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Game 14: Bears @ Lions *Saturday* Thread

grandy said:
Disappointed that they couldn't get to Trubisky with the Bears playing musical guards due to injuries
Click to expand...

On the bright side, while they didn't 'get to him', they certainly forced him into some shitty throws.
 
http://www.detroitlions.com/media-center/video/recent-videos.html
Webvideo Highlights of the Lions Win over the bears.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=400951768
Boxscore.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-refocused-detroit-lions-20-chicago-bears-10
Refocused: Detroit Lions 20, Chicago Bears 10.
PFF

http://www.espn.com/blog/detroit-li...-potential-but-can-you-really-trust-this-team
Lions showed potential in win over Bears, but are they trustworthy?
espn

In the last 3 games Stafford has completed 85 of 106 passes for 910 yards ... remember when he couldn’t consistently average over 61%?

They ran the ball effectively. They stopped it with authority. They took an early lead, and then stepped on the throat late.

Don't adjust your television sets. Yes, we're talking about the Detroit Lions. And they've prolonged their playoff hopes by dispatching Chicago 20-10 on Saturday afternoon in front of a national television audience.

At 8-6, the scoreboard watching begins, with a careful eye on what Carolina (9-4) does against Green Bay, Seattle (8-5) does against the Rams, and Atlanta (8-5) does against Tampa. They trail all those teams in the wild card, and would lose head-to-head tiebreakers against both the Panthers and Falcons.

It's a long shot. But they've got a shot thanks to a second straight win, this one delivered courtesy of some smash-mouth defense.

After allowing 222 rushing yards in the clubs' first meeting a month ago, Detroit set an early tone by allowing just 1 rushing yard in the first quarter, and 19 in the first half. That was surprising enough, for a club that's been among the worst in the league at stopping the run since the loss of Haloti Ngata. Compounding the surprise: They ran it pretty well too.

With Ameer Abdullah spending most of the game on the bench, Theo Riddick solidified his place atop the rotation with 49 yards on eight carries.
Detroit rushed 20 times for 91 yards overall, one of their most effective outputs of the season despite a patchwork offensive line in front of them.
Rookie runner Tion Green also had 35 rushing yards on 10 touches. Former starter Ameer Abdullah toted the rock only once for eight yards.

Detroit’s wide receiver corps came up big for the Motor City on Sunday. The combination of Marvin Jones, Golden Tate and Kenny Golladay racked up 10 catches for 147 yards. But it was slot receiver T.J. Jones that recorded a touchdown.

Tight end Eric Ebron led the team with five receptions for 33 yards and a score, building on the career day he had last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (10 recs, 94 yds)

The Lions successes on the ground, both offensively and defensively, were antithetical to the clubs' first meeting, and helped ensure no Matt Prater heroics would be required this time. They took a 13-0 lead on a 3-yard touchdown pass to TJ Jones, stretched it to 20-3 on a 8-yard pass to Eric Ebron and did not allow a touchdown until 2:39 was left, the game in hand.

Facing a must-win scenario to remain in the playoff chase, they led from start to finish and were never truly threatened in the second half. Now they prepare for a road trip to Cincinnati on Christmas Eve, before returning home for the season finale against Green Bay.

Here are some observations from the game:

-- Jim Caldwell insists Ameer Abdullah wasn't benched, which is looking more absurd by the week. Abdullah himself says he was good to go last week, which makes it was a healthy scratch. And in Abdullah's return to the field against Chicago, he didn't play his first snap until Theo Riddick had already played 13. Matter of fact, rookie Tion Green played ahead of him. And you know what? It worked. With Abdullah on the bench for 36 of Detroit's first 40 plays, their running game ripped off 5.9 yards per carry. They finished at 4.6 for the game, with Riddick leading the way with 49 yards on eight carries. Green added 10 carries for 35 yards, while Abdullah finished with just one carry for 8 yards (plus three catches for 13 yards). And Jim Caldwell shouldn't obfuscate so much about the demotion, because it sure looked like the right move here.

