opposition this week, the Detroit Lions (4-7), just fired head coach Matt Patricia and are generally a mess as they head to Soldier Field for a 12:05 pm CT Sunday kickoff (FOX).
Mitchell Trubisky has played well against the Lions in the past and he gets another start after an inconsistent effort at Lambeau Field. To wit, Detroit blew a 23-6 4th quarter lead to the Bears in the season opener that featured three Trubisky touchdown passes. It helps when the defense is at full strength, but Akiem Hicks‘ status is uncertain as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Detroit has allowed 29 points a game this year, so they are vulnerable on the defensive end. Matthew Stafford has not been good in 2020, but usually plays well against the Bears. Oddsmakers have the teams matched pretty evenly with Chicago favored by a field goal.
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Hold on to the football. Three turnovers in Green Bay proved very costly on Sunday. The defense doesn’t need any more pressure than necessary.
- Keep David Montgomery rolling. The running back had a 100-yard rushing night against the Pack and the Bears need that to set up play-action passing.
- Get pressure on Stafford. Detroit is a pretty one-dimensional passing team and the offensive line has struggled. The Bears should tee off on the Lions QB with the pass rush.
My Prediction: Bears win 20-6
Here are Bears analysts Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer with their preview of the Bears’ upcoming Week 13 matchup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ1diPdEgO4
