Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears – Syndication Server

Top takeaways from film review of the Lions’ Week 14 loss to the Bears

Top takeaways from film review of the Lions’ Week 14 loss to the Bears, with notes on Goff, the pass rush, replacement players and more

This week’s Detroit Lions film review was not a happy experience. Some weeks when the Lions lose, there are enough positives and circumstantial developments that watching the All-22 can make me feel better about the loss. Not this week, not this team’s performance in Chicago. If anything, I felt even worse about the Lions’ 28-13 loss to the Bears.

Normally I do the film review package as a “What I learned from…” piece, but this week I wanted to instead focus more on the “quick hits” portion of those breakdowns.

Stock report following the Lions Week 14 Loss to the Bears

It was a bear market for too many Lions in the ugly loss to Chicago

This is about as bad as the Lions have looked this season and could very easily be winless against the Bears this year. They had to have a comeback victory a few weeks ago when they hosted them but the success the Bears had was duplicated and this time they finished the job. With the score being 29-13, this game couldn’t have been further apart if you watched it.

The offense looked lost with play-caller Ben Johnson seemingly looked lost. The defense looked like they were playing on a playground having each member do their own thing. All of it wrapped up creating one of the worst games of the year and could be a sign of things to come.

It wound up being a bear market in Chicago for Detroit on the stock report.

Snap count notes from the Lions Week 14 loss to the Bears

Lions snap count notes on the RB mix, DL rotation, Hutchinson never leaving the field, rookies and more from the loss in Chicago

It’s always interesting what stories the snap counts from a game tell about a team. For the Detroit Lions in the Week 14 loss to the Chicago Bears, it shows a team that made some questionable personnel choices.

Take the running back splits. David Montgomery played just 23 of the Lions’ 65 offensive snaps. Jahmyr Gibbs has taken over the lead-back role lately and that was reinforced in Chicago, with the rookie playing 41 snaps. Both Gibbs and Montgomery rushed for 66 yards in the game. Third RB Craig Reynolds played one. Montgomery played just one of Detroit’s 11 snaps in the third quarter.

Blocking was stable in this one. Kayode Awosika got the starting nod at right guard with Graham Glasgow playing center for the injured Frank Ragnow. The entire starting line played all 65 reps. Extra tackle Dan Skipper was on the field for five. Blocking tight end, James Mitchell played 11 snaps and still hasn’t seen one passing game target for the entire season.

Jameson Williams continues to grow into the No. 2 receiver role, trailing only Amon-Ra St. Brown (57) in snaps with his 38. That’s two more than Josh Reynolds, who led the Lions in receiving in Week 14 with three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. Williams got one target and one handoff in his time on the field.

Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson continues to play almost every snap. In this game, Hutchinson played 64 of the 71 defensive reps, a 90 percent rate. Hutchinson played very well and is in tremendous physical shape, but leaning on a pass rusher to go for 90 percent of the snaps is asking a lot. It’s a reflection that the team doesn’t trust the defensive front without its top player.

The EDGE snap count breakdown:

Hutchinson: 64

John Cominsky: 50

Julian Okwara: 17

Romeo Okwara: 8

Isaiah Buggs got the majority of the Alim McNeill replacement reps at DT, playing 43 of the 71 available snaps. Rookie Brodric Martin didn’t record a stat, but he was on the field for six snaps in his first action since Week 8. Levi Onwuzurike also failed to record a stat in 14 reps.

Kindle Vildor made his Lions debut in the secondary with 17 reps. Some of those came at the expense of Jerry Jacobs, who played 53 snaps, or 75 percent. Veteran safety Tracy Walker did not play on defense, only appearing on special teams.

Two defenders only played one snap: LB Malcolm Rodriguez and DB Will Harris. Rodriguez did not appear at fullback in this game.

Lions rookie report: How they fared vs. the Bears in Week 14

Breaking down how the Detroit Lions rookies fared vs. the Bears in Week 14

The Lions as a whole right now are struggling with a lot, the rookie class is part of that. While some have had flashes of excellence, the bunch collectively is finally playing like rookies. Which is okay, apart from it coming down the stretch of the season when the team should be out of this phase.

