Week Five

Bears @ LIONS

When the 2011 schedule was released and fans and media looked at this iconic Week 5 matchup I doubt there were many, if any, that had the Lions at 4-0. I like to think I was one of the few but in reality I think that whilst I may have believed 4 wins were possible I didn't think they would all be achieved. We are the Lions after all and even with the optimism afforded us by a strong finish to 2010 and a strong draft it was still a step too far to think that we may have become one the leagues better teams. Even now that does not seem quite possible and even if it's not yet the case this game offers the opportunity to extend the record to a heady 5-0.

With the atmosphere inside Ford Field likely to be electric this game should have the feel of a playoff encounter. The Lions will be hoping to continue the form they showed in the second half of the Cowboys game rather than the form they began the game with. It was the second successive game that they had been slow out of the blocks and if this team is to prove itself to be a genuine contender this season they will need to demonstrate that slow starting is not a trait. Against a respected Bears defense, that will be itching to get to Stafford, it may be that it's better to come out passing. The Lions O-Line has been better protecting Stafford than it has in opening up running lanes for the running backs. An up tempo series of Stafford passes to his array of receiving talent could not only see the Lions marching up the field but also wear down the Bears pass rushers. If they establish the passing attack then the defense will be forced into being softer for the running game. Williams may well be the better option to carry the ground attack as Best has yet to convince me he has the game to be the teams premier runner. Stafford & Backus will be hoping there is no repeat of last years Peppers sack and they will not be alone in this wish as they will be joined by every Lions fan. The Monday Night stage has been set for Calvin Johnson to become the hottest name in the NFL and there is every chance he grabs at least 2 TD's for the 5th straight game.

Tony Romo appeared to do a good job of reading the Detroit D last week and his O-Line seemed to be doing a pretty good job of keeping their QB upright. But the Lions defense last week brought pressure that increased with each successive down in much the same way as the hour hand on a clock moves. As the game wore on Romo was forced to speed up the clock in his head as the Lions kept getting closer to slamming him to the ground. The more hurried he became the less composed his game and sure enough he began to provide opportunities for interceptions which were gratefully received. On the Cowboys final drive Romo was forced into holding on to the ball and Willie Young showed why Romo had previously been so keen to get rid of it by slamming him into the turf. The Bears O-Line is not as impressive as the Cowboys and it'll be interesting to see if former Lions Offensive Co-Ordinator Martz focusses on the run as much as he did in last weeks game against the Panthers. The Lions have been vulnerable to the run early in games and it will be important to their plans in getting to Cutler that they restrict the yards gained by Forte. If Martz returns to Ford Field and serves up anything like the kind of offense he used to run for his Kitna led Lions then this could be the week you wish you had the Lions D on your fantasy team. 

The Lions Special teams are starting to become a bit of a disappointment. For such a talented group they have struggled on both covering and returning which may have something to do with the limited number of kicks that get returned these days. They will need to be at their best against the Bears who have proved to be one of the most consistently spectacular Special Teams.

The Bears were the last team to beat the Lions, in this very fixture last season, but I don't think they will be the first to beat them this season. I think the Lions will respond to the atmosphere they will find themselves in and look to shine in the national spotlight. I'm looking for Stafford to continue to feed the growing reputation of the man known as Megatron with a continuation of the 2 TD per game streak. I also think Keiland Williams has a break out game and will continue to predict Titus Young takes it to the house. On the defensive side I think Suh will have his most stat noteworthy game of the season on an evening that see's Cutler bounced out of the game and am looking for a memorable cameo from Nick Fairley which will have the rest of the league even more fearful of what the Lions can become. The Lions to return to MNF with a bang then and ESPN wishing they'd scheduled them more.

Prediction: Bears 20 LIONS 38