Lions vs. Bears
▶ Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday, Ford Field, Detroit
▶ TV/radio: Fox/97.1
▶ Records: Lions 7-8, Bears 3-12
▶ Line: Lions by 5
Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News breaks down the Lions’ Week 17 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
Key matchup
LIONS RUSHING OFFENSE VS. BEARS RUSHING DEFENSE
Few teams in the NFL are running the ball with less efficiency than Detroit over its last eight games (3.7 yards per carry), which the Lions should have the chance to correct in the home finale against Chicago’s 30th-ranked rushing defense (151.2 yards per game). Jamaal Williams is averaging 2.5 yards per carry over his last four games and D’Andre Swift is still searching for an ounce of the juice he had in Weeks 1 and 2. Could this be the game where Detroit puts its ground game back together? The circumstances make it a solid bet, and Bears will have an awfully tough time stopping the Lions’ offense as a whole if the run is finally clicking.
Bears to watch
▶ QB Justin Fields: Justin Fields is running the ball better than any quarterback in the league right now. After a few more big gains, “right now” will become “ever.” Fields is 196 yards away from setting the NFL’s single-season rushing record (Mike Vick, 2006 — 1,206 yards) for a quarterback. Perhaps no team knows what Fields is capable of more than the Lions, who gave up 147 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, plus 167 yards and two touchdowns through the air, in a nail-biting, Week 10 win for the Lions.
▶ S Jaquan Brisker: A rookie safety out of Penn State, Brisker has made his mark on a Bears passing defense that ranks 12th (209.1 yards per game). He has an interception, a forced fumble and leads the team in sacks (4.0), a mark that’s tied for the most among all defensive backs.
▶ CB Kyler Gordon: Gordon, another rookie, figures to pose threats to everything the Lions try to do on Sunday. He grades out as the Bears’ top active run defender (68.1) and has interceptions in consecutive games (and a team-high three on the season), a major figure of a Bears’ defense that ranks 10th in takeaways (21).
Facts and figures
▶ No matter who wins, you can probably count on this game being close. Ten of the last 15 matchups between Detroit and Chicago have been decided by four or fewer points, including four of the last five.
▶ One has to marvel at the depth of record-setting that Fields has done this year. One that should cause concern for the Lions’ 31st-ranked third-down defense (47.5%): Last week, Fields set new NFL bests for third-down rushing yards (418) and most first downs rushing (32).
▶ The Bears rank dead-last in passing offense (136.5), but keep an eye on Bears receiver Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet. In five career games against Detroit, Mooney is averaging 77.2 yards per game and 18.3 per reception. Kmet, meanwhile, had a season-high 74 yards in Week 10 against Detroit, which has struggled to cover leaky tight ends all season.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi