Bears vs. Lions Preview, Score and More

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Lions, NFC North

The best team in the NFC North is playing the worst team in the NFC North on Sunday as the Bears visit the Lions, and that sounds like a recipe for a blowout.

But the first time these two teams met, Week 1 in Chicago, it was anything but a blowout: The game went down to the final minute, and the Lions briefly appeared to have won the game with a touchdown catch by Calvin Johnson, until a controversial replay ruling overturned the catch and the Bears escaped with a win.

The rematch, however, will be very different for one big reason: The Lions may not have anyone to get Johnson the ball. With both starting quarterback Matthew Stafford and backup quarterback Shaun Hill hurt, Detroit is down to third-stringer Drew Stanton. Against the Bears' defense, Stanton could be a disaster.

Who: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions

Where: Ford Field, Detroit

When: Sunday, December 5, 1 p.m. ET

TV Coverage: FOX

Players to Watch: Jay Cutler is coming off a tremendous outing on Sunday against the Eagles, and he was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Cutler and the Bears' offensive line have struggled against good pass rushing defenses this season, however, and the Lions are good at getting to the opposing quarterback. So we'll see whether Cutler can have as big a game against Detroit as he did against Philadelphia.

Along those lines, keep an eye on Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh against the interior of the Bears' offensive line. Suh is the leading candidate for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and if he can consistently get pressure on Cutler up the middle, that could have a huge impact on the game.

The Stanton-to-Johnson combination is the big thing to watch for the Lions, and the betting here is that Stanton simply won't be capable of delivering the ball to Johnson. Stanton is a third-stringer for a reason, and we'll see that reason on Sunday as the Lions struggle to move the ball all day.

 

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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/12/02/bears-vs-lions-preview-score-and-more/

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