(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The Chicago Bears (1-2) face the Detroit Lions (0-3) at Solider Field at noon Sunday. WBBM Newsradio pregame coverage begins at 9 a.m.
OFFENSE
--There is no decision yet by Head Coach Matt Nagy on a starting quarterback against the Lions. It will be a game-time decision. No matter who quarterbacks the Bears, the offense needs a bounce-back game. To officially rinse the bad taste of an implosion in Cleveland, the Bears need to move the ball, get first downs and score touchdowns against the Lions.
--Finding an offensive rhythm is essential. Do it with a revved up run game, smart play, quick releases, timing, and taking advantage of mismatches and field position.
--All of that is possible with proper protection and clearing holes by the guys up front, but they will have to ball up their fists and fight for it, because that’s what the Lions will do.
--First-year head coach Dan Campbell may be 0-and-3, but his team has played hard in losses to three playoff contenders in San Francisco, Green Bay, and Baltimore.
--The Lions defense is coordinated by Saints disciple Aaron Glenn, with influence from Senior Defensive Assistant Dom Capers. They are both aggressive by nature in their pressures, and Capers has a creative zone-blitz background.
--However, the Lions secondary is a work in progress, allowing 10.25 yards-per-pass attempt, worst in the league, and a league-worst 15.4 yards per catch. If the Bears can get the protection right, and the quarterback to get the ball out and on time, the passing offense could come to life.
--After working on a silent count in the thunderous noise in Cleveland, the Bears quarterbacks control the snap count at Soldier Field, reducing their predictability at the line of scrimmage.
--Key defenders requiring the Bears attention will be Romeo Okwara, his younger brother Julian and linebacker Charles Harris. Together they have combined for 23 quarterback hurries and three sacks.
DEFENSE
Khalil Mack did not practice much this week due to a foot injury suffered in Cleveland, but he finished the game and while officially questionable he rarely misses games. His desire to be on the field is respected and valued by teammates. He is making a difference with 10 ½ combined QB knockdowns and hurries, sharing the team lead with Akiem Hicks.
Hicks is playing ferocious football, and he will be wired for a division opponent. He has 12.5 career sacks against NFC North opponents in 29 games played, while Mack has 11.5 sacks in 21 games against the division. They will face a very good offensive line led by Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow.
For the first time in 22 games, including the playoffs, Eddie Goldman returns to the defense at nose tackle. He will be fresh, and maybe a little rusty, but his presence up front will create opportunities up and down the line of scrimmage and for the linebackers.
The Bears know that pressure on Lions quarterback Jared Goff speeds up his process and propensity to check the ball down. His running backs are outstanding receivers, and Detroit is third in the league in yards-after-the-catch largely due to the running backs.
D’Andre Swift has 197 yards after the catch, while former Packers RB Jamaal Williams has another 97. Offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn is a former running backs coach, who is adept at using the backs to set up the passing game by squeezing a lot of production out of the ground game.
Excellent tackling will be required by the defense, and defending big tight end T. J. Hockenson is also a necessity. The former Iowa star caught 16 of 20 targets for 163 yards, 2TD’s and 11 first downs in the first two games, and Goff trusts him. He is a handful for safeties and linebackers.
The Lions move the football and have piled up 72 first downs, the second most through three games in franchise history.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Bears are in very good hands right now with the foot of Cairo Santos and the leg of punter Patrick O’Donnell. Since signing with the Bears, Santos has made 75 out of 78 kicks, including 32 straight field, including the playoffs.
O’Donnell ranks third in the league in gross average (50.17), after a series of booming 60+ yard punts in Cleveland. His big leg allows the Bears to flip field position, but the coverage units need to improve because the Bears have permitted the most punt return yards in the league (118).
Through three weeks of the season, Bears rookie Khalil Herbert leads the NFL in total kick return yards with 201 for an average of 25.1, and he feels he is close to breaking a big one wide open.
The Lions punt coverage ranks 28th in the league; their kick coverage is ranked 22nd.
INTANGIBLES
Playing smart but angry and with a chip on their shoulder is exactly the way we would like to see the Bears play in week four against the Lions. They have to earn the support of the home crowd back after struggling so much in Cleveland, so a blue-collar effort combined with smart decisions, no mental errors, and players making plays when the play is there to be made in all three phases is this week’s winning recipe.
Jeff Joniak is the play-by-play announcer for the Bears broadcasts on WBBM Newsradio 780. Follow him on Twitter here: @JeffJoniak.
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