Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears: Week 5 Preview, Prediction and Analysis

Quarterback

Matthew Stafford has had a good start to the 2011 season.  His quarterback rating is north of 100.  His play has been sub-par at times in the first halves of games, but when he has needed to make a play to put the Lions ahead, he has done so.

One thing for Lions fans to be worried about is that in Stafford’s first two years, the Bears have twice injured Stafford and forced him to miss some games.

Chicago’s Jay Cutler has been beaten up so badly this year that his mechanics are starting to break down.  I have never seen a QB of his stature throw so many off-target passes.  Most of his incompletions have sailed high. 

His passer rating so far is a mediocre 77.8, and he has thrown half as many touchdowns as has Stafford.

He does, however, have history on his side: the Lions have never beaten him.

Edge: Lions—Stafford is playing at a top 5 level right now.

Wide Receivers

Calvin Johnson is setting records so far this year.  No one has ever started the season by catching multiple touchdowns in the first four games. 

Titus Young has been a nice addition, and has show fearlessness by stretching out to make catches over the middle.

The Bears don’t have a single wide receiver with at least 10 catches, in what is supposed to be a pass-happy Mike Martz offense.  Dane Sanzenbacher (who?) and Johnny Knox are tied for the team lead, with nine receptions each.

Former Lion Roy Williams has been a disappointment so far in Chicago.

Edge: Lions—The Lions are going to throw a lot in this game, and that will give receivers opportunities to make plays.  Meanwhile, the Bears will have to rely more on their running game.

Running Backs:

The Lions have not had a good run game all year.  They have relied more on short passes in order to move the chains.

Jahvid Best is averaging a mere 3.2 yards per carry.

Matt Forte is coming off of a 205-yard performance against the Carolina Panthers.  What worries me here is that he has had previous success against the Lions catching screen passes.  He also leads the Bears with 22 receptions. 

Edge: Bears—This is the one area where the Bears have a clear and distinct advantage.

 Tight Ends:

Brandon Pettigrew has become Matthew Stafford’s safety net.  He is the team’s second-leading receiver with 22 receptions on the year.

Kellen Davis is a good blocking tight end. He does not do much in the passing game, but that is not his fault, Chicago’s offense does not feature the tight end position

Edge: Lions—This one is not even close. 

Offensive Line:

Picking which of these two lines is better is like trying to figure out who is smarter, Snooki or The Situation.  Both of these lines have struggled, and both can be considered the weak links on their teams.

Edge: Nobody—Both of these offensive lines suck.   

Defensive Line:

Detroit’s defensive line has played ok this year, but they have not lived up to expectations.  Going against a weak offensive line like the one the Bears feature should provide them with the opportunity to make some plays.

Also, Nick Fairley has told family that he will be in on some situational plays.

Two years ago, Adewale Ogunleye sacked Matthew Stafford and hurt his knee.  Last year, Julius Peppers sacked him and hurt his shoulder.  Let’s hope that trend does not continue.

Edge: Lions—The Lions' D-line in one of the best in the NFL.

Linebackers:

The Lions got two interceptions from their linebackers last week.  They have been the most improved unit so far in 2011. 

It looks like Justin Durant will be back for this game, after missing last week’s game with a concussion.

Lance Briggs leads the Bears with 28 tackles.  Brian Urlacher is having another solid season.

Edge: Bears—The Lions’ linebackers are better than they have been in a long time, but they are not as good as the Bears yet.

Secondary:

Until last week, Detroit’s secondary had been playing better than expected.  Against the Cowboys however, they struggled.  Chris Houston did fight back however, with a pick six.

The Bears have struggled in pass defense all year.  They got carved up by Cam Newton last week, imagine what Stafford will be able to do to them.  D.J. Moore is the only member of the secondary with an interception so far this year.

Edge: Lions—This is more of a product of who they are going against.

Special Teams:

Jason Hanson has proven that any talk of his demise was silly.  He has been perfect on his kicks so far this year.

Devin Hester is incomparable, and the Lions will have to keep the ball away from him or they will pay the price.

Edge: Bears—Nobody is as explosive as Hester is.

Prediction:

This is the second Monday night game at Ford Field, but the first in which the Lions will get to play.  They will be ready to come out firing.  The concern is that Stafford will be too amped up for this game.  This appeared to be the case early on against the Cowboys, when many of his early passes sailed high. 

Every week, some expert somewhere says this is the week the Lions prove they are for real.  I don’t agree with that, I think the Lions are for real, even if they don’t pull this one out.

The Bears looked like world-beaters in Week 1 against the Falcons, but that win is looking less impressive as the Falcons continue to struggle.

Jay Cutler looks like a beaten man, and this week will be a real test for his offensive line.

Matt Forte is the only beacon of hope for the Bears offense, but if I know that, I guarantee the Lions’ coaching staff also knows.

Pick: Lions 34, Bears 10