The Detroit Lions’ quiet trade deadline gave the Chicago Bears one more reason to feel good about their matchup in Week 12.
Detroit added only a depth piece in Andre Cisco and otherwise stood pat, despite a defense that still looks vulnerable in all the places Chicago can attack. The Lions have one of the league’s weakest cornerback groups and pass defenses, and that could be a problem when the Bears head to Detroit.
That’s especially true because the Bears have already shown they can win without playing clean football. Even so, they’re 0-2 against NFC North opponents and haven’t been especially competitive in those games. Ben Johnson has been perfect against everyone else, but in a division this tough, there’s no room left for slip-ups against familiar foes.
Detroit’s defense has improved during its four-game winning streak, but the underlying numbers still paint an ugly picture. The Lions rank 28th in total yards allowed per game at 377.3, 17th in points allowed per game at 23.6, and last in receiving yards allowed at 260.9. They’re also 27th in third-down defense at 44.4 percent.
And that production has come against a soft stretch of opponents: the Saints, Jets, Panthers, and Cardinals. Detroit did beat the Vikings, but it was by a narrow margin, and that came against Kyler Murray, who has now lost his starting job for the second time in as many years.
Chicago’s receiving talent is built to stress that secondary. The Bears have two of the most explosive wideouts in the game in Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze. Caleb Williams has leaned on shorter throws more often this season, but he can make every throw in the book, and he’s willing to put air under the ball and drive it downfield.
There’s speed elsewhere, too. Even players like Kalif Raymond or Zavion Thomas can force defensive backs to turn and run. Detroit badly needed help on the boundary, and failing to add a cornerback could end up costing it.
There’s still no word on Kerby Joseph’s return from injury, and even if he comes back, the Lions would still be leaning on D.J. Reed and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at outside cornerback.
Caleb Williams should be licking his chops at the thought of going against one of the sloppiest cornerback rooms in pro football. Detroit’s confidence may be misplaced, and if that’s the case, Ben Johnson could end up getting the last laugh against his former boss.
In Other News...
Dennis Allen Faces Three Big Bears Decisions During The Bye
The bye week has given Dennis Allen a chance to step back and assess a Bears defense that has been uneven enough to make some personnel questions impossible to ignore. One of the clearest is at outside cornerback, where Malik Muhammad has played well enough that the conversation is no longer just about getting him on the field more, but about whether he should be treated as a full-time starter over Tyrique Stevenson.
There are similar decisions up front, where Daniel Hardy has made a case for a larger role as an edge rusher, and there is also the broader question of how aggressive this defense should be from here on out. Allen has not been eager to lean heavily on the blitz, but the recent results suggest the Bears may need a more disruptive approach if they want the unit to settle in and create more problems for opposing quarterbacks. [Read more 🡒]
Bears May Have Found A Trade Bonus They Barely Can Use
The Bears trade for Clark Phillips III has quietly given them a useful defensive back at a time when the secondary has been under constant churn. Acquired from Atlanta in the deal that sent Gervon Dexter Sr. the other way, Phillips has flashed in the snaps hes gotten, holding up well in coverage and even showing some juice as a pass rusher when opportunities have come his way.
Phillips problem is less about performance than about timing. With Jaylon Johnson playing better and Malik Muhammad working back from injury, the path to regular snaps is getting crowded fast, which leaves Chicago with a good problem and a difficult one at the same time. The Bears may have landed a bonus piece in the trade, but figuring out how to use him could be the harder part. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Stadium Debate Just Took Another Turn Chicago Fans Will Feel
A new $10 billion redevelopment plan for the former Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville has added another layer to the Bears stadium discussion, and it comes with a pitch aimed squarely at keeping the franchise in Chicago. The proposal calls for a new domed stadium as part of a sweeping project that would also include buying the Bears Arlington Heights property, a move designed to make staying in the city more appealing while the broader negotiations keep moving with NFL and state officials.
The catch is the scale of the ask. The plan would require demolishing six apartment buildings and a major construction effort, which underscores how complicated any return to Chicago would be. Even with that new option on the table, sources say Arlington Heights remains the Bears favored stadium location, leaving the latest proposal as another twist in a process that still has plenty of unresolved ground to cover. [Read more 🡒]