-- Detroit did lose Riddick to a wrist injury in the fourth quarter, which is a concern. Riddick underwent double wrist surgery in the offseason.

-- Those guys were operating behind a patchwork offensive line, which took another hit when guard T.J. Lang left the game in the first half. That left the club with backups at four spots: Joe Dahl at left guard, Graham Glasgow (the regular left guard) at center, Don Barclay at right guard and Corey Robinson at right tackle. They held up better than could have been expected in the first half, but unraveled a bit in the second. That includes Matthew Stafford taking back to back sacks to push Detroit out of field-goal range in the fourth quarter. He was sacked four times overall, and hit six times.

-- The Lions defense was gashed for 222 yards in the first matchup against Chicago. But give them credit for making adjustments during the short week heading into this one, because they allowed just 43 for the game, their best showing since the Haloti Ngata injury in Week 5. Mitchell Trubisky has the tools to play quarterback at this level, but he is still just a rookie. Take away the run, and Chicago will be in trouble. And Chicago was in trouble from the start in this one.

-- Sticking with the defense, Detroit's secondary continues to flex its muscles. Darius Slay toe-tapped for his sixth interception of the year, then added No. 7 to seal the win with 28 seconds left. That not only leads the league's cornerbacks, but beats his career total coming into the season by one. He joins Glover Quin as two of the league's best players at their positions. And now they're complemented by the rise of Quandre Diggs, who already looks like a natural fit at safety just three weeks after his move there. Last week, he forced a fumble and picked off his first career pass. Against Chicago, he jarred the ball loose on third down to open the game, sacked Mitchell Trubisky on third down on the following series, and later added another pick. He still has some angle issues, but there's no disputing his hard hitting and sure tackling make him an exciting player at safety. There's nothing but upside for him there.

-- They say revenge is a dish best served cold. But Eric Ebron is dishing it up luke-warm. He says every week he gets no satisfaction out of proving his haters wrong. And every week, for two months now, he's gone on the field and done nothing but catch almost everything thrown his way. Against Chicago, that included jumping through the Ford Field roof for an 8-yard touchdown catch. The defender was well positioned between him and Stafford, but Ebron simply jumped higher. The defender came up with air, and Ebron came up with a TD that opened up Detroit's lead to 20-3. He finished the day with another five catches for 33 yards, and has now caught 23 of his 26 targets over the last month. Welcome back, Eric.

-- With three catches for 33 yards, Golden Tate became just the second player in Lions history with four straight 80-catch seasons. The other: Herman Moore. Yup, not even Calvin Johnson did it. And Tate still has two more games to hit 90 for the fourth straight time. Nobody -- not even Herman -- has done that.

-- Jamal Agnew made his return to the field after missing two games with a knee injury, and immediately resumed his place as one of the most exciting players in Honolulu blue. Seriously, time your bathroom breaks right, because this guy is a big play waiting to happen. He returned his first punt 7 yards, then his next 12 yards. And after having a 23-yard called back because of a penalty, he returned the next 16 yards. And he just makes it look so effortless.

-- Matthew Stafford airmailed a couple deep balls to Eric Ebron (in the end zone) and Kenny Golladay, but otherwise continued his recent tear. After completing more than 80 percent of his passes the last two weeks, he hit on 25 of 33 attempts against Chicago for 237 yards, two touchdowns and no picks (or fumbles!). And he hooked up with Marvin Jones for yet another gem of a deep ball, this time hoisting a 58-yard pass that was headed straight for a waiting defender. But Jones caught up to the spot, and high-pointed the ball. The play shows just how much trust Stafford has in Jones these days, and with 18 passes of at least 20 yards on the season, it's no wonder why.

-- Receiver TJ Jones sustained a shoulder injury on coverage teams and did not return.

