Though the Detroit Lions (12-2 NFC North) dropped their second game of the season with a 48-42 defeat to the Bills, they have a chance to bounce back on the road this Sunday in the team’s second matchup with the Chicago Bears (4-10 NFC North).
The Lions are unbeaten in NFC North games so far this season (4-0) and begin a two-game road trip with an NFC Championship rematch to follow in San Francisco. Detroit still remains atop the division and the NFC, despite Philadelphia and Minnesota’s equivalent records.
Bears report: With a 30-12 Monday Night Football defeat to the Vikings, Chicago dropped its eighth straight game and hasn’t won since Oct. 13 against Jacksonville. The Bears are led by Thomas Brown, who was appointed interim head coach after Matt Eberflus was relieved of his duties the day after Detroit’s Thanksgiving Day win over the Bears Week 13.
Chicago has struggled offensively since Brown became interim head coach, scoring just 13 and 12 points in the team’s previous two matchups against San Francisco and Minnesota, respectively. Quarterback Caleb Williams has recorded at least one touchdown pass in his previous four games, including three against Detroit on Thanksgiving, but starting running back D’Andre Swift hasn’t scored a rushing touchdown in the same span.
The Bears boast the 11th ranked scoring defense in the league, limiting opponents to just over 22 points per game, though opponents have reached that threshold in the past four games. Chicago has recorded 21 takeaways, including a fumble recovery vs. Detroit in the last meeting, and has a turnover differential of plus-10.
Though Chicago is eliminated from the playoffs, the team has the potential to shake up the seeding in the NFC with matchups against Seattle and Green Bay to follow.
Last meeting: Detroit ended their seven-game Thanksgiving Day losing streak with a 23-20 win over the Bears in Week 13. After Jake Bates converted a field goal on the Lions’ opening possession, quarterback Jared Goff connected with tight end Sam LaPorta for a 3-yard touchdown to complete a 90-yard drive. Bates added two more field goals to give Detroit a 16-0 halftime lead in a dominant first-half display that saw running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combine for 144 rushing yards.
Though LaPorta caught another touchdown to maintain a 23-7 lead, Chicago fought back, bringing the deficit to 23-20 on a Caleb Williams pass to DJ Moore for a touchdown….
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