NEWSLETTER
Matt Eberflus insists that the Bears have plenty to play for these next two weeks and believes there is value in winning these last two games of the season. I don’t disagree that there is value, I just feel that there is more value in having one of the top two picks in the NFL Draft this spring.
The Lions on the other hand, they’re at home (where their offense has been very, very good) and fighting for a playoff spot, so there’s no questioning their motivation for a victory in this contest.
Can Justin Fields and company go into Detroit and play spoiler to their division foes? I wouldn’t bet on it, but as close as the Bears have played most of their opponents this season, I wouldn’t doubt it either.
Game Info
Chicago Bears (3-12, 4th NFC North) at Detroit Lions (7-8, 2nd NFC North) – FOX (Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Shannon Spake); WBBM 780 AM, 105.9 FM (Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer, Mark Grote)
Kickoff Time: Noon CT
Site: Soldier Field; Chicago.
Referee: Adrian Hill
Odds: Lions -6, O/U 52 (via DraftKings Sports Book)
We Got $5 On It
Note: Patrick’s listed bets were placed on Caesars Sportsbook.
Patrick’s Plays
You can get in on this action at DraftKings:
[bet-promo id=”166783″ ]
But there are a number of other official gambling apps you can use (with some juicy promos) right here.
Starting QBs and Projected Game Stats
Lions: Jared Goff: 23/35, 269 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 2 carries, 6 rushing yards
vs.
Bears: Justin Fields: 16/25, 203 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 11 carries, 74 rushing yards, 1 TD
Week 17 projected stats via ESPN projections
Bears Projected Starters
Offense
• QB Justin Fields
• RB David Montgomery
• FB Khari Blasingame
• WRs Chase Claypool, Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis
• TE Cole Kmet
• LT Braxton Jones, LG Cody Whitehair, C Sam Mustipher, RG Teven Jenkins, RT Riley Reiff
Defense
• LDE Trevis Gipson, LDT Mike Pennel Jr., RDT Justin Jones, RDE Dominique Robinson
• SAM Matthew Adams, MIKE Joe Thomas, WILL Nicholas Morrow
• LCB Jaylon Jones, RCB Kyler Gordon
• FS DeAndre Houston-Carson, SS Jaquan Brisker
Specialists
• Cairo Santos (kicker), Trenton Gill (punter, holder), Patrick Scales (long snapper), Velus Jones Jr. (punt returns), Velus Jones Jr. (kick returns)
Lions Projected Starters
Offense
• QB Jared Goff
• RB D’Andre Swift
• WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, Josh Reynolds
• TE Brock Wright
• LT Taylor Decker, LG Jonah Jackson, C Frank Ragnow, RG Evan Brown, RT Penei Sewell
Defense
• LDE Romeo Okwara, LDT Alim McNeill, RDT Isaiah Buggs, RDE Aidan Hutchinson
• WLB Malcolm Rodriguez, MLB Alex Anzalone, SLB Derrick Barnes
• LCB Will Harris, RCB Jeff Okudah
• FS C.J. Moore, SS Kerby Joseph
Specialists
• Michael Badgley (kicker), Jack Fox (punter, holder), Scott Daly (long snapper), Justin Jackson, Kalif Raymond (kick and punt returns)
Three Bears
Justin Fields had one of his best games of the season the last time he played the Lions — save for the fourth-quarter interception that sealed the deal in the Lions comeback — and he’s not looking forward to next season quite yet.
“No matter what happened the week before, everyone comes in the same with the same energy,” Fields said. “The coaches do a great job staying on us, staying on the leaders of the team to bring that same energy every day in practice. Just having the mind set of getting better each and every day.”
Fields is 29 yards away from surpassing Michael Vick for the second most rushing yards in a single season by a quarterback with two games to play. Fields needs 195 yards to pass Lamar Jackson for the most all-time.
Might we see more of this against the Lions?
Teven Jenkins returns this week after missing the Buffalo game with a neck injury that resulted in him being stretchered off the field the previous week against the Eagles. It’s been an excellent season for Jenkins, going from nearly cut to a potential long-term starter at right guard on the Bears offensive line. I would love to see Jenkins finish with two strong performances against the Lions and Vikings these next two weeks to solidify the idea that the Bears have one less spot to worry about this offseason.
The same goes for Kyler Gordon, who has intercepted Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen in back-to-back games. Gordon has really turned a corner in the last month of his rookie season, and getting another interception against Jared Goff in seven games would be sweet. Interception or not, seeing Gordon have another strong game against a pretty good offense on the road is ideal.
More on Gordon (and the rest of the secondary) here:
