3 Keys to a Bears victory over the Lions in Week 17

In their second to last game of the 2022 season, the Chicago Bears are on the road for a matchup with a division rival, the Detroit Lions. The Lions won the first matchup 31-30, though that game can’t be discussed without mentioning a few major missed calls by the refs, both of which hurt the Bears.

But that’s in the past, and the Bears are focused on what they need to do to get the win this week. Despite a long list of injuries, there’s still a very good chance the Bears can extend the Lions’ losing streak, and it all comes down to three keys.

Field Goals and Extra Points

The elephant in the special teams’ room is how many kicks Cairo Santos has missed this year. At least two games have been lost because he missed either an extra point or a field goal attempt.

He must do better. He set a very high bar for himself by breaking a Bears franchise record for most consecutive made field goals, and his performance this year has fallen far short of the mark. If the Bears are going to win this week, they need to be able to trust their kicker.

Next Man Up

As mentioned above, the Bears are dealing with several injuries at key positions. Some players may return this week, like right guard Tevin Jenkins, but ‘next man up’ as they say.

The backups need to step up in a way they couldn’t last week against the Buffalo Bills, especially the wide receivers. The Lions’ secondary is a much bigger liability than Buffalo’s, so the excuses won’t be there for them this time. Players need to make plays, period,

Let Justin Fields Cook

We’ve had glimpses of how special Fields can be throughout the season when he has time to throw. Last week it was a gorgeous 44-yard dart to Velus Jones Jr. That was just about the only highlight in what proved to be an ugly loss.

But the Lions are not the Bills, and the weather won’t be a factor in a dome like it was at Soldier Field, so there will be no excuses for OC Luke Getsy to keep Fields reigned in like last week. If Chicago wants to win, and the players and coaches have all said they do, they’ll need to give Fields the plays, the protection, and the route running to let him cook.

The Lions are fighting for a playoff spot, and divisional games are never simple. They will not be the easy out that they should have been last time these teams met. But the Bears aren’t quitters, and despite being eliminated for nearly a month now, they’ve shown tremendous fight in every game. This will be a close one, and unfortunately, I think the Lions will clinch the season sweep of the Bears with a 34-31 victory.