Happy Thanksgiving. Who’s ready for some football?
For the sixth time in 11 seasons, the Chicago Bears will celebrate their holiday with a division game. With a halftime performance by Shaboozey on tap, the last-place Bears and first-place Detroit Lions will clash at Ford Field in the first of three Thanksgiving games around the league.
As kickoff approaches, here’s a snapshot look at Thursday’s game.
Players in the spotlight
“Sonic and Knuckles” — a.k.a. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery — have established themselves as arguably the league’s most dangerous backfield duo. Through 11 games, Gibbs and Montgomery have combined for 2,024 yards from scrimmage and 22 touchdowns. Both have scored within the same game five times this season, helping catalyze an offense that is averaging 394.3 yards per game.
“They hit (the line of scrimmage) with speed,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said, “and probably better than most I’ve seen,”
The Bears must be much stingier defending the run than they have been during a five-game losing streak that has seen them surrender 755 rushing yards and a 4.9 yards per attempt average.
But it won’t be easy against a backfield tandem as productive as this one. Gibbs’ 5.8 yards per carry average ranks third in the NFL among qualifying running backs behind only Saquon Barkley (6.2) of the Philadelphia Eagles and Derrick Henry (6.0) of the Baltimore Ravens.
Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington summed up Gibbs’ skillset with one word — “Wow!” — and praised the way Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson schemes to create opportunities for the electric back.
Montgomery, meanwhile, is battling a shoulder injury but continues to relish his success in Detroit. After spending his first four seasons with the Bears, Montgomery signed with the Lions in free agency in 2023, in part, he said, because he was eager to join a more dynamic offense. Since he left Chicago, the Lions have gone 22-6 and have an inside track toward their second consecutive NFC North title while the Bears are 11-17 and stuck in last place.
Cole Kmet, who played with Montgomery for three seasons, continues to appreciate his former teammate’s mentality and culture-defining playing style.
“When he was here, he was a never-go-down type of guy with a never-quit mentality,” Kmet said. “(He was) always pushing the pile forward or staying up to get that extra 1 or 2 yards. That’s his mentality. And I really feel like, when he is on your offense, everyone kind of feeds into that.”
Pressing question
How will Caleb Williams fare in his first career short-week start?
Williams’ eyes bulged Tuesday when he was asked about the process of streamlining his normal preparation routine with such a quick page flip.
“This,” he said, “is interesting for me.”
Williams talked at length about working to find ways to prioritize his sleep, recovery, hydration and nutrition this week. He also understood that he didn’t have nearly as much time as usual to study a Lions defense that is the best in the NFL on third downs (29.8%) while ranking second inside the red zone (40.0%).
Williams and the Bears offense have also had to adjust without a typical practice week, leaning into a pair of walkthroughs instead. On Tuesday, the rookie quarterback confessed he wasn’t as sharp as he wanted to be.
“I had a few mess-ups with some of the new plays,” Williams said. “Because you don’t have that day-and-a-half to go through all the small details that mean a lot and that I always talk about.”
Column: Adjusting on the fly to new coaching, Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams is back on the upswing
Somehow, someway, the rookie quarterback must get himself ready physically and mentally for Thursday’s 11:30 a.m. kickoff.
The good news — or the bad news, depending on how you look at it — is the Bears will play a second Thursday game in December, a Week 17 contest against the Seattle Seahawks the night after Christmas.
“I definitely want to make sure that when this happens next time, I’m prepared for it and I know how to (prepare) and I know what to expect,” Williams said. “There’s a lot of newness this week.”
How Williams handles that newness will be a major determining factor in Thursday’s game.
Keep an eye on …
The Bears did a better job Sunday of generating consistent pressure with a four-man rush, sacking Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold three times and totaling nine quarterback hits. The defensive line must continue bringing the heat against the Lions, who have a much more productive offense, a sturdier offensive line and a quarterback who has been masterful at getting the ball out of his hands quickly.
It will be a massive challenge.
The Lions rank seventh in the NFL in fewest sacks allowed (22) and quarterback Jared Goff is continuing his terrific season, having already thrown for 2,761 yards and 20 touchdowns. Goff’s 72.9% completion percentage this season and 109.9 passer rating are both career bests.
Goff has had six games with fewer than five incompletions, including an 18-for-18, 292-yard, two-touchdown performance against Seattle in Week 4.
“He’s playing at a very high level,” Eberflus said.
It’s worth mentioning that the Bears flustered Goff in a pair of meetings last season, forcing the Lions quarterback into five interceptions. These are different times, however. And both teams are in very different places than they were then.
