Bears vs. Lions: 5 Reasons the Bears Can Win This Game

On the surface, the Lions look like they will defeat the Bears handily. But I am an optimist, so I will try and convince you, and myself, why the Bears can win the Monday night matchup.

I realize Detroit is at home and is undefeated at 4-0.

Meanwhile, their front four is terrific, and DT Ndamukong Suh may be the baddest guy on the planet. Plus, QB Matthew Stafford is healthy, and that was one of the main keys to a successful Lions season.

So, yes, we all knew the Lions were an up-and-coming team, but many of us are surprised they are undefeated after four games.

Yet this will end on Monday night, and no, I am not certifiably insane. Well, OK, that point is debatable by anyone who has read my writing over the years, but I stand by this prediction: Bears 28, Lions 21.

I am not selling the Lions short, I am simply thinking that crazy things seem to happen on Monday nights, and teams that should win often do not.

I may be stretching things just a bit, but I have found five reasons why the Bears can win this game.

Matthew Stafford Has Never Finished a Game vs. the Bears

I realize that what happened in previous years is not a guarantee of the same results in the future. But the fact of the matter is that, in each of the past two years, Stafford has been knocked out of a game against the Bears.

In 2009, Adewale Ogunleye was fined $7500 by the NFL for a hit that knocked out Stafford. Last year, it was Julius Peppers that delivered a big hit on the Detroit QB near the end of the first half. Stafford suffered a right shoulder injury.

Now, I am not advocating that the Bears' sole focus should be to end Stafford's career. 

I am just saying that they need to get a strong pass rush on him, and if that results in a third consecutive year where he cannot finish, so be it.

The Lions Schedule Has Been Softer Than the Bears

Now, I give the Tampa Bay Bucs more credit than others. as I think they are a good football team with an exciting young QB. But if you look at the teams the Lions have played, they are not as good as the teams that the Bears have played.

So what? Well, here is where I admit I am stretching things just a bit.

Perhaps it means nothing. But in order to support my argument that the Bears can win this game, I must tell you that I do feel that quality of opponent matters.

Not to take anything away from Detroit's amazing start, but let's take a look at the teams that they have played.

They beat Tampa Bay 27-20 in Week 1. Then, they killed a bad Chiefs team 48-3. Kansas City's only win came last week against a bad Minnesota team.

Even the Vikings, who have not won a game, took Detroit to overtime before the Lions beat them 26-23.

Last week, a decent Dallas team took the Lions to the brink before losing 34-30.

The last two games forced the Lions to come back from behind, so the fact that these teams, including a bad Vikings team, had such a lead cannot be ignored.

If the Bears take an early lead, it plays right into their hands as they can balance the offense and run the ball more.

The Bears Have Beaten the Lions Six Straight Times

I know what you are probably thinking: that this is a different Lions team and so past success by the Bears doesn't equate to future success.

And I get that, but it has to play with the Lions' minds.

Look, they want to beat the Bears to end that streak, but at the same time, it has to give Chicago confidence that they can win this game.

This is the first time in 10 years that Detroit has hosted Monday Night Football, and I'm sure they are pumped. But the opposite argument to the Bears winning streak is that the Lions have won eight games in a row.

So what is the stronger argument?

Well, despite the Lions wanting to look good on Monday night and end the losing streak against Chicago, the game actually means much more to the Bears.

If the Bears lose this game, their postseason hopes fade. They will be 0-2 in the division and 2-3 overall, facing one, if not two, undefeated teams in their own division.

Jay Cutler and Matt Forte Have Had Success vs the Lions

In his career, Cutler's career stats vs. the Lions are this:

5 games
112.0 QB rating
9 TDs...1 INT
1043 yards (208.6 YPG)
67.4 completion percentage

As for Forte, he has had a lot of success against the Lions, and this year, the Detroit defense is ranked 20th in the NFL versus the rush.

If Forte and Marion Barber are successful, the Bears will control the clock and win this game.

A Bear Will Always Beat a Lion

It has been written that the lion and the bear will always be a classic matchup, and that has held true even in the NFL.

According to legend, there have been well-documented animal fights, including those between lions and bears. And the result is that bears would smack the lions to their death using giant paws as a 200-pound club.

In fairness, lions weigh a lot less than bears, but I don't care. 

So there. The Bears win.