Subscribe
Follow Us
The Detroit Lions desperately need a win in Week 16. Detroit is 12-2 heading into Week 16 and currently holds a slim lead over Philadelphia and Minnesota in the NFC playoff standings. If the Lions want to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, they will need to keep winning games over the final three weeks of the regular season.
Detroit also needs the wins for pride. The Lions got humbled by the Bills 48-42 in a game where their defense simply couldn't get a stop. What's worse, the number of Lions defenders on injured reserve continues to climb. Detroit lost both Alim McNeill and Carlton Davis III on Sunday and have very few starters left from the beginning of the season.
That may not matter much in Week 16. Detroit takes on a Chicago team that feels directionless heading into the final stretch of the regular season. Caleb Williams and the Bears' offense has been streaky at best. Chicago's defense has been leaky as of late, though they are still a talented bunch.
Do the Lions have what it takes to get an important divisional win against the Bears? Or will Detroit lose two consecutive games for the first time since 2022?
Below we will discuss three Lions bold predictions ahead of their crucial Week 16 matchup against the Bears.
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Jared Goff spreads out Bears D, connects with several different receivers
Jared Goff's impressive performance in Week 15 feels overshadowed by the loss. Goff was nails in a big game against Buffalo. He threw for 494 yards and five touchdowns in a game where the Bills knew the Lions needed to pass to win the game.
Detroit cannot expect Goff to play at that level every week. However, it is good to know that he has it in him.
Goff is much better at managing Detroit's offense and eating opposing defenses up off play action. He thrives when picking teams apart with routes over the middle of the field.
The Lions will do everything they can to get back to their usual formula for winning games. That means that Goff will not be asked to do as much against the Bears as he did last week.
My prediction: Goff will complete passes to at least eight different receivers on Sunday. If the Lions can spread the Bears out on defense and pick them apart, they will find a way to win this game.
Jahmyr Gibbs gets a ton of carries, receptions after David Montgomery's injury
The best backfield tandem in the NFL just took a massive blow.
Sonic and Knuckles may soon just be Sonic. Lions running back David Montgomery suffered a brutal knee injury against the Bills that has his availability for the rest of the season in question. Montgomery has not yet been placed on injured reserve, but the team fears his season could be over if he needs season-ending surgery.
That means that Gibbs will need to step up and take over Detroit's backfield. One of the strengths of Gibbs' game is that he can run between the tackles as well as burn down the sidelines on the perimeter. However, the Lions will have to worry about how many touches they give Gibbs each week if they want him fresh for the playoffs.
All of that said, the Lions would love to secure the No. 1 seed before they start giving Gibbs any rest. I believe Detroit will lean heavily on him to get their 13th win of the season against Chicago.
My prediction: Jahmyr Gibbs will have at least 30 total touches on Sunday against the Bears. These will be split between carries and receptions, with more than 20 of them being carries.
Lions defense forces turnovers against Bears, limits scoring
The Lions are seriously depleted on the defensive side of the ball.
Detroit could field an entire defense with all of their injured defensive players. Those players include crucial starters like Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, and Alim McNeill. They also include a host of other players, including most of the team's linebacker and defensive line depth.
Some of these players can return for the playoffs, but none of them will play in Week 16.
The Lions must try something different on defense to make the most of their available pieces. If Aaron Glenn cannot cook up a good defensive game plan, the Lions will be toast come playoff time.
Thankfully, I believe Glenn and the Lions defense will give fans something to feel optimistic about on Sunday.
My prediction: Detroit's depleted defense will force at least two turnovers against Chicago.
