The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions will do battle on Thursday, marking the 16th time that the NFC North rivals have met on Thanksgiving Day. This is the 75th game the Lions have hosted on Thanksgiving, a tradition that dates back to 1934. That year they also played the Bears, who hold a slight 8-7 edge over Detroit in their Thanksgiving meetings.
Bears vs. Lions 2014: Thanksgiving Day tradition continues in Detroit
The Lions and Bears face off in the first of three Thanksgiving Day games.
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
This season, there are major playoff implications for both teams. With a 5-6 record, it's a must-win game for the Bears, who are trying to keep their fading playoff hopes alive. It's highly unlikely they'll win the NFC North, considering the division-leading Packers (8-3) have already swept Chicago. However, the Bears can climb closer to the final NFC wild card spot if they can win in Detroit. Right now, the Lions, Seahawks and 49ers are all 7-4 and sit ahead of them for the No. 6 seed in the NFC. The good news for the Bears is they have two games against the Lions still yet to be played, so they can at the very least knock one of their division rivals out of the playoff picture.
Despite a hot start to the year, the Lions would miss the playoffs if the season ended today. Luckily for them, only one of their final five games comes against a team currently with a winning record: the regular season finale in Green Bay. Detroit has lost two in a row, but will return home looking to get back to its winning ways. Last year on Thanksgiving, they dominated the Packers, 40-10, and hope to take out their recent frustrations in similar fashion this year against the Bears.
Under new head coach Jim Caldwell, the Lions look like a different team than they did with Jim Schwartz for the previous five seasons. Schwartz’s teams were geared more toward the offensive side of the ball, while the defense often struggled mightily. This year with Caldwell, the defense has carried the team to a 7-4 start and right in the thick of the playoff race. Even with plenty of weapons, the offense hasn’t looked nearly as good as it has in previous seasons, and the team has failed to score a touchdown in the past two games.
Digits
The Lions' offense once again is relying on the arm of quarterback Matthew Stafford and All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson. Despite the problems on offense for Detroit, those two have still helped the team rank 10th in the NFL in passing offense. However, it's the addition of receiver Golden Tate that has kept this offense afloat.
Johnson missed three games with an ankle injury, paving the way for Tate to take over as the team’s No. 1 receiver. In 11 games this year, Tate has caught 72 passes for 1,047 yards and three touchdowns. He and Megatron form one of the league’s more formidable 1-2 punches at receiver.
None of this is good news for the Bears' defense, which has not been able to shut down their opponents' passing game this year. They rank 28th in pass defense while allowing 260.5 yards through the air per game. It doesn't help matters that Chicago could be without star linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Kyle Fuller, who both left Chicago's Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with injuries.
Is 13 actually a lucky number for Chicago? It appears so, given that the defense has held opponents to 13 points in its last three wins. The Bears have won two straight, both of which were 21-13 wins over the Minnesota Vikings and the Bucs. They're hoping that Week 13 can also bring good fortune.
Who to Watch
Calvin Johnson - The Lions' offense is centered around Megatron, and how well he does often decides how well Detroit moves the ball. Since returning from his ankle injury, Johnson has caught 16 passes for 230 yards and one touchdown in three games. However, the real stat to watch is Johnson's targets: Matthew Stafford has targeted Johnson a whopping 37 times over the past three games, the most in the NFL over that span.
Matt Forte - The Bears' offense relies heavily on their do-it-all running back, and Forte has quietly been one of the best backs in the NFL this season. In 11 games, Forte has rushed for 822 yards and five touchdowns to go with 72 catches for 598 yards and three more scores. Forte is always a threat to make a big play, whether Chicago is running or passing the ball, and the Detroit defense has to keep a close eye on him.
The Venue
Ford Field opened in downtown Detroit in 2002, replacing the Pontiac Silverdome as the home of the Lions. It seats 65,000, though the stadium’s capacity can increase to 80,000 for basketball games. It cost $500 million to build the facility, and it has hosted Super Bowl XL, the 2009 NCAA men’s basketball Final Four and the 2010 NCAA Frozen Four.
How to Watch
Where: Ford Field, Detroit
When: 12:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson
Radio: Lions Radio Network | Bears Radio Network
Online Streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile
Odds
The Lions are 7-point home favorites, according to OddsShark.com. The over/under is set at 47.5 points.
Preliminary judgment
Almost every expert is picking the Lions to win on Thursday. Seven of the eight panelists over at CBS Sports have the Lions, and SB Nation’s own experts mostly agree with that prediction. Only Joel Thorman believes that Chicago can pull off the upset.
Further Reading
For further info on the Bears, check at Windy City Gridiron.
If you want more on the Lions, head over to Pride of Detroit.
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