Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears: Complete Week 16 Preview for Detroit

The Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears will meet for the second time this year on Sunday. If the outcome is the same as the prior three engagements, Detroit will clinch a spot in the playoffs.

That's it. There are no more convoluted scenarios for this team. And if the Lions can follow up with a road win in Green Bay, where they haven't won since the first Bush was in the White House, they'll earn their first NFC North crown.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Detroit certainly isn't, according to Fox 2's Jennifer Hammond:

"

When it comes to playoffs. Caldwell is telling his guys not to talk about it or think about. "Get ready for the Bears"

— Jennifer Hammond (@HammerFox2) December 15, 2014"

The Bears have nothing to play for. They sit at 5-9 and the entire upper management is under fire.

But both teams will line up Sunday in hopes of winning, so let's break down everything you need to know about this matchup.

Lions' Week 15 Recap

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

The kicker story has finally come full circle for Detroit.

After working their way through two early in the season, the Lions signed Matt Prater, who promptly missed two of his three field-goal attempts against the Minnesota Vikings. This time he knocked in all three and provided the winning margin with less than four minutes left.

Granted, none of his kicks were deeper than 33 yards, so it isn't a donuts-to-donuts comparison (I like donuts better than apples) with the Buffalo game. The only similarity between the two was an offense that too often stalled in enemy territory.

The play-calling was conservative throughout the afternoon, and little lapses in execution created doubt that the flu "epidemic" that hit the locker room had been eradicated.

The defense looked similarly sick to start, coughing up 14 points while making Teddy Bridgewater look like a battle-tested veteran. Of course, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin made adjustments around the time Bridgewater started overthrowing guys, leading to two picks, including one by league-leader Glover Quin.

There wasn't much concern about the defense heading into this game, but the offense is still on a prove-it campaign. Hopefully Matthew Stafford and company take motivation from that and tune up against the moribund Bears before hitting the road in search of a division title.

News and Notes

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Glover Quin Wins NFC Defensive Player of the Week

First, DeAndre Levy brought home the hardware. Then Ezekiel Ansah got in on the action.

Now, the Lions have one more player to add to the list, per Detroit Lions News:

"

Glover Quin becomes first Detroit Lions DB since 2000 to be named NFC defensive player of week http://t.co/F60aEKy7CG

— Detroit Lions News (@LionsMLive) December 17, 2014"

Quin has been one of the most consistent safeties this season, and there's an easy argument that this wasn't even his best game. He has six different games with an interception, and his three tackles against the Vikings is on the lower end of his game-by-game output.

Still, it's great to see him get the recognition he deserves. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rates his as the league's second-best safety behind San Diego's Eric Weddle. Hopefully this will help him cope with his thus-far Pro Bowl snub.

Next Man Up

The team's overall health has been rock solid, but the offensive line hasn't had the same luck. Starting right tackle LaAdrian Waddle is the latest victim, and his season is over.

The Lions used the free roster spot to claim cornerback Josh Thomas from the New York Jets. Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk has the skinny on the situation:

"

Thomas played in one game for the Jets and appeared in three games for the Seattle Seahawks earlier this season. He spent the previous three years with the Carolina Panthers. He recorded two tackles and two passes defended.

To make room on the roster, the Lions placed tackle LaAdrian Waddle on injured reserve. Waddle started 10 games for the Lions this season before suffering a knee injury last week against the Minnesota Vikings.

"

The loss of Waddle means Cornelius Lucas is going to get the start. In the most blatant form of foreshadowing possible, let's just say this might come up later in this slideshow.

As for Thomas, it's a neither-here-nor-there move for the Lions. This is his third team this season, and he likely won't see the field except for possibly on special teams.

What Do You Mean We're Not Exclusive?

Detroit hasn't had a defense this ferocious in at least 33 years, when the 1981 version finished fourth overall, per NFL.com. And that knowledge has kept fans awake at night because there's the possibility that the man that makes the unit go could leave.

Unfortunately, I'm not talking Ndamukong Suh, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press explains:

"

Austin, 49, is one of the top three minority candidates the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation will submit to NFL teams with coaching vacancies this off-season, chairman John Wooten said Tuesday.

'We'd be very disappointed if he doesn't (get an interview),' [John] Wooten told the Free Press. 'That's something that we look very hard at, who's getting the interviews.'

"

That's right. Despite just one season as a defensive coordinator in the NFL, Teryl Austin could be a hot commodity for those teams looking for head coaches.

Fans can take solace in the fact that there are a number of other minority coordinators deserving of a chance, including defensive coordinators Ray Horton and Todd Bowles as well as offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton.

But the sad reality is that Austin could be a one-and-done coordinator in Detroit.

