Detroit Lions: 5 Bold Predictions Against Chicago Bears

Last time we saw the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford was hopping over his O-line at Ford Field to pull off a miraculous comeback against the Dallas Cowboys.

Coming off a bye week and in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC North, the Lions head to Soldier Field to tame the Chicago Bears. Jay Cutler will likely be the play-caller Sunday as he attempts to get revenge against the team that dismantled him and his squad 40-32 in their first meeting.

While the score was close, anyone who watched the game knows the Bears eight-point defeat was no indication of the beat down they received. Both teams need a victory, as the race for head honcho in the NFC North gets tighter.

As for the game itself, here are five very bold predictions I believe will occur for the Lions.

Cutler Gets Sacked 5 Times

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Cutler was abysmal in his first game against Detroit this season.

Coming off a groin injury, Jay Cutler’s mobility will be tested early and often. Surely Jim Schwartz and his staff have thought of ways to put pressure on the Bears’ quarterback.

In the Lions’ first meeting with the Bears on Sept. 29, Cutler was sacked three times, including one that turned into a fumble recovery for a touchdown for Nick Fairley.

Well, it’s going to be another long afternoon for Cutler.

Detroit will put him on his back five times Sunday, as Cutler won’t be able to escape the pressure and his O-line won’t provide the necessary pass protection to launch a “decent” pass (even by Cutler’s standards).

Sacking the QB has been foreign to the Lions in recent weeks; this is a game where they can enjoy knocking the quarterback around.

Matthew Stafford Throws for 400 Yards

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Stafford can have a big game Sunday with Chicago's attention scattered.

This is not the Chicago defense that was once feared by opposing offenses.

“Da Bears” are allowing 28 points per game and 381 yards per game this season—numbers that the pass-happy Lions can easily match.

Matthew Stafford is coming off a week’s rest against a team that has struggled to defend the pass. Not a good look for Chicago. With Calvin Johnson coming off a huge game against Dallas prior to the bye week, there’s no way he doesn’t scare the Bears’ defense into neglecting other receivers. That will open up the field for Stafford to hit plenty of other targets throughout the game.

With that said, this will be another week Chicago fails to stop the pass: Stafford will eclipse the 400-yard mark.

Joseph Fauria Re-Emerges

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Fauria will be big (no pun intended) for Detroit.

It’s been a while since there’s been a No. 80 sighting.

But one of the beneficiaries of so much attention going to Johnson will be Detroit’s dancing tight end.

“Megatron” saw more single coverage than he’s ever seen in his life against the Cowboys. The Bears won’t make that same mistake. However, Joseph Fauria is capable of making catches to keep the Lions in the game.

The Bears will do everything in their power to keep Johnson from going off and Fauria will fill in as a red-zone threat. And with Stafford’s favorite target, Johnson, seeing double and possibly triple coverage all game, Fauria needs to make the most of his catches—something he’s done whenever his number has been called this year.

Fauria goes for 75 yards and two TDs Sunday.

Defense Forces Three Turnovers

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Nick Fairley recovered a fumble for a TD in Detroit's first meeting against Chicago.

As the season has progressed, attempting to come up with takeaways has been a struggle for Detroit. But against the Bears in Week 4, the Lions forced their conference foe into four turnovers.

Are we due for a repeat? Something very close to it.

Against a hobbled quarterback that Detroit was successful against earlier this year, the Lions will force Cutler to commit multiple turnovers again.

The bye week provided ample time for the Lions to study the Bears’ offense and grasp their tendencies. Granted Josh McCown played the role of substitute during Cutler’s injury, Jim Schwartz and the Lions know this offense very well.

Cutler won’t get the opportunity to get back into a groove Sunday due to a valiant effort on defense by the Lions; Detroit forces a fumble and snags two of Cutler’s passes out of the air.

Lions Have Another 20-Plus Point Quarter

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Reggie Bush did what he wanted against Chicago Week 4.

Going to Soldier Field and putting up 20 or more points in one quarter would be nothing short of impressive.

But against a team that gives up a ton of offense, and a team that can produce a lot of offense…and a QB that is likely to cough up the ball, points could come in abundance for Detroit.

By the way, let’s not forget Reggie Bush is rested and facing the 29th-ranked run defense in the NFL.

Scoring 20-plus shouldn’t be that difficult.

This game may become a shootout, and the Lions will have a surge in scoring at some point.

Facing a hostile crowd in a game where they can possibly take control of the NFC North, the Lions need to make a statement. Here is that chance.

Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment or follow me, @MrMarcDiddy, to indulge in more sports talk.