Matthew Stafford said it's difficult to prep for a defense knowing that so many Bears are on injured reserve.
Matthew Stafford said this one is a "big one" if they can get it done, meaning the Lions win in Chicago. Believes division games count twice -- a win for one team and a loss for the other division team.
RIDDICK AMONG SMALL-SAMPLE-SIZE STUDS.
Bill Barnwell dug into the stats to see who has thrived in limited snaps, and Theo Riddick's name stood out. He's been targeted on 32 percent of his routes since 2015, tied for the NFL's highest rate. Small-sample-size studs.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...kout-players-small-sample-size-all-stars-2016
Finding breakout players among small-sample-size All-Stars.
Lions HC Jim Caldwell said Marvin Jones has speed to run by you but he's a great athlete and can contort his body well.
Jim Caldwell said he believes Taylor Decker is going to be "fine." Believes he'll be a good player. Said Decker is the least of his worries right now.
No Ezekiel Ansah, DeAndre Levy, Eric Ebron, Antwione Williams and Wallace Gilberry did not participate in the open portion of Lions practice on Wednesday. Safety Tavon Wilson, who injured Sunday, was back at practice.
OUTSIDERS: LIONS HAVE SOME WORK TO DO.
Detroit's offense has been surprisingly good, but its defense has been among the league's worst. Combined with a 1-2 start, that leaves the Lions' playoff odds under 30 percent.
A fairly lengthy Lions injury report Wednesday, including one surprise -- Eric Ebron with an ankle injury instead of a back injury.
A CLOSE GAME ISN'T NECESSARILY A GOOD ONE.
ESPN's Football Power Index pegs Lions-Bears as Week 4's closest game, with Chicago getting a slight edge. That said, no game this week rates lower in pregame matchup quality.
http://www.espn.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/124462/ranking-week-4s-best-to-worst-matchups
Ranking Week 4's matchups from best to worst.
Michael Rothstein espn
