Detroit Sports Yap with Knapp: 5 Takeaways from the Detroit Lions 31-30 Victory Against the Chicago Bears
Could the Lions start their first winning streak of 2022?
After defeating the Green Bay Packers last week, the Detroit Lions were asked to travel to Chicago to take on a struggling Chicago Bears team. After each team traded field goals, the Lions would end up taking a 10-3 lead, and it seemed like they could be able to win this game soundly. But, as the famous Lee Corso says, "not so fast, my friend."
Chicago would go on to score 21 unanswered points to go up 24-10 in the middle of the third quarter. It felt like a typical Lions game where they started out strong but couldn’t finish, but suddenly the Lions quickly eliminated the 14-point lead. After the Chicago Bears committed multiple penalties against the Lions, Detroit easily drove down the field and scored. Then the defense did its job, as cornerback Jeff Okudah picked off quarterback Justin Fields and turned it into a pick-six, tying the game at 24.
After the pick-six, Fields answered with a 67-yard touchdown run to take the lead, but kicker Cairo Santos missed the extra point, leaving the door open for the Lions to win. The Lions and Bears would trade punts, and in three minutes and two seconds, with big plays by wide receivers Tom Kennedy, Kalif Raymond, and Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Lions were able to punch it in from the one-yard line to tie the game, and Detroit’s kicker, former Chicago Bear Michael Badgley, made the extra point to take the lead.
Despite Fields evading sacks for most of the game, he wasn’t able to avoid them in the end, as back-to-back sacks ended the game, and the Lions held on and improved to 3-6.
Check out my five takeaways from the game below!
1. A Heathy Amon-Ra St. Brown Leads the Offense
Coming into the season, it was clear wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was the number one receiver in Detroit. St. Brown remains the backbone of Detroit's passing game, despite re-signing Josh Reynolds, adding DJ Chark, and drafting Jameson Williams. St. Brown finished the game with 10 catches for 119 yards.
It seems that when St. Brown is playing his best, the passing offense is at its best as well. While that makes sense when the number one receiver is doing well and the offense is doing well, with a lack of depth due to injuries, that is a lot of pressure to put on just one player. Chark is on the IR right now and will return soon, and Reynolds missed his second straight game due to a back injury. Williams is still recovering from his torn ACL and is expected to make his debut in December.
Once Chark and Reynolds return, that will help the focus not be solely on St. Brown, and he could elevate his game even further with less attention. When Williamson debuts, that will explode the offense into something special. For now, though, if St. Brown is doing well, the passing game is succeeding. That is not the best mantra, as the offensive line struggled today to get the ground game going, and not many of the other receivers were able to get open.
I understand injuries happen and others are going to be asked to step up, but you can’t have half of your offense rely on just one player; you need others to help him out. If you don’t count St. Brown, the Lions had nine catches for 117 yards. Kennedy and Raymond did show up when asked too, but their biggest moments didn’t come until the very end; they need to show up in all four quarters when asked to, not just one or two drives. Hopefully, Reynolds can return next week and Chark the week after, so help can come sooner for St. Brown and quarterback Jared Goff.
2. Despite Knowing Gameplan, Defense Struggles with Justin Fields
The biggest storyline of the game before kickoff was: how would the Lions defense contain Bears quarterback Justin Fields? Fields set an NFL record last week, rushing for 178 yards in a game, the most ever by a quarterback. Not only was Fields the main focus for the defense, but the ground game is the bread and butter for the Bears. Chicago was ranked dead last in passing offense in the NFL, yet the Lions struggled to stop the ground game.
I’m not sure how going up against the worst passing offense doesn’t force your team to heavily focus on the ground game. Chicago finished the game with 258 yards on 35 carries and two touchdowns, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Fields was the main star on the ground as well, finishing with 13 carries for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Multiple times, the Lions had Fields dead to rights for a sack or tackle for loss, but Fields was able to escape the pressure or the grip of a Lions player.
