Bears vs Lions: 5 Keys to Victory for Chicago

After returning to .500 on the wheels of the running game against Carolina, Chicago faces yet another daunting task Monday night, as the Bears enter the Lion's Den for the first Monday night game in Detroit since 2001.

Previously a game that would have been considered just another win while scrolling down the Bears schedule, the Lions are roaring and are one of only two undefeated teams left in the league, along with fellow NFC North residents Green Bay.

The Bears haven't lost a game to the Lions since dropping both contests to Detroit in 2007.

Entering Monday's contest, the Lions are ranked second in the league in offense and eighth in defense, while the Bears come in at 13th and 20th, respectively.

While on paper the game looks to be lopsided, it should also be noted that the Bears played the most grueling September schedule in the league, facing Atlanta, New Orleans and Green Bay before dealing with the upstart Panthers and their dynamic rookie quarterback.  Meanwhile, the Lions have feasted on the Bucs, Chiefs, Vikings and Cowboys.

But that doesn't mean the Lions haven't earned their place at the top of the NFC North.  They showed enormous character in taking advantage of meltdowns by the Vikings and Cowboys to come back from 20- and 24-point deficits in consecutive weeks.

And Calvin Johnson is blowing the league up. He has scored two touchdowns in every game this season and is showing no signs of slowing his pace. He might just be the best football player in the league right now, and if voting occurred today, he would have to be a shoo in for league MVP. How Ryan Fitzpatrick won the offensive player of the month award for September is beyond me.

Where the Lions have really stepped it up is defensively, though. Where in the past the team was always able to score points but never able to stop other teams from scoring more, the Lions are now playing good defensive football. Two interceptions for touchdowns last week against the Cowboys were the catalyst for the Lions' come-from-behind victory.

So what do the Bears have to do to slow this Hawaiian blue juggernaut?  Follow me as we look at the things Chicago will have to do if they are to hand the Lions their first defeat.

Chris Spencer Must Start at Right Guard

Broken hand or not, the Bears need Chris Spencer to play Monday.  Not because he has been great—he hasn't—but because Frank Omiyale needs to fill an empty spot on the bench.

Last year, Omiyale led all tackles in sacks allowed, and he hasn't looked like he's improved any in his limited time on the field this year.

So how do these two things relate? If Chris can't play, then Lance Louis will take back his rightful spot as the Bears starting right guard. But if Spencer can go, than that opens things up for Louis to start at right tackle in place of the injured Gabe Carimi and in the stead of Frank "Gate 68" Omiyale.

Omiyale was pulled last week and Louis replaced him on the line. And Lance did a far better job in pass protection than Frank while maintaining the consistent run blocking that Omiyale brought to the table.

The Lions defensive line is nothing to sneeze at. Ndamukong Suh alone is enough to make offensive linemen wet themselves. The Bears have to limit the impact of this unit if they are to come out on top.

Considering the strength of the Lions defense to be their defensive line, the Bears will need pass protection to be at its best. And that means that Louis needs to start at left tackle, which means Chris Spencer must start at right guard.

The Defensive Line Needs to Show Up

Matthew Stafford and the Lions' passing game can pick apart a defense quickly.

The Bears defensive line will have to make an impact in this game or there will be no chance of beating the Lions. It's that simple.

Henry Melton must get penetration from the 3-tech spot and collapse the pocket in order to give opportunities to the defensive ends.

And Julius Peppers has to show up in a big way. According to Pro Football Reference, Matthew Stafford is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league under pressure. So Peppers and the gang can't just be content hurrying Stafford. They have to bring him down.

That's not going to be easy on a consistent basis. The formerly porous offensive line of the Lions has allowed only five sacks through four games. Considering that they've faced the likes of Jared Allen, Tamba Hali and DeMarcus Ware, that's pretty impressive.

Furthermore, Stafford has been very good at eluding pressure and completing passes when under pressure. So the Bears will have to do more than Hurry Stafford. They will have to take him down.

The longer the Bears secondary is forced to cover, the more likely a loss is for Chicago. As always, the defensive performance will hinge on the defensive line.

Martz Must Find Plays That Free Hester and Knox

In Hester and Knox, the Bears have two of the fastest and most explosive receivers in football.

Unfortunately, both can be taken out of the game by press coverage and physical play by the opposing secondary. Mike Martz has to figure out how to free Hester and Knox through routes. 

All of that seems pretty obvious. But it's far more complicated than it sounds.  

The problem is that, while Martz is a master of route design, complex routes designed to allow for Devin and Johnny to get free of physical opponents take time to develop—time that the offensive line has not provided.

Martz has caught a lot of flack for the way this offense has failed. And while some of this is justified, much of it revolves around things out of his control.  

Yes, he should call more running plays.

But the Bears and Jerry Angelo brought in an offensive coordinator known for complex routes that require time to develop and then refused to provide him with a line that can make running his system possible. It's like handing Betsy Ross a fork and a spoon and telling her to sew you a flag.  

The fact that the Bears—and the Bears fans—expect Martz to be able to build a successful offense with inferior tools is ludicrous, and that sort of thought process from Angelo and the personnel staff is a large part of the reason for the Bears' struggles. Running 70 percent of the time and supplementing that with a shaky passing attck will beat the Panthers, but it will not provide the offense needed to beat the good teams with any regularity.

Still, Martz has to do something with the tools he does have.  He has to find ways to create two to three second routes that can get Hester and Knox free against physical press coverage that the Lions will certainly play against these two.

And that's a tall order for any OC.

That Being Said, Go with the Hot Hand

While the Bears need to fix the passing game, that does not mean that they should consider abandoning the run again.

Forte is one of the hottest backs in the league right now. If you extrapolate his stats, he ends the season with 2,536 yards and a new NFL record.

Forcing teams to pay attention to him on the ground will help give just a little hesitation to corners who want to engage Hester and Knox. Tying up with the guy who's trying to block you out of the play is not the situation a corner wants to find themselves in. Those outside runs will provide the hesitation in the minds of the corners that will eventually help free Hester and Knox.

Forte is on fire, and the Bears should be looking for every way possible to get the ball into his hands.

Don't Worry About Stopping Calvin Johnson

What?

Yep, I said it. The Bears should not be worried about stopping Calvin Johnson.

Is this a Rob Ryan moment?  Nope. It's exactly the opposite. Ryan thinks CJ would be the third best receiver in Dallas. I think Johnson is the best receiver in football and has been for a few years.

So what do I mean?  

The Bears should not sell the farm in an attempt to stop Calvin Johnson. Johnson is just too good, and he will make plays and score touchdowns on the best defenses. He will not be stopped.

But the bigger impact of Johnson is that teams change their defenses in order to attempt the impossible. And in doing so, they end up leaving other players open and able to make plays, propelling the Lions further.

So the idea here isn't that the Bears can stop Johnson. It's that the Bears should try to limit him and nothing more.  

Consider this. If Johnson catches 10 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns, but the Bears stop the rest of the Lions offense, then the Lions score 14 points and the Bears stand a good chance of coming home victors.  

However, if the Bears throw everything into stopping Megatron, he'll likely still come away with significant numbers, and the rest of the Lions offense will be in better position to make plays as well.

That attention is a bigger contribution to the Lions offense than even his touchdown total, and the Bears cannot fall into that trap if they intend to win.

And now it's your turn, ladies and gentlemen. Step up to the soapbox below and let your voice be heard.