Lions running back David Montgomery feels badly for his former teammates in Chicago. Bears quarterback Justin Fields is citing the Lions as reasons for hope. How the tables have turned in the NFC North.
Coming off the worst season in franchise history, the Bears look even worse. They've been outscored by an average of about 20 points through their 0-3 start. Their negative-59 point differential is the NFL's worst. They've scored the second fewest points in the NFC and allowed the most. You get the point.
Montgomery, who spent his first four seasons with the Bears before signing with the Lions this offseason, said he feels for his old team "just because I know those guys."
"I know Justin, I know Darnell (Mooney), I know all those guys. They’re great humans and great players, at that. My heart goes out to them guys and I hope that they’re able to get that thing changed around, and they will, just knowing the kind of guys that they are," Montgomery said this week. "But it’s football, at the end of the day."
That is, winners don't cry for losers. Indeed, no one was crying for the Lions when they were run into the ground by Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn, or when they won three games in their first season under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes, or when they started 1-6 in their second. Now they're gunning for the NFC North -- where, at this time a year ago, they were stuck in last place for the fifth straight season.
Talk about teams on different trajectories. Through seven games last season, the Bears were 3-4. They're 0-13 since. The Lions, over the same stretch, are 10-3. So there was Fields after the Bears' 41-10 loss to the Chiefs last week, preaching optimism by pointing toward the team that hasn't won the North since it was known as the Central. Welcome to The Upside Down.
"All we need is one to get this thing going," he said. "The Lions started 1-6 last year and they almost made the playoffs."
It's true, the Lions' 8-2 surge to close last season nearly crested in one of the most improbable playoff berths in NFL history. After an offseason of upgrades included another strong draft, they look like one of the five best teams in the NFC. The Lions also spent a good chunk of money in free agency, but only to supplement a growing core.
They didn't spend nearly as much as the Bears, who splurged on linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards and defensive end DeMarcus Walker after allowing the most points in the NFL and aren't any stingier because of it. They also imported guard Nate Davis and receiver D.J. Moore (via trade) and their offense is still running in place. It feels like the Bears turned to the open market too soon, before the rest of their roster was ready to win. Three of the six highest-spending teams in free agency this offseason (Denver, Chicago, Carolina) are 0-3.
You can't buy cohesion in the NFL. That's what the Lions were crafting the past two seasons. They cut checks to fill the cracks, and prevented others from forming by paying their own. Linebacker Alex Anzalone was worth $18 million to the Lions because, like him or not, he plays a pivotal role in their defense. The Bears decided Edmunds and Edwards were worth about $90 million without knowing how they'd fit with the pieces in place. It's a sizable risk.
The Lions have drafted a core and paid to enhance it. It's not as simple as saying Ryan Poles and the Bears have done the reverse, but they sure look stuck. It's hard to knock teams for spending money. But the Bears may have reached into their pockets with their pants around their ankles. Montgomery said this week it's "refreshing" to be in Detroit, where the Lions have a deep roster and visions of a deep run.
"It's new," said Montgomery, after losing got old in Chicago.
"We didn’t have a lot of success over there, but coming to a team like this that expects success, and it happens, it’s definitely super dope to be a part of it," he said. "And I’m just excited to see what’s going to happen next."