-- At 8-6, the Lions are guaranteed to finish at least .500 in back to back years for the first time since 1999-2000.

Stafford threw for 154 yards in the first half and had touchdown passes of 3 and 8 yards to TJ Jones and Eric Ebron.

Ebron led the Lions with five catches for 33 yards, and Jones added 85 yards receiving.

Trubisky, the second pick of this year's NFL draft, finished 31 of 46 passing for a career-high 314 yards but also threw three second-half interceptions.

The Lions, who played without starting offensive linemen Rick Wagner and Travis Swanson and lost starter T.J. Lang to a foot injury in the first half, finished with just 91 yards rushing, including 49 on eight carries by Riddick.

The Lions had 77 yards rushing in the first half, which was impressive considering the Bears came into the game with the 14th-ranked rush defense in the NFL, allowing 108.9 yards per game.

It was impressive, considering the Lions were playing with their ninth offensive line combination this season.

Safety Quandre Diggs was outstanding once again, making plays all over the field.

On the Bears' first possession, Diggs hammered Kendall Wright and knocked the ball loose, causing an incomplete pass and a punt. On the Bears' second possession, Diggs got a sack, killing a drive. And then in the third quarter, Diggs intercepted a pass in the end zone. He seemed to be everywhere.
It was Diggs’ second interception in as many weeks.

Stafford completed 25 of his 33 throws, to eight different receivers, for 237 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

This week’s offensive game ball goes to Matthew Stafford. The Lions quarterback went 25 for 33 on the day for 237 yards and two touchdowns. Theo Riddick was the early favorite with 49 rushing yards in the first half, but he completely disappeared in the second half. Marvin Jones made the play of the day, as he does every week, on a 58-yard jump ball. That play set up T.J. Jones first touchdown of the season.

In the end, however, the Lions offense went as far as Matthew Stafford dragged it yet again.

The defensive game ball goes to Darius Slay. The Lions all-pro caliber cornerback, as Golden Tate was happy to point out during Slay’s sideline post-game interview, had two interceptions and added yet another pass break up to his lofty total. Slay has clearly become one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks in 2017, and if there is any justice, will find himself at the pro bowl in Orlando.

The special teams game ball goes to Sam Martin. In the fourth quarter, Martin boomed a 64 yarder, one of two punts he downed inside the 20-yard line. The team needed him to tilt the field in the opposite direction and Martin delivered. For that reason he gets the special teams game ball.

Also warranting a mention was Jamal Agnew. The Lions electric punt returner averaged eleven yards per return. He was a single step from taking one of his four returns for a very long trip to the other team’s end zone.

Chicago entered the game as the league’s seventh best rushing team, averaging nearly 125 yards per game, but they had just one rushing yard in the first quarter, and finished with just 43 total for the game. Bears running back Jordan Howard, who has over 1,000 rushing yards on the season, had just 37 yards on 10 attempts. Don’t forget Chicago rushed for 222 yards in the first matchup between these teams back in Week 11.

QB Comparison: Stafford was extremely efficient, completing 25-of-33 passes for 237 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers for a 115.3 passer rating. He was sacked four times.

Bears rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky completed 31 of his 46 passes for 314 yards and a touchdown with those three interceptions for a passer rating of 66.8.

Play of the game: Midway through the second quarter, the Lions were facing a 3rd and 18 at their own 30-yard line. The play broke down, and Stafford rolled right looking for a receiver. He saw Marvin Jones Jr. one-on-one deep.

Jones has been a big-play receiver for Stafford all year, recording 16 catches of 20-plus yards. No. 17 might have been his finest.

Stafford lofted the ball up high and deep, and Jones went up and high-pointed the ball over Bears safety Eddie Jackson for a 58-yard gain. The gain down to the Chicago 12-yard line set up a TJ Jones touchdown catch three plays later.

