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NFL Monday Night Football preview: Lions vs. Bears

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As a classy and well spoken Hank Williams Jr. never said:

“Are you adequately prepared for some football?”

hank williams jr 2011 10 10 NFL Monday Night Football preview: Lions vs. Bears

It’s the final game of week 7 in the 2012 NFL season, and the schedule makers have seen fit to give fans a pretty awesome matchup. Two NFC North teams square off with the division title looking like a toss-up almost halfway through the season. With the Packers and Vikings looking stronger every week, these two teams will battle it out tonight to stay relevant in a hard-hitting and hard weather division.

One team has struggled to meet their lofty expectations the last few seasons, and although they have put together a solid young core of football players, have had to show an increased maturity due to having to stage big comebacks.

The other team is led by someone who 4th & Blog despises, and wishes it could punch in the face.

It’s Lions. It’s Bears.

The Detroit Tigers will not be making this a three-way-dance, OH MY!

IT’S MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL !!!

KEY STORYLINES:

detroitlions NFL Monday Night Football preview: Lions vs. Bears

For the Lions…

- Matthew Stafford has overcome the label of being “injury-prone” this season… so far. The former No.1 draft pick has helped the Lions to several comeback wins and has posted serious stats in doing so. The Lions are currently the No.2 ranked team in passing, so Stafford is definitely crucial if the Lions have any hope of winning this football game.

- Controversial Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh has seen his stock in Detroit plummet recently. Not only does he face constant criticism league-wide for his dirty tactics (Example: THIS), but his recent performances have left Detroit fans wondering if he is just another poor draft choice for a team that has a history of doing that (aside from Calvin Johnson & Matthew Stafford that is).

- Mikel LeShoure has been uneven since returning from a two-game suspension early in the season. He exploded onto the scene in his first game, but since then has seen his numbers dwindle. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the Lions have needed to abandon the running game in order to stage comebacks, so if LeShoure and the Lions want to look good tonight, they have to avoid putting themselves in a giant hole. RB Jahvid Best seemed hopeful that he would return following a concussion, but the Lions have ruled him out for the remainder of the 2012 season (and possibly forever). LeShoure is now “the man” in Detroit, and there is no better time to show it than against the No.1 ranked rushing defence in football, the Chicago Bears.

- Things have looked a lot brighter for the Lions ever since their famed 0-16 season a few years ago. Some attribute it to some solid draft picks, I choose to believe the turnaround was due to them making a huge deal out of adding some “ferocity lines” to their tame logo.

lionscrappylogo NFL Monday Night Football preview: Lions vs. Bears

Key Injuries – None

Fantasy Impact Players – Matthew Stafford (QB), Mikel LeShoure (RB), Calvin Johnson (WR), Brandon Pettigrew (WR), Jason Hanson (K)

bearslogo NFL Monday Night Football preview: Lions vs. Bears

For Da Bears…

- I’ve made no attempt to hide my hatred for Bears QB Jay Cutler and his stupid face. That hate burns with the fire of a thousand suns, but I’m not afraid to admit when the guy plays decent football. Ever since he was sacked a hilarious amount of times by the Packers in week 2, Cutler has played solid games so I will give him credit for that. Tonight, he plays a Lions defence that ranks 16th in the NFL against the pass. While 4th & Blog will NEVER back down from its stance on Jay Cutler (which is officially “He sucks. Throw rocks at him”), his matchup tonight looks favourable.

- With Alshon Jeffery and Johnny Knox both out with injuries, the Bears seem a bit thin at WR. Brandon Marshall will continue to build on his existing chemistry with Cutler, but the real workhorse tonight will be RB Matt Forte. The pro bowl running back has been a reliable option for the Bears this season, and should provide the necessary space for Cutler to find Marshall on some deep routes.

- The Bears possess the No.1 ranked defense in the NFL against the run, so it’s safe to say they will be making life extremely difficult for a Lions team that has yet to establish themselves as a decent ground threat this season. The ageless wonder-thumb Brian Urlacher leads a Bears unit that has become one of the best in football, although an argument can be made for division rival Minnesota. Regardless, if the Bears get a lead, the Lions will have a hard time overcoming them to stage another comeback.

- Let me ask you, if John Goodman and Chris Farley back the Chicago Bears, why don’t you? Do you think you are better than them? Spoiler alert: You aren’t. None of us are.

Key Injuries – Alshon Jeffrey (WR), Johnny Knox (WR)

Fantasy Impact Players – Jay Cutler (QB), Matt Forte (RB), Brandon Marshall (WR), Devin Hester (WR/RB) Robbie Gould (K)

Bottom Line: Detroit has struggled to find an identity so far this season, and the one they have seemingly fallen into (“comeback kids”) won’t do them any favors against this Chicago Bears defence. In the end, it all comes down to Jay Cutler and the Bears offensive line. If they can protect him (and open up enough holes for Matt Forte to keep the Lions defence honest), Chicago is an incredibly difficult team to beat. The new addition of Brandon Marshall has worked wonders in Chi-town, and even though they are feeling the loss of WRs Alshon Jeffery and Johnny Knox, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them put some substantial points on the board against a disappointing (but still top 10) Lions defence. The Bears could see an emergence of a hidden gem tonight, with the Lions focusing most of their attention on covering Marshall. The Lions rank 20th in the league in sacks this season, and history has shown that is how you beat the Bears, by getting to Jay Cutler and making him throw more tantrums than passes.

Having said that, I still think Chicago should win this game. However as last week proved, no lead is safe and the Lions have stormed back from some ugly deficits in 2012.

Defensive difference maker: Ndamukong Suh (Lions NT)

suhreferee NFL Monday Night Football preview: Lions vs. Bears

Offensive impact player: Matt Forte (Bears RB)

forte7 NFL Monday Night Football preview: Lions vs. Bears

Enjoy the game tonight, folks. Kickoff is 5:20 pst on ESPN (or TSN in Canada)

I hope you are adequately prepared for some football.

You can follow j.Bow on twitter (@jBowmancouver). He would once again like to remind you that 4th & Blog is in no way legally liable for any rocks that get thrown at Jay Cutler.



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