3 Keys to Victory for Lions against Bears
On Sunday, the Detroit Lions (2-6) will take on the Chicago Bears (3-6) at Soldier Field, and attempt to capture their first road win of the season.
If the Lions win the Week 10 NFC North divisional contest, it'll mark the first road victory of the Dan Campbell era.
Without further ado, here are three things Campbell's squad must do in order to prevail victorious.
Limit the production of Justin Fields as a runner
The numbers don't lie: Fields is a huge threat to defenses with his legs.
To start off, the Ohio State product has accounted for the second-most rushing yards (602), among all NFL passers. He's also produced at least 60 rushing yards in each of his last four games, and has scored a rushing touchdown in three of those games.
Additionally, the dual-threat passer is coming off a week in which he set the NFL single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback. He did so by amassing 178 yards on the ground against the Miami Dolphins. In the aforementioned Week 9 contest, the second-year QB also threw for a career-high three touchdowns.
"Quarterback-driven runs, guard-tackle pulls, read the end, hand it off, these backs are running hard, they’re downhill,” Campbell said this week, in regard to what the Bears have done successfully this season from an offensive standpoint. “And then, there’s enough of the keepers off of it. There’s enough misdirection to the receivers. And then, certainly his (Fields) ability on third down, that’s where they really got Miami was, man, there’s a number of third-and-8, third-and-10 -- there’s an opening in there, and he takes it and he’s gone."
Expect Fields to be a handful for a Detroit defense that has allowed the opposition to accumulate 1,190 rushing yards in 2022, the second-worst mark in the league.
The Lions aren't going to be able to completely stop what Fields does with his legs. He's too good with the ball in his hands for that to happen.
However, if Detroit plans on securing the Week 10 road win, it must at the very least limit Fields' production as a runner.
Get Amon-Ra St. Brown involved early and often
With DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds both out and T.J. Hockenson now a member of the Minnesota Vikings, expect St. Brown to receive the bulk of the targets from Jared Goff Sunday.
Strategically speaking, it'd be wise for Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to get the slot receiver involved early and often, too.
If the Bears stick to their 4-3 base defense, expect St. Brown to be matched up with a linebacker throughout the majority of Sunday's contest. And, if he is, there's a strong likelihood that he exploits the matchup.
Just a week ago, the USC product, while matched up against linebackers, caught four balls for 55 yards (on five targets).
Now, if the Bears do change up their scheme and go to a nickel defense, St. Brown should once again draw a favorable matchup. Cornerback Kyler Gordon, a second-round pick of Chicago in the 2022 NFL Draft, would likely receive the assignment of trying to stop the second-year receiver.
In the Bears' Week 9 matchup with the Dolphins, Gordon didn't miss a snap, and allowed Miami receivers to catch four passes against him, on six targets, for 55 yards. As a result of his subpar efforts, he earned a lowly Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 35.7.
Any way you slice it, St. Brown has a chance at having a big day against Chicago. So, it would be advantageous for Detroit to get him involved early and often.
© Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Run the football up the "gut" with Jamaal Williams
Johnson should make it a priority to get Williams an ample amount of touches Sunday.
The sixth-year pro has emerged recently as Detroit's No. 1 back, due to D'Andre Swift's health issues, and notably specializes in running up the middle. That's a good thing for the Lions, as the Bears have struggled all season to stop ball-carriers moving north-south.
Overall, Chicago has allowed opponents to rush for 1,325 yards and 15 touchdowns, the third-worst and worst totals in the league, respectively.
It should allow Williams, who has already amassed a career-best eight rushing touchdowns, to flourish during the Week 10 divisional contest.
And, if Williams is able to have a solid day on the ground, it certainly enhances the Lions' chances of capturing the road victory.