Detroit was aided by a 15-yard personal foul penalty to open up their first possession, and was able to work the ball into field goal range for Matt Prater to kick true a 48-yard field goal, giving the Lions an early 3-0 lead.

Chicago’s first two possessions on offense would offer little in terms of production, as Jarrad Davis and the Lions defense played stout against the run to start the game. Quandre Diggs, who is looking to have a serious future at the safety position, made two critical plays to end the Bears’ first two drives, the first of which was a huge hit on Kendall Wright.

Diggs would go on to record a sack on the next Bears’ possession and force Chicago to punt for the second time in as many possessions. Detroit would takeover from their own 38-yard line after a nice 12-yard return from the returning return man, Jamal Agnew.

The Lions would put together quite the possession this time, going 49 yards on 11 plays, running the ball effectively and efficiently with Tion Green—four carries for 20 yards on the drive. The possession would stall out deep into Bears’ territory, and the Lions would settle for another Prater field goal from 31 yards out to give themselves a 6-0 lead.

Detroit’s defense would show up once again, this time led by the play of the other safety, Glover Quin. On second-and-10, Quin blew up a play in the backfield, tackling Bears’ running back Tarik Cohen three yards behind the line of scrimmage, and then tackling Benny Cunningham before the line-to-gain.

The Bears would start the second half with the football, but that didn’t last long as Mitchell Trubisky would be initiated by Darius Slay in the rookie quarterback’s first trip to Ford Field.

The interception was Slay’s sixth pick of the season, and the Lions’ offense would waste little time capitalizing on the Trubisky blunder. Detroit worked their way to the Chicago 8-yard line, and after two incompletions on first and second down to Abdullah and Marvin Jones respectively, Stafford threw a pass Aaron Donald could never high-point and catch.

That was the third touchdown reception of the year for Eric Ebron, and the tight end put together yet another impressive performance, catching five passes for 33 yards and the score.

Chicago would benefit from a shanked punt by the punt mortal Sam Martin, and would take over near midfield after the 24-yard punt. Trubisky and the Bears’ offense would work their way deep into Lions’ territory and set up with a third-and-goal from the Lions 5-yard line. Trubisky dropped back to pass and tried to force a ball into the end zone, but Diggs continued his day of big plays, picking off the Bears quarterback in the back of the end zone.

The Lions offense would get moving after the interception, taking the ball onto the Bears’ side of the field. Golden Tate would snatch Kyle Fuller’s soul from out of his body on this play here, but breakdowns in protection cost Detroit a chance to extend their lead as Stafford was sacked on both second and third down, setting up a fourth-and-29 from the Bears’ 49-yard line.

Trubisky would connect with Cunningham for a late touchdown before the two-minute warning, bringing the Bears within 10 points and keeping them in the game, and Detroit would nearly gift the Bears a touchdown on the next possession until Jeff Triplette and his crew remembered that forward passes are, indeed, not fumbles.

And on the Bears’ final possession, as Trubisky attempted to bring the Bears within a score, Big Play Slay would notch his second interception of the day—his seventh of the season—sealing the victory and the season series sweep of the Bears.

Defensive tackle Akeem Spence had a sack, giving him 2.5 sacks on the year.

The defense played possibly their most complete game this season. Slay intercepted Mitchell Trubisky twice and safety Quandre Diggs had one interception (his second in two games). “Watching film, I saw it, I jumped it. Either it was going to be incomplete pass or complete pass to me. I just made a play on it. If he would have tried to jump and catch it I would have smacked him right out of bounds,’’ said Slay describing his first interception.

Jim Bob Cooter, the offensive coordinator, gets his share of the blame often but he called a solid game. The Lions did not run on each and every first down. He let Stafford loose a few times. The Bears defense was ranked 11th overall, allowing 325.5 yards per game so it’s not like the offense didn’t have to work hard. The Lions were six of 12 on third downs and looked to have a rhythm which is something we haven’t always seen this season. You can’t define it with stats, but you know it when you see it.
 
