LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — The Bears (4-7) will square against the NFC-leading Lions (10-1) on Thursday at Ford Field in Detroit. Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CT.
Here are three storylines to follow in the game.
Caleb in the spotlight
Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams craves structure in his life, so a short week of work challenges that.
“This is interesting for me,” Williams said Tuesday. “This being my first Thursday game and it being such a large game, divisional game versus one of the best, if not the best team, so far this season.
“There’s a lot of newness this week.”
Thanksgiving will certainly bring Williams a bigger test. He'll be thrust into the national spotlight while facing arguably the best team in the NFL as the Bears ride a five-game losing streak.
What matters most now in the Bears' lost season is the development of Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft in April. He threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears’ 30-27 overtime loss to the Vikings on Sunday at Soldier Field. While the result was again disappointing, Williams’ performance shined bright.
Williams has thrown for 2,356 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games this season.
“That’s a rookie quarterback who in my opinion hasn’t even scratched the surface of how good he can be,” said new Bears offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, who has helped unlock Williams in his first two games as Chicago's play-caller.
Backing the NFL’s top-ranked scoring offense, the Lions have the league’s second-ranked scoring defense. Six of Detroit’s 10 wins this season are by a double-digit margin.
Sonic & Knuckles
When you've combined for 22 touchdowns in 11 games, you earn a nickname. That’s the case for Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs, who goes by the moniker of "Sonic," and David Montgomery, known in Detroit as "Knuckles."
Gibbs and Montgomery have each scored 11 touchdowns this season, leading the way for a vaunted Lions offense that leads the NFL in averaging 32.7 points per game. Gibbs has 886 rushing yards and 265 receiving yards, while Montgomery has 632 rushing yards and 241 receiving yards.
The Lions have the most dynamic running back tandem in the league with those two, but Detroit's attack extends beyond its rushing threat. Quarterback Jared Goff is in the MVP discussion as he has thrown for 2,761 yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His 109.9 passer rating ranks second in the NFL.
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is the mastermind who has put it all together.
“There will be some wrinkles that will be thrown at us, and we know that,” Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “There’ll be some things that he will feature specifically against our defensive construct, and we have to be ready. We have to utilize our rules and just be ready to go.
“With this particular coordinator, we have to be ready for some things that could be described as outliers.”
Change looming?
The Bears have never fired a head coach during the middle of a season.
But the Bears had also never fired a coordinator during the middle of a season before dismissing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Nov. 12. Was that an indication that the franchise is acting differently now?
If the Bears lose in ugly fashion Thursday, could head coach Matt Eberflus be fired Friday back at Halas Hall? That's a question on the minds of many.
A potential in-season firing of a head coach by the Bears seems more feasible than in years past given that Waldron was fired after just nine games on the job. The Bears could easily justify firing Eberflus both because of his poor record and the need to foster Williams' development. Beyond that, by playing Thursday, the Bears would have more time to get organized for the final five games after such a big move.
A sixth straight loss for Chicago will make it nearly impossible to reach the postseason this season. By Friday morning, the Bears will be looking toward the future in some form, regardless of whether Eberflus is in charge.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.