Game day is fast approaching, and the Chicago Bears (3It’ll take everyone to take down a Detroit team that ranks among the NFL’s best this year-7) are preparing to take on the Detroit Lions (7-2) Sunday at Ford Field in an attempt to get their first divisional win of the season.
, but the NFL has the iconic slogan of “any given Sunday” for a reason, right? If Chicago is going to pull off the upset, they’re going to need some strong showings on offense and defense, which should include some important matchups that could help decide the game.
Let’s discuss those four key matchups as the Bears battle the Lions in Week
Fields will return to the starting lineup after missing significant time with a thumb injury, and comfort level with throwing the football will be tested in full when he goes up against the Lions defense on Sunday. The key for Fields finding success in Week 11 is for him not to beat himself by missing throws and tossing interceptions. Detroit has a young, inexperienced secondary that doesn’t have a definitive playmaker, so there’s no defensive back in particular Fields should shy away from.
Fields will need to content himself with concepts he feels comfortable working with in his first game back, which will likely be vertical and curl routes. The Bears’ star passer hit his groove in previous games by teeing up the deep ball or allowing his receivers to come back to a timing route on a curl, so that should be the crux of the Bears’ passing game. If Fields keeps the chains moving, hits his receiver on the occasional fly route and plays mistake-free football, the team will be that much closer to nabbing a divisional win.
