Lions Lose In A Special Way

Well it turns out that I was both wrong and right in my prediction of the Bears and Lions game. It turns out that neither quarterback reverted back to their multiple interception selves, Stafford did throw one interception but it was more bad luck than anything. Stafford didn't see Tommy Harris who had fallen down and when he got up the ball fell right into his lap. Stafford torched the Bears mighty defense for 298 yards passing with 1 touchdown and two rushes for 20 yards.

However those numbers don't mean that much when you have no running game to go along with it and are continuously starting drives within your own 20 yard line. Aaron Brown, Dennis Northcutt, and Adam Jennings failed miserably in the return game in a week were Schwartz stated they needed to be more productive. On the flip side of that, the Detroit Lion's cover units also fell flat on their faces when it came to keeping Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Daniel Manning in check on kick returns. We put our average defense out on the field all day and asked them to defend a shortened field.

Meanwhile we handicapped our offense by asking them to drive nearly 90 yards in order to score every time they got on the field. The result, a game that really started to get out of hand towards the end when the defense finally started to break down and the offense struggled in the shadow of their own end zone. We either need to release Jennings again and find a real kick returner or somebody needs to dropkick Stan Kwan so maybe he'll have the special teams units ready to play.

This was a winable game and the next time we play Chicago that one will be winable too, all of our division games are. We aren't a good enough team to do what we did against Chicago today and expect to win, its just not going to happen. The passing game looked good all day, Stafford overthrew some guys but he'll get better with that. There was no excuse for what the running game did, Smith was hurting and you could tell, he probably shouldn't have played. Still, the coaches should have pulled him, that or get some screens with Aaron Brown going to pick up the slack from the run game because they were teeing off on us every time we tried to run. Speaking of that, its not a rule that we have to run on first down, its okay to mix it up every now and then.

I guess we can chalk this one up to a learning experience, hopefully it will lead to us learning that we don't have a real kick returner and we need to get one. That or we just need to drop the only coaching holdover from our 0-16 season, Stan Kwan.

Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears Matchup And Prediction

Well I just watched the Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears preview via Sprint / NFL Live. Essentially they think that Cutler will shred our secondary, Matt Forte will run all over us, and the Bears defense will dominate. However they think Larry Foote and Jason Hanson are good, also Stafford will be okay if he can limit interceptions.


Now of course I don't agree with most of their assessments. Both Pisa Tinoisamoa and Hunter Hillenmeyer are doubtful in a linebacking corps that is already missing Brian Urlacher. So Lance Briggs will get the start at weakside linebacker with Nick Roach, Tim Shaw, and Jamar Williams most likely getting time at the middle and strongside linebacker positions. On top of that Lance Briggs is also questionable for the game so hes hurting but is expected to start.However if Briggs doesn't play, saying the Bears are depleted at linebacker is an understatement.

Now with the linebackers already depleted, most of the defensive line is also on the Bears injury report. DT Anthony Adams probable knee injury, DE Alex Brown questionable ankle injury, DT Tommie Harris probable knee injury, and DT Israel Idonije questionable knee injury. I don't see the Bears being able to dominate much of anything with mostly hurting starters or backup players spread throughout their front seven.

Detroit was able to run on a healthy Vikings defense and a mostly healthy Redskins defense. Washington's DT Albert Haynesworth did go down with an injury during the game and so did Detroit's RB Kevin Smith. By all indications Kevin Smith says he will play against the Bears but if he can't Maurice Morris, Aaron Brown, and Jerome Felton should be capable of carrying the load against this banged up Bears defense.

Once the running game gets going, the passing game will follow. This game is going to rest squarely on the shoulders of Matthew Stafford and his ability to duplicate the performance he had against the Redskins last week. Stafford needs to make good decisions by spreading the ball around and not starring down Calvin Johnson like he did in the first two weeks of the season. If Stafford can do that and limits his interceptions, the Lions are looking at a two game winning streak because I'm not sold on the Bears offense beating us.

Matt Forte is on the Bears injury report as probable with a knee injury but really hasn't done much this season. The Lions defense, even with their injuries along the line have been able to keep Adrian Peterson and Clinton Portis from putting up crazy numbers. The Lions defense held Peterson under 100 yards (92 is still under 100) and allowed only 42 yards on the ground to Portis. I just don't see Matt Forte outperforming either Peterson or Portis especially after the way hes started the year.

Now could Jay Cutler shred our secondary? If Matt Forte gets the run game going, no dowubt. If Eric King was starting, no doubt, but I doubt they get the run going and I bet King never gets on the field. Last week Will James stepped onto the field and showed he could be a solid starter at corner and I've heard that he actually took the starting job from Phillip Buchanon. At safety Ko Simpson looked good last week but we'll see if its Simpson or Marquand Manuel who gets the start alongside defensive rookie of the month Louis Delmas. If the Bears run game never gets going and Jay Cutler starts trying to force things and win the game with his arm I can see this game getting ugly fast.

In the end though it will be a tale of two quarterbacks because they have always compared Matthew Stafford to Jay Cutler and I can see why. They are both gunslingers and when they get in a situation where they are asked to win the game with their arms they both force things. Whichever quarterback is calm in the pocket and takes what the defense gives them instead of forcing it is the team that will win.I think that its going to be Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions pulling of the "upset".

Injury Report For Week 4 Lions At Bears

Detroit Lions

Drew Stanton Oct 2, 2009 Probable Knee - Probable
Sammie Hill Oct 2, 2009 Doubtful Ankle - Doubtful
Kalvin Pearson Oct 2, 2009 Doubtful Quadriceps - Doubtful
Kevin Smith Oct 2, 2009 Questionable Shoulder - Questionable
Dewayne White Oct 2, 2009 Doubtful Hamstring - Doubtful
Ernie Sims Oct 2, 2009 Questionable Shoulder - Questionable
Eric King Oct 2, 2009 Questionable Shoulder - Questionable
Grady Jackson Oct 2, 2009 Questionable Knee - Questionable
Cliff Avril Oct 2, 2009 Questionable Hamstring - Questionable







Chicago Bears


Patrick Mannelly Oct 2, 2009 Probable Forearm - Probable
Israel Idonije Oct 2, 2009 Questionable Knee - Questionable
Tommie Harris Oct 2, 2009 Probable Knee - Probable
Matt Forte Oct 2, 2009 Probable Knee - Probable
Desmond Clark Oct 2, 2009 Probable Rib - Probable
Anthony Adams Oct 2, 2009 Probable Knee - Probable
Pisa Tinoisamoa Oct 2, 2009 Doubtful Knee - Doubtful
Hunter Hillenmeyer Oct 2, 2009 Doubtful Rib - Doubtful
Alex Brown Oct 2, 2009 Questionable Ankle - Questionable
Lance Briggs Oct 2, 2009 Questionable Foot - Questionable