5 Bold Predictions for the Chicago Bears' Week 13 Matchup

Buckle your chin straps, Chicago Bears fans, because a Week 13 matchup doesn't get any bigger than this. 

It's very simple: The Bears have to beat the Detroit Lions on the road to even think about a playoff push in December. 

Beat the Lions, and the team is back to .500 and within one game of Detroit. Lose, and the season is virtually over and the finger-pointing ramps up. 

How will the Bears do on a short week? Can the offense get back on track? These questions are answered in this week's bold predictions, including a final score at the end. Give us your predictions in the comments section below. 

The Bears Defense Will Get to Matthew Stafford

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This Lions offense has struggled over the past two weeks. They have scored a combined 15 points during that span, and at the center of their struggles is quarterback Matthew Stafford. 

Stafford hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in the past two weeks and has been sacked six times during the two-game losing streak. The Bears aren't as good defensively as the Arizona Cardinals or New England Patriots, but they are playing better and have been putting good pressure on the quarterback of late. 

Right now, Stafford and this Lions offense is on a cold streak. With the short week, it's going to be tough for them to fix their ways, and the Bears should capitalize on that. 

Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker has been bringing more pressure of late and the front four has been playing better. Look for the Bears to knock Stafford around all game and come away with at least two sacks.

Golden Tate Will Give the Bears Trouble

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Most of the defensive attention will be on All-Pro wide receiver Calvin Johnson, but it's his complementary partner Golden Tate who will give the Bears the most trouble. 

Johnson has been slowed by injuries this year and it has opened the door for Tate to have his best season as a pro. 

Coming into Thursday's game, Tate has 72 catches for just over 1,000 yards and three touchdowns. He's been a nightmare for defenses to cover as he lines up all over the field. 

How the Bears match up against Tate will depend on the health of rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller. If Fuller is a go, then he will see time against Johnson while Tim Jennings will shadow Tate. 

Jennings has had a down season after going to two straight Pro Bowls. He simply cannot keep up with Tate at this stage of his career. To best handle the pressure, look for the Lions to get the ball to Tate quickly. 

Tate has had at least seven catches in six games this year, and he's gone over 100 yards five times. Look for him to improve on both categories as he continues his onslaught against the Bears.

The Bears Offense Will Continue to Struggle

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If the Bears offense was going to get back on track, it would have happened at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now we are supposed to expect them to fix things on a short week against the NFL's No. 1 defense in points allowed? 

This is going to be another futile effort for Jay Cutler and the offense. It took them until the second half and a bunch of Josh McCown turnovers to get to 21 points. They will be lucky to see 17 this week. 

The pressure from the Lions front four is going to come fast and furious. The offensive line has been subpar all year and it has disrupted the timing of Jay Cutler and the skill-position players. 

Penalties and mental mistakes by the unit of late are not a good sign going into a hostile environment on the road. Factor in an early start, and this spells nothing but trouble for the Bears. 

There has to be hope for the defense to keep the Bears in this game while the offense figures things out, but if the Lions jump out to an early lead, then this could get ugly. 

Robbie Gould Will Bounce Back in a Major Way

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It's hard to believe that Robbie Gould has only eight made field goals on the season and hasn't hit one since Week 6. 

Gould's career low for field goals made in a season is 21. It's going to be tough for him to match that with just a few weeks left in 2014, but he can put a solid dent into it on Thursday. 

Gould moves into an indoor stadium this week and will likely be called upon multiple times to help bail out an offense that will likely struggle to even get into the red zone. 

It's going to be a three-field-goal day for Gould. He did it three times last year, including a Week 4 meeting in Detroit. Now, will he be the only offense of the day for the Bears? Let's hope not. 

Expect a Close, Low-Scoring Game

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Division games are always hard-fought, but this one has extra meaning for both teams. The Lions need to stop a losing streak and the Bears are looking to get back into the playoff hunt. 

On short weeks, it's usually the offense that suffers. Players don't have enough time to recover from Sunday and coaches can't implement a full game plan. 

Offensive head coaches Marc Trestman and Jim Caldwell have their work cut out for them. Their offenses are struggling and they are both going against defenses that want to put a ton of pressure on the quarterback. 

This is going to be sloppy, ugly and tough to watch for most of the game. If you thought the first half of the Bears-Bucs game was bad, then buckle your seat belts this week. 

Both teams will exchange a ton of field goals, but ultimately it will be a late touchdown from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate that will seal the deal. Sorry, Bears fans, but they will lose this one 16-9.