It's not a stretch to say that the Detroit Lions have become one of the best teams in the NFL, and this is not an overnight development either. The Lions, who sit in first place in the NFC North by 1 1/2 games over the Minnesota Vikings, have a 13-4 record going back to last season. Detroit has a Week 11 showdown against the Chicago Bears.

The Lions started the 2023 season by going into Arrowhead Stadium and beating the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. While the rest of the football world may have been shocked when that happened, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell and his players were not surprised. They knew they were a good team, and they simply proved it for 60 minutes.

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The Lions used that victory to propel themselves into the season. They take a 7-2 record into this home game against the Bears, and they are clear favorites over their ancient rivals.

Favorable schedule for Lions

The Lions are at the start of a 5-game stretch against very beatable opponents. They are likely to be favored against the Packers, Saints, Bears and Broncos before closing the season with 2 games against the Vikings and 1 against the Cowboys.

If they can take care of business through Week 15, they will be in great shape as far as the division is concerned. However, if they drop 1 or 2 games, the red-hot Vikings may be able to challenge them for the division title in the final 3 weeks of the season.

As a result, this rivalry game against the Bears is very important. The Lions have not taken any of their opponents lightly, and they can't start that bad habit now.

Jared Goff's accuracy remains vital for the Lions

Jared Goff has been an excellent triggerman for the Lions offense, which ranks 2nd in yards gained per game this season and is 4th passing yards per game. Goff does not have a huge arm and he is not a spectacular athlete like Bears quarterback Justin Fields, but he can put the ball on the money and he can also read defenses in an expert manner.

Goff has completed 223 of 326 passes for 2,507 yards with 14 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. The quarterback diagnoses the defensive set up at the line of scrimmage with confidence, and he has a quick release that allows him to avoid absorbing unnecessary physical contact with opposing pass rushers.

He also has a great rapport with wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Lions best pass receiver. St. Brown is an excellent route runner with plus speed and dependable hands. St. Brown has caught 65 passes for 821 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Goff to St. Brown combination will likely be quite challenging for Chicago's pass defense.

Tight end Sam La Porta has emerged as a dependable No. 2 target. The rookie has caught 47 passes for 474 yards and 4 scores.

Lions' well-rounded offense includes notable running game

The combination of running backs David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs has done an excellent for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Montgomery has carried the ball 106 times for 501 yards and he has scored 7 touchdowns this season. He is coming off a spectacular game against the Los Angeles Chargers that included 12 carries for 116 yards that included a 75-yard burst for a touchdown.

The former Bear is likely to be pumped up against his old team and fully prepared for his best effort.

Even if the Bears have a defensive game plan to slow down Montgomery, Gibbs has the explosive speed needed to cause huge problems. The rookie running back has 90 carries for 476 yards and 4 touchdowns. If the Chicago defense is concentrating on stopping Montgomery, Gibbs can do a great deal of damage.

Lions defense will make life uncomfortable for Fields

Fields has missed Chicago's last 4 games with a thumb injury, but he has been cleared to return to the lineup against the Lions.

Detroit defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker Alex Anzalone are likely to provide significant pressure on Fields. While the Chicago quarterback can be very dangerous when he takes off and runs, he can be jolted into mistakes when opposing pass rushers close in on him.

Hutchinson has 4.5 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, 4 passes batted down, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries. Anzalone leads the Lions with 66 tackles and he also has 3.0 sacks and 5 tackles for loss.

The Lions defense gave up 38 points to the Chargers in Week 10, but Detroit's defense is much improved this season and should be able to limit the Bears' offensive production.