Again, I'm not sure how the Lions knew the running game would be how Chicago moved the ball, whether it was a designed run or not, yet they still couldn’t do much at containing it and forcing Chicago to pass the ball. Detroit had all the signs and clear situations where if they were able to stop the ground game, they would win the game; instead, they were unable to make the Bears’ offense earn every yard. In the end, they were able to sack Fields on back-to-back plays on the final drive, but like the other wide receivers needing to step up, you can’t only get that on the final drive.
3. The Lions Schedule is About to Get Bumpy
The schedule after the Bears game does not favor the Lions in their attempt to salvage the rest of their season. Next week, the Lions go back on the road to take on the Giants, then it’s a Thanksgiving matchup with the Super Bowl favorite Buffalo Bills to end November. December starts out easy with a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at home, followed by a rematch of a close game with the Minnesota Vikings.
The final four games are a mixed bag for Detroit. They go back to New York to play the Jets this time, then to Carolina to play an inconsistent Panthers team. After the road trip, Detroit finishes the year at home against the Bears before they play the Packers in the season finale in Green Bay.
For me, Detroit needs to win at least four games to show progress and that they are improving as a team. Finishing with three wins shows they are the same as last year, and if they are unable to get another win then it’s a step back in this rebuild. While expectations were higher after the draft and some re-signings, to have this team take a step back is not what anybody expected. 2023 should be a clear step forward, and if it isn’t, the front office and coaching staff will get questioned, as they should.
4. Aidan Hutchinson Keeps Shutting up the Haters
Back in April, the Detroit Lions fanbase was torn over what they should do with the number two overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The majority of fans wanted defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, while others wanted quarterback Malik Willis, defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, defensive end Travon Walker, and even safety Kyle Hamilton. Hutchinson has had all eyes on him since being drafted, not just from opposing defenses and coaches, but also from Lions fans.
Some Lions fans are Michigan football fans, so they really want to see him succeed. Some are Michigan State or Ohio State fans, and while most want to see him succeed because he plays for the Lions, others call him out and think he is a bust. His three-sack performance against the Washington Commanders was his breakout game, and it seemed like he was on his way up. Hutchinson suddenly saw more double teams and attention, and while he wasn’t getting sacks, he did his best to help, and people saw that as a weakness.
After the bye week, the Lions changed up how they were using Hutchinson, and he continues to grow and be a factor on the field. Against the Bears today, Hutchinson possibly had his best game of the year, making multiple big plays and changing up how the Bears played with just his presence. For example, on the pick six for Okudah, Hutchinson read the play perfectly and covered tight end Cole Kmet enough for Fields to attempt a poor pass that would end up costing them the game.
Later in the game, on a crucial defensive stand, Hutchinson did something the other Lions struggled to do and sacked Fields to force a third-and-long. Hutchinson finished the game with eight total tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss, along with an "assist" with that interception by Okudah. Hutchinson is proving the haters wrong again and again as he continues to be a fantastic player on the team, in contention for rookie of the year.
5. One Play Away, Pulls Off Again
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has repeatedly said this season and last season that this team is constantly one play away from winning games. Whether it’s a missed field goal, turnover, or not being able to convert on fourth down, the Lions are losing close games, mostly due to one error. Last week, the Lions were one play better than the Green Bay Packers and won.
This week, the Lions did it again, as the missed extra point by Chicago ended up being the one play on which they were better than Chicago, as the Lions made all of their extra points. Being one play better doesn’t have to be pretty; it can be as ugly as the last two games have been. In the end, a win is a win, and for the first time since 2020 and under Campbell, the Lions are on a winning streak.
Another big thing for the Lions is that for the first time since 1993, they were down by at least 14 points in the fourth quarter and still won the game. Campbell also got his first road victory as head coach. It was a big win for Campbell and Detroit, which boosts morale and confidence in the team.
Conclusion
This game was a roller coaster. From thinking it could be a dominant Lions win to a typical Lions loss to a miracle comeback, it had it all. This win puts Detroit at 3-6, with just one more win needed to improve on their record from last year. Detroit has a chance to win a few more games, but I can’t see this team making the playoffs, unfortunately.
Next week, the Lions take on the New York Giants on the road, and if the Lions struggled with Justin Fields and the Bears' rushing attack, how are they going to do against Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley? Probably not too well, but nonetheless, today was a victory for Detroit, and it should be celebrated.
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