| The Bears need Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler to look good on the field Monday night against Detroit. (US Presswire) |
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago (grass, outdoors)
When: Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Spread: Bears by 6.5
Forecast: Cloudy, high 50s
Records: Bears (4-1, 0-1 in NFC North); Lions (2-3, 0-1 in NFC North)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Nov. 13, 2011: Bears 37, Lions 13; Oct. 10, 2011: Lions 24, Bears 13. Series record: Bears hold 94-65-5 lead. Bears have won 7 of the last 8.
What matters: The Bears come off a bye week with a three-game winning streak seeking their first divisional victory. Chicago also wants to maintain the solid play on both sides of the ball it established against Jacksonville in a 41-3 victory Oct. 7. The defense has been on a roll, recording five interception return TDs in three games -- achieved only once before in the NFL -- and an NFL-best 13 interceptions have made it easy for an offense that is still trying to put together an offensive line, and install a new passing attack. The game pits teams with two of the league's best defenses -- the Bears are third and Detroit ninth. The Bears have been in five blowouts. The Lions have had all five games decided by a TD and conversion or less, including two in overtime.
Who matters: Jay Cutler always seems to be at his best against Detroit. He has a career passer rating of 105.0 in seven games against the Lions, with 10 TD passes and only one interception (7 games). Cutler is 24-0 when he has a passer rating of 100 or better in his career. ... RB Matt Forte is coming off his first 100-yard game of the year and goes against a team he has scored seven TDs against. ... WR Brandon Marshall is averaging 99.2 yards per game receiving and is trying to achieve three consecutive 100-yard receiving games in a season for the first time in his career. ... CB Charles Tillman (7) and LB Lance Briggs (5) now rank 1-2 in team history in interception returns for TDs after making one apiece in each of the last two games -- the first time in NFL history two players on the same defense have done this. ... PK Robbie Gould becomes the second most accurate field goal kicker in league history if he hits two straight.
Key matchups: Bears RT Gabe Carimi on Lions DE Cliff Avril. Carimi has to keep up with the faster, smaller (6-3, 260) pass rusher who has 3 1/2 sacks on the season. Carimi is more of a mauler at right tackle, and can be exposed by smaller, faster types like Avril. The Lions employ the "wide nine" formation with their ends and keep them well to the outside, which could make it more difficult Carimi to get his hands and body on Avril, whom he has never faced. ... Bears WR Brandon Marshall against Lions CB Chris Houston. The Bears would love to get their 6-4 3/4, 229-pounder matched up in back-shoulder situations or slants against a 178-pound corner who doesn't stand 6 feet. Houston has been effective at times in his career, particularly in Atlanta early on, but the corner spot isn't a Lions strength. Marshall gets moved around and if he goes to the other side, he might like it even better because rookie Bill Bentley is 5-10, 176. ... CB Charles Tillman on Lions WR Calvin Johnson. The 6-5 Megatron has had less success against Tillman over the years than other corners. Tillman is 6-2 and is backed by a 6-2 S in Chris Conte. Tillman likes to be physical with Johnson. Johnson seems to get better as games wear on so a good first half doesn't necessarily mean the battle is over. ... DE Julius Peppers on Lions T Jeff Backus. The Lions and 35-year-old Backus have been very easy pickings for Peppers over the years. He has 10 sacks against them. Peppers also is coming off two weeks of resting a nagging case of plantar fasciitis, so he's healthier than any time since the opener. The Bears have moved him around a lot, but he'll likely stay at right defensive end most of the time in this game.
Injuries of note: WR Alshon Jeffery will miss the game with a hand fracture. The Bears expect to have veteran WR Earl Bennett back from a hand injury after two missed games. Bennett has achieved career bests in receiving yards (104) and catches (7) came against Detroit.
Inside stuff: There is bad blood here after Detroit's Ndamukong Suh ripped off Cutler's helmet last year and Bears DB D.J. Moore got into a post-INT skirmish with Lions QB Matthew Stafford. The rough play started two years ago in a game in Detroit and although Bears players have downplayed it all week, the slightest thing could set it off.
Connections: Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli was Lions head coach from 2006-2008. Bears backup OT Jonathan Scott was a fifth round Lions draft choice in 2006 and played in 20 games for them. ... Bears special teams assistant Kevin O'Dea was Lions special teams assistant in 2002-03.
Stat you should know: The Bears are 8-2 on Monday Night Football under coach Lovie Smith, including 3-0 at Soldier Field. The Bears have won five of their last six after their bye week.
Record watch: With Devin Hester still needing one TD return to tie Deion Sanders for the most combined TD returns (INT-fumble-kick-punt) in NFL history (19), the Lions could be his best shot. His last TD return came against them last season in the November game, and Detroit's special teams coverage is overall the worst in the league -- they gave up two TD returns on kicks and two on punts.
Looking ahead: The Bears on Sunday have an emotional NFC battle against Carolina, which is coached by their former defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. Lovie Smith fired Rivera right after the Bears went to the Super Bowl.
Prediction: Bears 19, Lions 16
Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.