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http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2017/12/lions_grades_linebackers_have.html#incart_river_index
Lions grades: Linebackers, coaches take leaps in wire-to-wire win over Bears.
Mlive

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/...it-lions-stock-watch-chicago-bears/958860001/
Lions' stock watch: Jarrad Davis, Quandre Diggs look comfortable on D.
Freep

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp...ns-grades-stafford-secondary-excel/108673760/
Lions grades: Stafford, secondary excel.
Detnews

In the past three games, Stafford's completion percentage is a staggering 80.2 (85-for-106). During one stretch against the Ravens and Bucs, he connected on 32 of 33, including a franchise-record 20 straight.

For all their injuries along the offensive line, the Lions have remained relatively healthy in their receiving corps, with Marvin Jones (970 yards) and Golden Tate (885) having understated superb seasons, each headed toward 1,000 yards. The continuity has allowed Stafford to gain faith in all the pass-catchers, including Ebron and rookie Kenny Golladay.

The last time these two teams squared off Week 11 in Chicago, the Bears were the much more physical team, and Detroit was lucky to escape with a three-point win after giving up 222 yards rushing.

This time around, the Lions? defense was the more physical unit, holding Chicago to just 43 rushing yards on 15 carries (2.9 average) and just 10 total points.
Saturday?s effort snapped a five-game streak of opponents rushing for at least 100 yards against the Lions' defense.

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2017...fan-confidence-poll-win-chicago-bears-week-15
How do you feel about the Lions after their 20-10 win over the Bears?
POD

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2017...-game-ball-bears-darius-slay-matthew-stafford
Detroit Lions Week 15 player of the game: Who gets the Game Ball vs. Bears?
POD

Don?t look now, but Eric Ebron is amongst the top at his position. Pro Football Focus has Ebron ranked 16th out of 72 qualifying tight ends. On the Detroit Lions, he is the highest graded TE with a modest 73.9 grade.

Considering how rough Ebron was to begin the first half of the year, he has since blossomed into a true difference maker on offense. In his first eight games, Ebron had a catch rate of 51.4 percent. That number has improved to 81 percent in the past six games.
 
I didn't figure out that we played on Saturday til about Wednesday
 
Good win. Yes, it was the freaking Bears. They suck. But, we dominated that game on both sides of the ball. We're playin 4 ......4!!!.....backup OL. We ran it fairly well. Stafford was Stafford.....Slay was Slay and we got a W.

The issues this team has are extremely evident, however. Trubisky threw from clean pockets a LOT. We are terrible up front. I am sold that we don't need Ziggy Ansah back. He's not even good anymore. He's become a below average NFL DE. We don't blitz enough or creatively to scare QB's.....even though the strength of this defense is the back end. We still waste too many plays on offense. What I mean by that is plays that are executed correctly that don't have a chance to work. We must run 5 to 8 of those a game. That's not good.

We are what our record says we are. Better than the bad....slightly better than the average.....not nearly as good as the good. But I think we're close.
 
kdp1980 said:
I really don't get this front 7 at all. Getting torched ever since Ngata left, and play lights out against the run against a team that basically had their way with us running the ball a few weeks back. Kinda shows you that inconsistency is what's wrong. Coaching or players??
Click to expand...

Coaching. We played smart yesterday. Stacked the box and made Trubisky beat us. He couldn't. And in Typical Caldwell fashion..... as soon as we went ahead 20 to 3 with about 10 minutes left in the third quarter we went into full "play not to lose" mode. Soft shell defenses. Easy short completions. Ran the ball unsuccessfully. Punt. Punt. Punt.

It's stupid how conservative Caldwell is. It's one of the main reasons I don't think will ever win anything with him here. We easily could have won that game yesterday 30 to 3 or, maybe, 30-10......but we don't.

It works against Chicago. It won't work against good teams. That's why we never beat good teams.
 
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