It is amazing how high the Chicago Bears fans are on their team despite the lack of wins. The Bears have a record of 3-6 and lost five of their last six games. What the fans are looking at, though, is how fun this team is. Sure, they are still losing. However, they are playing hard and are in nearly every game. Additionally, they are seeing an actual decent offense racking up points.
Just last week, the Bears went toe-to-toe against the Miami Dolphins, one of the best offenses in the NFL. They ultimately lost 35-32, but the difference was a blocked punt that the Dolphins took in for a touchdown that was the difference.
This week, the Bears get a break. They face the Detroit Lions. At 2-6, Detroit is just a half-game behind the Bears in the standings. Their offense isn’t as high-powered as Miami’s. The Bears’ defense could therefore perform better.
The Lions have the worst defense in the league. With the Chicago Bears offense performing so well in the past month, we could once again see the points piling up.
Quarterback Justin Fields had a historic game against the Dolphins. He rushed for 178, the most ever for a quarterback in a game. With Detroit’s defense, he could have another stellar game.
Here are some things to look for in the Chicago Bears Week 10 matchup against the Detroit Lions.
Chicago Bears: The defense has to stop the run
While the Chicago Bears offense has been flying high recently, the defense has regressed. Early on in the season, the unit had trouble in the first half but then made adjustments and was a tough second-half team.
That has changed, however. Now the defense is getting torched early and often. In the past three games, while the offense averaged 31 points per game, the defense gave up 33 points per game. The Bears now rank 21st in points given up.
The run defense has been bad this season. The Bears rank 30th in rushing yards allowed and last in rushing touchdowns allowed. Unfortunately for them, the Lions come in with a good rushing attack. They rank ninth in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
D’Andre Swift is a good running back but he is dealing with injuries, already missing three games. It is still unknown if he will play this week. Jamaal Williams has done a good job in Swift’s absence. He has 545 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns, averaging 4.3 yards per run.
If the Bears force the Lions to pass the ball. Despite ranking 8th in passing yards and 6th in passing touchdowns, Lions quarterback Jared Goff has a tendency of throwing the ball to the defense. The Lions rank 22nd in interceptions thrown. The Bears’ defense rank 5th in interceptions.
The Bears’ defense has to make a stand at some time, right? It is rare to see the offense carrying the defense. With last place in the NFC North on the line, this is the time for the defense to just do enough to allow the offense a chance to win the game.