Bears vs. Lions, Week 2: Final score prediction

Here's who comes out on top in the Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions Week 2 game.

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The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions are facing the same unenviable fate as their Week 2 matchup approaches. The loser of this game will fall to 0-2, both overall and in the division, making their quest for a postseason berth that much more challenging.

Put another way, the odds an 0-2 team make the playoffs are around 11%.

Not great.

It's why this early season contest feels like a much bigger game than just Week 2. It feels like the Lions' Super Bowl aspirations and the Bears' return to playoff relevance are hanging in the balance.

And it's that level of pressure that makes it difficult to pick the Chicago Bears to win the game.

Caleb Williams is still learning Ben Johnson's offense, and Johnson is still learning how to maximize Williams' traits in his scheme. It will take a few weeks before all of the wrinkles are ironed out, and right now, there are a lot of wrinkles.

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Enter the Lions, who are also in the first year with new offensive and defensive playcallers, but their core lineup is relatively the same. That kind of continuity should help them overcome a team like the Bears, who are fielding an offensive line that's only played four regular-season quarters as a unit.

There's no doubt Detroit will do whatever it takes to get David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs going against the Bears. The duo combined for just 44 rushing yards against the Packers in Week 1, and with a passing game that may take some time to get used to John Morton's play-calling style, Montgomery and Gibbs will be key.

And with how Jordan Mason was able to gash the Bears' run defense in the second half of Week 1's loss, it's hard to feel good about Chicago's front seven being able to slow down the best running back duo in the NFL.

As can be said for many games, the winner of Week 2's matchup between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions will come down to which quarterback makes more timely plays, and which team makes fewer mistakes. It's ultimately why I'm giving the Lions the edge.

Until Williams and the Bears begin taking form as a well-executing offense and as a team that plays a clean brand of football, you can't expect them to unseat the 2024 NFC North champion, even if the Lions looked like a mess in Week 1.

Final score prediction: Chicago Bears 20 Detroit Lions 27

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