Still, if there’s anything applicable from the 2023 matchups, Eberflus would be wise to utilize it.
“We’ve got to do a great job with disguise, (offering) different looks in terms of pressures and all the things you need to do in situations, too,” Eberflus said. “The guys have been on point all week.”
Numbers game
Need a Thanksgiving appetizer? Here are a handful of statistical trivia nuggets to chew on.
- The Lions have a 37-45-2 overall record in games played on Thanksgiving, including an 8-11 mark against the Bears, who are 20-15-2 overall on Thanksgiving. But the last time Detroit had a Thanksgiving day victory to celebrate? Way back in 2016 when Jim Caldwell was still their coach and Matthew Stafford threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin in a 16-13 defeat of the Sam Bradford-led Vikings.
- The Lions’ seven-game losing skid on Thanksgiving includes three losses to the Bears — 23-16 in 2018, 24-20 in 2019 and 16-14 in 2021. That victory three seasons ago came with Andy Dalton starting at quarterback and ended on a 28-yard Cairo Santos walk-off field goal. With that triumph, the Bears won for the first time in 46 days. On Thursday, they will walk into Ford Field 46 days removed from their last victory.
- The Lions enter Thursday’s game on a nine-game winning streak, hammering opponents by an average score of 35-16. It is the franchise’s longest winning streak since a 10-game surge in 1934, the team’s first season in Detroit.
- The Bears, meanwhile, have lost five games in a row, making this the sixth consecutive season in which they have dropped at least four in a row.
- Matt Eberflus’ team is also winless in four true road games this season and has gone 3-18 on the road since the start of 2022. Interestingly, all those road wins have come in contests not played on a Sunday, with the Bears notching two “Monday Night Football” victories — 33-14 over the New England Patriots in 2022 and 12-10 over the Vikings last season — plus a 40-20 blowout of the Washington Commanders on Thursday night a year ago.
Injury report
The Lions remain optimistic that standout receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown will be ready to play Thursday as he fights through a knee issue. The team will be without starting left tackle Taylor Decker, who suffered a knee injury in the second half of Sunday’s win in Indianapolis. With Decker out, Dan Skipper is in line to get the start up front for the Lions.
Defensively, the Lions are adjusting after placing linebacker Alex Anzalone on injured reserve this week with a significant forearm injury. Standout pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson has been on I.R. since Week 7 with a broken leg. Cornerback Carlton Davis (thumb, knee) is also out for Detroit.
For the Bears, this week’s injury report remains small. Safety Elijah Hicks (ankle) will miss his second consecutive game Thursday. (Jonathan Owens remains the “next man up” on the back end.) Offensive lineman Ryan Bates (concussion) is also out.
Predictions
Brad Biggs (7-4)
Detroit has been an absolute wagon, winning nine consecutive games and scoring 42 or more points four times in that span. The Lions have arguably the most complete roster in the NFL and have been able to remain excellent on defense without edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who was a strong early-season candidate for Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Bears have struggled mightily on the road, and the chess match will be between new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown in his third game vs. Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Brown has emphasized rhythm in the passing game with a lot of quick throws and the Lions certainly will be looking to take that away. How do the Bears adjust? It’s hard to chart a path to victory for the Bears, even knowing the Lions are likely to hit a speed bump at some point. The Bears have also struggled on special teams whereas the Lions boast one of the best units in the league.
Lions 30, Bears 17
Colleen Kane (7-4)
The Lions come into this game on a nine-game winning streak, their last loss coming on Sept. 15. They lead the NFL with 32.7 points per game and a 16.1-point scoring differential. Their array of offensive weapons to support quarterback Jared Goff is formidable. They have one of the best third-down and red-zone defenses and haven’t allowed a touchdown in 10 quarters. And they’re playing at home in front of a national audience. Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ progress the last two games under Thomas Brown has been encouraging. But the Bears don’t appear to be close to the Lions’ league.
Lions 28, Bears 20
Dan Wiederer (7-4)
The Bears are a defeated and emotionally exhausted last-place team that has lost its mojo and seemingly lost its way. Now, with the weight of a five-game losing streak on their shoulders, they must go on the road in a short week and figure out a way to compete in a game that should tell us a lot about how much is left in the tank. The Lions? They’re currently the favorites to win the Super Bowl and riding their longest winning streak in 90 years behind a well-balanced and weapon-stocked offense that has topped 40 points four times in the last eight games. Sure, Matt Eberflus found some strategic wrinkles last season for his defense, forcing Detroit quarterback Jared Goff into five interceptions in two games. But that’s ancient history in what now appears to be an ugly mismatch.
Lions 31, Bears 17
