Football is back in Detroit. Not just good football but consistent, relevant and at times dominant football. For years, the Lions played the game 10 on 11, always falling short of fielding a complete team. Not since the late 90's when David Sloan was catching passes from Charlie Batch have the Lions had a threat at the Tight End position. The Lions knew this and that's why in 2009 they used the second of two first round picks on Brandon Pettigrew. Together with Tony Sheffler, the Lions have more depth at this position than perhaps they've ever had. These are only 2 of the many Detroit Lions that the Chicago Bears have to worry about tonight.
There is this misconception that the Bears are old and have had the same team since 2006. Sure, Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs are mainstays on the defense while Devin Hester is still one of the most dangerous men in the NFL. But there is a lot more to this team. There are some additions to that 2006 NFC champion squad that have paid big dividends early this season. Running back Matt Forte is doing things in Chicago that haven't been done since Walter Payton was in the back field. Coming off a historic 205 yards performance against the Carolina Panthers, Forte is running with a purpose. He can run inside and out and is deceptively fast. Matt Forte is a complete back that can take over a game if you're not ready for him.
Quarterback Jay Cutler can hurt the Lions, but only if they let him. He likes to take a deep, 7 step drop that's tailor-made for a defensive ends' appetite. Detroit must take advantage of this, not just by flushing him out of the pocket but by actually putting him on the ground. Cutler throws well on the run and is more than capable of making plays outside of the pocket. He may be erratic and a bit of a gunslinger, but he is not too prideful to dump the ball to Forte when he has to and Forte is more than happy to catch them.
The Bears are solid and were only a few plays away from a Super Bowl last season. They can rush the passer with the best defenses in the game. The importance of protection goes without saying every week but when Julius Peppers is on the field, it cant be emphasized enough. As a whole, their defense flies to the ball and can turn a bad play by an offense into a game changing one for themselves. Teams always think that Devin Hester won't hurt them until he actually does. By then, it's usually too late. Chicago may start the game or second half with short, quick strikes to neutralize the Detroit front 4 the way Dallas did last week. And just like Dallas, it will be only a matter of time before they revert back.
You can't talk about Jay Cutler without mentioning Matthew Stafford. Similar in style, Stafford has excelled this season in large part because of the stability of having the same head coach and coordinator for 3 seasons. Despite missing so much time, Stafford has become a disciplined player unlike Cutler who tends to shy away from his mechanics and will often get himself in trouble for it. Nonetheless, both still have cannons for arms and are naturals at their position.
People have made too much of the fact that the Lions have gotten behind early in games. That's what happens when you play on the road. The crowd is into it, you've traveled a long way to get there and you're in someone else's house. What's important is that they withstood all of that and now they will be the beneficiaries of home field advantage. Despite what people are saying about Tony Romo, the Lions earned that comeback victory last week as well as the one at Minnesota the week prior.
The emotions of a nationally televised game, on Monday night and in this city will be tremendous. The effect of which we may not fully understood until the end of the season. Their was a reason that Monday Night Football didn't come to Detroit for over 10 years. Their is also a reason they are here now. After tonight, we will all know why.
Prediction: Lions 31 Bears 21
Players to watch: Cliff Avril, Titus Young
No comments:
Post a Comment