Injury Report

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Player	Position	Injury	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Status*
Nick Fairley	DT	Knee	NP	NP	NP	Out
George Johnson	DE	Illness	NP	FP	FP	Probable
Don Carey	S	Ankle	LP	FP	FP	Probable
Calvin Johnson	WR	Ankle	LP	FP	FP	Probable
C.J. Mosley	DT	Not Injured	LP	NP	FP	Probable
Ashlee Palmer	LB	Quad	LP	LP	FP	Questionable
Mohammed Seisay	CB	Hamstring	LP	LP	LP	Probable
Rob Sims	OG	Illness	Not Listed	NP	FP	Probable

*Injury statuses are sourced from DetroitLions.com.

There's no need to worry about Detroit turning to Andre Fluellen as the starting defensive tackle. C.J. Mosley has only missed time to attend to the birth of his son, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, and will presumably be in Chicago on time.

The bug that bit Detroit last week is back and kept Rob Sims out of practice Thursday; the same for George Johnson on Wednesday. As it was against Minnesota, it's hard to see anyone missing time due to a sickness, especially with a couple more days to recover.

Ashlee Palmer's quad injury could mean more time for rookie Kyle Van Noy. Fans may be excited to hear that, but Van Noy only received 14 snaps last week because he still looks lost.

You can rest assured that Nick Fairley won't make his comeback this week, and Mohammed Seisay's injury is of little consequence considering he saw all of two snaps last game. And no, there isn't any reason for concern regarding that other Johnson.

All in all, the team is relatively healthy.

X-Factor and Matchups to Watch

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

CB Darius Slay vs. WR Alshon Jeffery

Last time these two met, Jay Cutler threw 13 passes behind the line of scrimmage. The hope was to get the ball into the hands of his receivers, who obliged him with 174 yards after the catch.

Now that the Bears have turned over the reins to Jimmy Clausen and his career 58.1 passer rating, it's hard to imagine Chicago chucking it deep. And without Brandon Marshall, Jeffery should see the majority of those quick screens.

"

Darius Slay having a monster tackling game today. Awesome work in the open field against these huge Bears WRs.

— Ty Schalter (@tyschalter) November 27, 2014"

It'll be incumbent upon Slay to match the eight tackles (along with three passes defensed) that he accumulated in his last matchup with Jeffery, including quite a few picture-perfect form tackles. 

RT Cornelius Lucas vs. DE Willie Young

The fear of starting an undrafted free agent at either tackle spot has worn off a bit for Detroit. The Lions got lucky with LaAdrian Waddle last year and have to be happy with the way Lucas has settled in after a shaky start to his career.

In fact, in 90 snaps over the past three games, he hasn't allowed a single pressure.

Young will be out to change that. The former Lion has more than twice as many sacks (10) as anyone on his team, and would have had one on Stafford last time if he hadn't grabbed the quarterback's helmet.

WR Golden Tate vs. CB Tim Jennings 

The Bears left rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller on an island with Calvin Johnson often three weeks ago. Megatron repaid that kindness with 146 yards and two scores.

Presumably, Chicago will at least put a safety over the top of Fuller to give him a fighting chance, meaning Jennings will pull the unenviable task of containing Tate.

And Tate still pulled in eight grabs for 89 yards last time. Now he should get more room to break ankles en route to first downs.

Lions X-Factor of the Week: RB Joique Bell

The Lions' success in the air (390 yards) a few weeks ago should force the Chicago defense to alter its strategy, leaving fewer men in the box and more committed to coverage. Or, in the alternative, the Bears could blitz more, knowing they don't have the talent in the secondary to hang with Detroit's talented receivers.

Regardless, that should open up space in the box for Bell to run. If they fall back, he'll pick up four to five yards per carry until those safeties creep up. If the Bears opt for the more aggressive strategy, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi should rely on the quick dive to push past the blitzers, or simply drop Bell behind them for quick, easy passes.

Prediction

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

The Bears didn't decide to start Jimmy Clausen in an effort to win this game. Jay Cutler may have 24 turnovers this year, but he also has 28 touchdowns and a higher passer rating that Matthew Stafford.

Frankly, there's a reason this happened, as noted by Bleacher Report's Jeff Risdon:

"

Line on Lions game in Chicago opened at 4.5. Got to 7.5 with Cutler. Jumped to 10.5 in the last 12 hours. Wow.

— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) December 18, 2014"

I tried to find a way Detroit could lose this game. Could Stafford replicate his abysmal four-interception game of 2011? Maybe the entire defensive line could get the flu?

The answer to both questions is maybe. And maybe Blaine Gabbert and Tim Tebow will meet in a Super Bowl. 

Detroit is a focused team with a strong locker room and a head coach that has been there before. Chicago has an offensive coordinator who is leaking negative stories to the media and a "confused and uncomfortable" team. 

The Lions will air it out when given the opportunity, but there will be plenty of kill calls (when Stafford checks down to a run) that will let Joique Bell put up his best performance of the year. And it'll be just in time to reward those faithful who rode him through their fantasy playoffs.

And on the other side stands Clausen.

Score: Detroit 27, Chicago 10

All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus and require a subscription. 

Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.