Jahmyr Gibbs has been Mr. Reliable since coming out of Alabama and being drafted 12th overall in April. Sam LaPorta has been on a feverish pace set to break some records as well but there are weeks he has disappeared.

On defense, Jack Campbel has been consistent but some glaring mishaps have let some big plays happen, especially against mobile quarterbacks. Brian Branch has been dealing with injuries but when he he has been on the field he has also fashed brilliance.

The class in general will be fine but they have hit some roadblocks in recent weeks. Sunday’s game against the Bears was arguably the worst of the lot of them.

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Quick takeaways from the out-of-tune Lions in their loss to the Bears

Quick takeaways from a bad Detroit Lions loss in Chicago in Week 14

The Detroit Lions made some awful music in Week 14. Given a chance to dance to a potential division title as road favorites in Chicago, the Lions instead played out of tune and got run off the stage.

Cue the Limp Bizkit.

“It’s just one of those days”…

It certainly was one of those days when the Detroit Lions made their fans want to break stuff. A sloppy, discordant Lions team froze on the chilly stage in Soldier Field, falling 28-13 to the Chicago Bears in a game that strikes a troubling tune for Dan Campbell’s team.

Rollin’ the takeaways…

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Studs and Duds for the Lions in their Week 14 loss to the Bears

Here are this week Detroit Lions’ Studs and Duds from their road loss against the Chicago Bears

In the midst of their playoff push, the Detroit Lions aimed to advance in both their division and the broader NFC playoff standings. Unfortunately, they faced setbacks as they appeared underprepared and undisciplined in this week’s matchup against the Chicago Bears, resulting in a disappointing 28-13 loss.

Despite a commendable second quarter, the Lions were ill-equipped to handle the Bears on both offense and defense. The offense struggled to establish sustainable momentum, while the defense faltered in making crucial stops to force the Bears off the field. The team has been on a downward trajectory lately, prompting the need for a thorough examination of their challenges and a concerted effort to correct course for a successful postseason run.

While this week’s performance may not offer much to highlight, let’s delve into the Studs and Duds from the Lions’ loss to the Bears.

Lions out-executed and outcoached in all-around team loss to Bears

The Detroit Lions out-executed and outcoached in all-around team loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 14

Given a chance to run away and hide with the franchise’s first NFC North title, the Detroit Lions instead played dead in the midway. The Lions were outplayed, outcoached and too easily outscored, 28-13, by the host Chicago Bears.

Other than a good second quarter from both the offense and the defense, Detroit was thoroughly dominated by the Bears, who improved to 5-8 with their convincing win. The Lions fall to 9-4 as they conclude the outdoor portion of their 2023 schedule.

Justin Fields was the better quarterback over Jared Goff. Montez Sweat was the better EDGE over Aidan Hutchinson. D.J. Moore was the better wide receiver over Amon-Ra St. Brown, though some of that goes on Goff. Both coordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, were outmaneuvered by their Chicago counterparts. So too was head coach Dan Campbell by Matt Eberflus, who spent Chicago’s bye week with the local media already auditioning his replacement.

The third quarter was perhaps the worst the Lions can play for an extended period. Johnson’s offense went three-and-out three straight times, with Goff fumbling away a snap on the fourth series. Detroit’s defense did force a three-and-out of its own, but that was between a field goal and a touchdown. The Lions’ 13-10 halftime lead was blown away and never close to being recaptured.

Goff finished 20-for-35 with just 161 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was 8-for-19 in the second half, a stanza where the Bears defense seemed to correctly anticipate everything coming at them. The Lions offensive line also had a rough game, notably left tackle Taylor Decker getting beaten for at least two sacks.

There were a plethora of missed tackles by the Lions defense, who also gave up containment on Fields as a runner too often, too. Just for good measure, kicker Riley Patterson missed an extra point. Total team loss.

