The Detroit Lions outlasted the Chicago Bears on Thursday, sealing their first Thanksgiving win since 2016. What started as a routine Lions win became a nerve-wracking, nail-biting game as the Bears mounted a furious comeback. Nevertheless, the Lions made enough positive plays to earn a 23-20 win over their division rivals. Here are some significant thoughts from this dramatic win.
It Always Starts With the Trenches
In the first half, the Detroit Lions dominated the line of scrimmage. Detroit ran the ball physically and ferociously against Chicago’s defensive front. The Lions dominated time of possession and the scoreboard and kept Chicago on the back foot.
The Lions’ offense kept Chicago’s offensive unit ice-cold on the sideline, giving the Detroit defense the advantage. The Lions’ defense swarmed all over the Bears’ offense. Chicago went in at half-time pointless, with fewer first downs than the points total the Lions had.
That was thanks to a fierce display from Detroit’s defensive line. DJ Reader, Alim McNeil and Za’Darius Smith all played tremendously well. Per Next Gen Stats, Smith recorded eight pressures, 1.5 sacks, and a get-off time of 0.91 seconds. It was the veteran’s best performance in a Lions uniform.
Za’Darius Smith (8), Al-Quadin Muhammad (7), and DJ Reader (7) all set or tied season highs in pressures against the Bears, only the second game a team has had 3 players with 7+ pressures this season.
The Lions pressured Caleb Williams on 17 dropbacks without blitzing, their… pic.twitter.com/yV3MyYjSxe
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) November 28, 2024
DJ Reader earned the game ball from Dan Campbell, and rightly so. The former Cincinnati Bengal was stout in the run game, living in the Chicago backfield. Reader notched four tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hits, and two TFLs. Furthermore, Reader recorded seven pressures.
Lastly, Al-Quadin Muhammad recorded seven pressures as well. Muhammad saw his snaps increase after the injuries to Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal, and the former Indianapolis Colt was excellent in the pass-rush game.
As much as the national media will discuss how badly the Bears botched the game’s final play, the Lions’ pass rush sack on the previous down put Chicago in meltdown mode and won Detroit the game.
The Injury Bug Is Here, in a Bad Way
The Bears fought back into the game because of the chaos the Lions’ defense experienced in the second half. It seemed that a Lion was on the ground during every defensive drive. Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike, and Malcolm Rodriguez all left the field with a game-ending injury.
Za’Darius Smith, DJ Reader and Kindle Vildor all exited the game briefly. Emmanuel Moseley picked up an injury during the pre-game warmup. Mix that with the absences of Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Alex Anzalone, Ennis Rakestraw, Ifeatu Melifonwu, and Carlton Davis, and the Lions are fighting a tsunami of defensive injuries.
The latest bad news is that Malcolm Rodriguez tore his ACL and is out for the rest of the season. NFL insiders have confirmed that Josh Paschal’s knee injury is not season-ending, but will miss time. Dan Campbell has repeatedly espoused the ‘next man up mentality,’ the Lions need every player available to go above and beyond.
Detroit has signed linebacker Kwon Alexander from the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. Alexander is familiar with Aaron Glenn and Dan Campbell from their time in New Orleans.
The Lions have also claimed defensive lineman Jonah Williams from the LA Rams’ practice squad.
Detroit will not get the extended mini-bye post-Thanksgiving, so they will need something special to stop the Green Bay Packers next Thursday. The Lions will get their extended mini-bye only after that game.