Lions vs. Bears: Chicago stumps Matthew Stafford, Lions on Monday Night

The simple answer is defense. Chicago’s stop unit stands apart in a season quickly being defined by dominant defenses. From front to back, the Bears defense is nearly flawless, or at least playing that way right now.

Starting up front, the defensive line continues to harass opposing quarterbacks.

Suh has earned a reputation for being a dirty player during his brief NFL career, but he has said that he doesn’t care and that being called a dirty player doesn’t hurt his feelings. He also claims that he checked on Cutler after the play to see if he was alright:

Suh had a sack and one tackle in the game, and has 3.5 sacks and 11 tackles on the season through six games. He’s nearly matched his total of four sacks from 2011, a disappointing tally considering he had 10 as a rookie in 2010.

Good job, Lions. Good effort.

SB Nation’s Bears blog, Windy City Gridiron, has a lengthy and in-depth breakdown of the game. Here are some of the highlights:

On the Bears scoring in the first quarter, for a change:

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Leshoure is averaging 49 yards rushing and just over 24 yards receiving per game in four outings since his season debut in Week 3. He has just one touchdown over that span.

Fantasy Impact: Leshoure was productive, especially in PPR leagues where his six catches helped make up for his lack of a touchdown. It certainly wasn’t an awe-inspiring performance, but it served as further evidence that Leshoure is a consistent fantasy option well-suited for a Flex role in standard formats.

Fantasy Impact: Suffice it to say, Johnson’s night probably ruined the weekend for many fantasy owners. Megatron is so physically imposing, it’s impossible to recommend benching him in any league format. Unfortunately, an inconsistent Stafford could mean that this won’t be Johnson’s last dud performance of the year.

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Stafford has yet to throw more than one touchdown in any of his six games played this season, despite posting decent yardage totals.

Fantasy Impact: Stafford salvaged his fantasy night with the late score to Broyles. It came, however, in what was essentially garbage time. The Lions were able to move the ball between the 20-yard lines, but were a horrific 1-for-4 scoring in the red zone.

Burleson made a 16-yard reception in the third quarter of tonight’s game against the Bears, but got injured as he was tackled. Burleson was helped off the field and tended to by trainers before heading to the locker room, where the Lions later learned that his season was over.

If you had the Lions covering, congratulations. If you had the Bears covering, my sympathies on a thoroughly bad beat.

After struggling to even pick up a first down during the first half, Detroit had some success in the second half, but was unable to capitalize. Then the Lions drove into the Bears redzone four times in the second half, but the Bears defense forced a turnover on three of the four possessions.

Detroit narrowly avoided the shutout, scoring a touchdown with 30 seconds to play.

The Bears will get the ball to begin the second half.

Fantasy Impact: Matt Forte is on pace for a second consecutive game rushing for more than 100 yards, serving as further indication that he is past his early season ankle issues. Cutler’s injury may allow the Lions’ defense to reinforce against the run, then again it could make Forte an even bigger part of the offense.

Forte looks like a solid RB1/RB2 option in standard fantasy formats tonight. He hasn’t performed like one all the time this season, but he is still worth plugging into your starting lineup most weeks.

The Bears said Cutler was taken into the locker room for further examination of his ribs. He returned to the field to open the second half, although he appears to still be in some pain. Cutler landed awkwardly when he was sacked late in the second quarter, with Suh landing on top of him. Cutler remained down momentarily, then jogged off to the sideline.

Cutler completed 9-of-17 passes in the first half, throwing for 73 yards and a touchdown. He also ran twice for 35 yards. In relief of Cutler, Campbell threw one pass for zero yards while scrambling one time for five yards.

Brandon Marshall scored a first quarter touchdown, and the Bears mascot knew exactly what to do.

Chicago leads the NFC North with a 4-1 record. The Bears had an extra week to rest in Week 6 with a bye. A loss to the Lions would leave a single game between the two teams, keeping the division standings packed tightly together with half a season left to play.

He also made special mention of the defensive backs on the Bears’s defense. That extra bit of aggression is something that Burleson and the rest of the receivers on the Lions are going to have to deal with:

The Lions enter this game two games back of the Bears for first place in the NFC North Division. The game between the two teams is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m. ET from Soldier Field in Chicago, and will be televised nationally on ESPN.

In speaking with 670 The Score in Chicago, Marshall was asked whether the Bears know who they were as a football team. Marshall responded with a resounding, yes:

The defense in Chicago has been a constant and this season has been no different. The Bears lead the NFL in interceptions this season with 13 and also lead the league in defensive touchdowns with five.

The Bears have looked strong all year and could be primed for a deep postseason run. Head coach Lovie Smith has to be pleased with the team’s 4-1 record, and coming off the bye week, it should be well-rested.

TV: ESPN