The Lions have a short week to get things back in order. Detroit hosts Denver on Saturday night in Week 15.

Lions at Bears: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction

Lions at Bears: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction for the Week 14 matchup in Chicago

The Sunday morning coffee hits a little cleaner as we progress deeper into peppermint mocha season. Burying the pumpkin spice season is appropriate for the Detroit Lions given today’s opponent and how the last meeting went deep in the heart of November.

The last time the Lions and Chicago Bears faced off, it was the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Peak pumpkin spice season. Even though Detroit rallied for an epic win in Ford Field that day, that game left a rotten pumpkin taste in the mouth.

Will the Lions cleanse the palate in their final outdoor game of the regular season? Here’s what is going through my mind ahead of today’s Week 14 matchup in Soldier Field in Chicago.

Why I think the Lions will win

It’s the David Montgomery revenge game. The longtime Bears RB gained 76 yards on 12 carries in the Week 11 matchup, the first time the Lions RB played his old team. I expect more of the same in the windier but mostly dry conditions of Soldier Field. The Lions know they need to help out the injury-plagued offensive line by running the ball, and they should find success against the Bears run defense which is trending in the wrong direction: since (and including) that Week 11 Lions win, Detroit’s run defense is better in yards per carry (3.9 to 4.2). Teams don’t run at Chicago and that’s why their overall stats look great. Detroit did it very well last time (22 carries for 115 yards) and will do it again.
Jared Goff has game film and experience against the revamped Bears defense. Last time out, they dropped their LBs deeper and changed their coverage from their typical scheme. It worked, with Goff throwing three INTs and nearly throwing two others. Goff is smart enough to understand the adaptation, and I see Lions OC Ben Johnson changing up the attack to exploit the deeper LB drops. Can you say “Jamo bubble screen?”
Jack Campbell found his footing at LB last week. He’s the exact piece that can help contain Justin Fields.
I really liked how sharp the Lions special teams performed against the Saints. They needed a reset from a shaky (for them) few weeks and they got it. I expect that to carry over and prevent hidden yards on both sides of the equation from Chicago.

What worries me about the Bears

The Bears pass defense has definitely stepped up lately, with the third-best YPA allowed over the last month, a timeframe that includes the first meeting in Detroit. They’re getting more consistent pressure and doing it by blitzing less. Their acquisition of Montez Sweat fundamentally transformed their defense. With Penei Sewell having a couple of rough (for him) games and the interior OL shuffling, the Lions pass protection is unexpectedly vulnerable. Jared Goff doesn’t always handle that well, and the 10-20 MPH wind won’t help Detroit’s QB here.
Justin Fields is playing for his future, be it in Chicago or elsewhere. And he knows it. Their coaching staff is also playing for their collective future, and they know it, too. The Bears — and Fields — are not without talent and ability. They’re dangerously backed into a corner here.
The Bears don’t need to “tank”; they’ll get the No. 1 overall pick from their trade with Carolina clinched as soon as next week. Being a spoiler and growing more confident and together as a young unit by getting some wins is the plan. We witnessed the power of that mindset in Detroit with the Lions a year ago.

Final score prediction

In the end, I think the quarterback who makes fewer mistakes will lead his team to a low-scoring victory. Gimmie Jared Goff and a much broader, diversely skilled set of weapons. Lions 20, Bears 16.

Lions elevate practice squad OL Michael Niese for Week 14

Niese is the only heathy player besides Graham Glasgow on the Lions roster, active or practice squad, who has even played one down of center

In need of someone who has played center for even one snap in their football life, the Detroit Lions elevated Michael Niese from the practice squad to the active roster for the Week 14 game against the Chicago Bears.

Niese is primarily a guard, but he did play some center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2023 preseason finale. That makes him the only player with any center experience to back up Graham Glasgow, who is filling in for an injured Frank Ragnow.

The other reserve offensive linemen on the 53-man roster, Kayode Awosika and Dan Skipper, are primarily tackles who can also play guard.

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