The Detroit Lions travel to the Windy City on Sunday for a massive game against the Chicago Bears. The Lions head to Soldier Field wounded following a loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday and yet more injury problems.
The relentlessness of the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings adds to the Lions’ problems. But these wounded Lions are still 12-2, atop the NFC, and controlling their destiny. The message is simple: win the next three, and the Lions will win the NFC North and earn the NFC’s number one seed.
And it starts with this matchup against the Bears. It is a must-win game. Here is how the Lions can leave Chi-town with a seismic victory.
Win at the Line of Scrimmage
The following might be controversial, but it needs to be said: the Detroit Lions’ offensive line has not played well recently. Center Frank Ragnow endured a miserable outing against the Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, guard Graham Glasgow experienced a real whipping at the hands of Ed Oliver. Glasgow is questionable for this game against Chicago. Regardless of his health, it might be time to take him out of the lineup.
Detroit’s interior offensive line toiled against Buffalo. On the Lions’ opening two possessions last week, they recorded one rushing yard on two David Montgomery carries, while the Bills tallied two big sacks on Jared Goff. The negligible run plays left Detroit behind the sticks, allowing Buffalo to attack the interior.
Since Week 12, the Lions’ run game has been 17th in EPA and 12th in success rate. That is not good enough for a team that relies heavily on its offense to win games. And with David Montgomery out for the rest of the regular season, Detroit’s offensive line must find top gear to create rushing lanes for Craig Reynolds, Jermar Jefferson and Sione Vaki.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Bears are 26th in run-defense grade. According to Sumer Sports, Chicago is 23rd in defensive-rush EPA. Detroit must gash Chicago on the ground. It is non-negotiable. The coaches believe in their running back room; now, the offensive line has to return to its bully-ball best.
With Montgomery out, Detroit may attack Chicago’s edges and spring Gibbs loose on the perimeter. But the Lions’ offense still needs the hammer to churn out tough yards through the A and B gaps.
The Lions must return to a violent, physical style of play. Ball carriers and linemen must pulverise Chicago at the point of attack.
Attack Caleb Williams
The Chicago offensive line is banged up. The Bears have already ruled out Ryan Bates, while left tackle Braxton Jones is questionable with a concussion. Teven Jenkins is also questionable due to a calf injury. Quarterback Caleb Williams has eaten 56 sacks this season. Whether through blitzes, rushing five, running stunts and TEX games, the Lions have to get pressure on Caleb Williams.
Detroit got nowhere near Josh Allen last Sunday. And while there is some mitigation in that Allen is playing at a god-like level, there is no excuse not to attack Caleb Williams. The former USC Trojan will one day become a fine NFL quarterback, but the Lions have to make him endure a torturous afternoon.
Detroit’s big conundrum is how they replace Alim McNeil. The big defensive tackle is out for the rest of the season. McNeil was a menace in the Thanksgiving game, and what combination the Lions use to fill his void will be critical.
Aaron Glenn will send blitzing linebackers after Williams. They have to get home. The Lions blitz a lot but are not the most effective or clinical on their linebacker blitzes.
And lastly, if Caleb Williams does scramble out of the pocket and extend plays, the Lions have to nail him. Predictably, there was controversy stoked by Minnesota Vikings fans following Jack Campbell’s perfectly legal hit on Williams in the first game. And Aaron Glenn was blunt on what he wants his players to do if Williams scrambles and stays in bounds:
“If he’s in bounds, we will hit him.”
Embrace Detroit vs. Everybody
After last Sunday’s loss, it felt like the Lions’ world had caved in. Mounting injuries and a gut-wrenching loss ignited the negativity from the national media, local media and rival fans. The Lions are 12-2 but somehow have their backs pinned to the wall. Dangerous sharks are lurking in the waters, ready to pounce on Detroit. Some feel that Detroit’s season is ‘over.’
However, on Tuesday morning, Dan Campbell dropped a pipebomb promo Chicago’s own CM Punk would have been proud of. Campbell took to the airwaves and said the following:
“You win 11 in a row, and you lose, and then the sky falls. And I hate to say it, but we won’t be able to win 11 in a row again for the rest of this season. We’re just not going to be able to do it. We got a bad taste in our mouth. We got kicked around the other day. We lost a few guys, and you know what, it’s exactly what we needed. This is exactly what we needed. So, we’re going to bounce back. We’re going to respond. I can promise you. We’re going to find a way, and we’re going to get it done.”
It was a ferocious rallying call from the Lions’ fierce leader. And it resonated with the fans and the players. On Tim Twentyman’s podcast, Jared Goff gave his view on where the Lions are:
“What do we love about this situation? It’s Detroit vs. Everybody.”
Everyone wrote Dan Campbell off when he walked into Allen Park in January 2021. Everyone wrote Jared Goff off when the LA Rams dumped him in Detroit. They wrote Detroit off when the Lions were 0-10-1. One respected analyst stated that the Dan Campbell experiment was over after a shutout loss in New England. The media wrote the Lions off when they walked into Lambeau Field with their playoff hopes dead.
And the Lions are still here. The 2024 Detroit Lions have to push a little harder, dig a little deeper, and play with fury and rage. The Lions have come too far to surrender. It’s time to come out swinging, take no prisoners and leave the field with no regrets. Everyone has written the 2024 Detroit Lions off – everyone except themselves. Now it’s time to show it.