Week Sixteen: Detroit Lions (12-2) @ Chicago Bears (4-10)

[MichiganCardinal]

          vs.          

Setting: 12/22/2024 1:00pm EST on FOX

Site: Soldier Field in Chicago, IL

Weather: 30° High / 22° Low, 8% chance of snow, 10mph wind

Opening Spread: Lions -6.5

All-Time Series Record: Bears lead, 105-79-5

Last Meeting: 11/28/2024, Lions won 23-20

 

Chicago Bears (4-10)

Interim Head Coach: Thomas Brown (1st Season: 0-3)

Projected Starting QB: Caleb Williams (1st Season: 4-10)

Last Game: 30-12 L @ Minnesota Vikings (12-2)

Looking Ahead to Week #17: Thursday Night v. Seattle Seahawks (8-6)

 

Your Detroit Lions (12-2)

Head Coach: Dan Campbell (4th Season: 36-28-1)

Projected Starting QB: Jared Goff (9th Season: 78-52-1)

Last Week: 48-42 L v. Buffalo Bills (11-3)

Looking Ahead to Week #17: Monday Night @ San Francisco 49ers (6-8)

 

Elsewhere in the NFL

Primetime: Broncos @ Chargers (TNF), Buccaneers @ Cowboys (SNF), Saints @ Packers (MNF)

Saturday: Texans @ Chiefs (1:00pm), Steelers @ Ravens (4:30pm)

1:00pm: Giants @ Falcons, Cardinals @ Panthers, Titans @ Colts, Rams @ Jets, Eagles @ Commanders, Browns @ Bengals

4:05/4:25pm: Patriots @ Bills, Vikings @ Seahawks, Jaguars @ Raiders, 49ers @ Dolphins

[Sports_Freak]

I wonder if Aaron Donald has stayed in shape? Make the call, Brad. 🤣🤣

[CMRivdogs]

 

[Motown Bombers]

Bears have gotten worse without Eberflus. He was the play caller on defense. 

[lordstanley]

I see some parallels between this year's Lions' season and 2023 Michigan. Both dominant through the first half or more of what was shaping up to be a dream season and then got thrown a curveball that threatened to upend everything. With Michigan it was Stallions and Harbaugh suspension and media firestorm. With Lions, defensive injuries of course. Made each team's task much more difficult but not impossible. So IF the Lions are able to get through this, it will make for an absolutely legendary story. The Lions now are basically where Michigan was prior to the MSU game - had to defeat the Spartans, Penn St., Ohio State and Iowa to make the CFB playoff, then win 2 games for the title. The Lions need a 5-game winning streak to make the Super Bowl, with the games getting progressively tougher: Chicago, San Francisco, Minnesota, GB/Tampa/Rams/?, Philly?. Really tough, but not impossible. I can't wait to see how it plays out. 

[Sports_Freak]

23 minutes ago, lordstanley said:

I see some parallels between this year's Lions' season and 2023 Michigan. Both dominant through the first half or more of what was shaping up to be a dream season and then got thrown a curveball that threatened to upend everything. With Michigan it was Stallions and Harbaugh suspension and media firestorm. With Lions, defensive injuries of course. Made each team's task much more difficult but not impossible. So IF the Lions are able to get through this, it will make for an absolutely legendary story. The Lions now are basically where Michigan was prior to the MSU game - had to defeat the Spartans, Penn St., Ohio State and Iowa to make the CFB playoff, then win 2 games for the title. The Lions need a 5-game winning streak to make the Super Bowl, with the games getting progressively tougher: Chicago, San Francisco, Minnesota, GB/Tampa/Rams/?, Philly?. Really tough, but not impossible. I can't wait to see how it plays out. 

Good comparison. And as a longtime Lions fan, no matter what happens, it's been a great and fun season. Sure, thousands of fans will be jumping off the bandwagon but as a fan, all I ever asked for was close exciting games. And the last 2 seasons have given fans that. 

[slothfacekilla]

It's insane to me that anyone would jump off this bandwagon after all the years of absolutely awful squads, this team is so fun no matter what. 

[Sports_Freak]

3 hours ago, slothfacekilla said:

It's insane to me that anyone would jump off this bandwagon after all the years of absolutely awful squads, this team is so fun no matter what. 

True. But many of the new fans only watch because we have a winning team. I used to have season tickets in the Silverdome days because of so many blacked out games. Those tickets sure were inexpensive...

[Sports_Freak]

 

[Jason_R]

8 hours ago, lordstanley said:

I see some parallels between this year's Lions' season and 2023 Michigan. Both dominant through the first half or more of what was shaping up to be a dream season and then got thrown a curveball that threatened to upend everything. With Michigan it was Stallions and Harbaugh suspension and media firestorm. With Lions, defensive injuries of course. Made each team's task much more difficult but not impossible. So IF the Lions are able to get through this, it will make for an absolutely legendary story. The Lions now are basically where Michigan was prior to the MSU game - had to defeat the Spartans, Penn St., Ohio State and Iowa to make the CFB playoff, then win 2 games for the title. The Lions need a 5-game winning streak to make the Super Bowl, with the games getting progressively tougher: Chicago, San Francisco, Minnesota, GB/Tampa/Rams/?, Philly?. Really tough, but not impossible. I can't wait to see how it plays out. 

Make the movie. Ryan Gosling plays Jared Goff. Dan Campbell plays himself. 

[TP_Fan]

No good reason to let Chicago stick around in this game. They have been blown out in back to back games and look like they are ready for the offseason.  Go out there are put it away early.  

[Tigeraholic1]

11 hours ago, Jason_R said:

Make the movie. Ryan Gosling plays Jared Goff. Dan Campbell plays himself. 

Ryan might be decent at QB, he was a huge liability at Corner in Remember the Titans.

[Tigeraholic1]

 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Sports_Freak]

2 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

 

But when the Lions get up by multiple scores, look for the Lions to rest Gibbs. Reynolds can handle the run game.

[Motown Bombers]

 

[MichiganCardinal]

What looks like a bloodbath on first glance is a lot of veteran rest days upon closer examination.

[lordstanley]

I already realized how hard hit the Lions have been, but this shows how unscathed have been Minnesota, GB and Buffalo. 
 

 

[Sports_Freak]

The Lions haven't lost 2 games in a row since October of 2022. I know most games within the division are close but I see a rout coming. The Lion fans will outnumber Bears fans. Well, they'll be louder...

[Tigeraholic1]

Nice list to be on top of.

 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

5 hours ago, lordstanley said:

I already realized how hard hit the Lions have been, but this shows how unscathed have been Minnesota, GB and Buffalo. 
 

 

A lot of these injuries are fluke things that happen on a given play and are out of the player or staff's control. However, does the training or coaching staff deserve any level of criticism here? Are they pushing guys too hard in practice or workouts? Are there things the training staff may need to improve on. This is ridiculous how no one else in the league is even close to us.

[Motown Bombers]

With three players with broken limbs, I'm guessing the training staff isn't encouraging the players to drink their milk. 

[MichiganCardinal]

Since the start of the 2022 season, the Lions are 35-16. The Bears are 14-34.