Detroit Lions vs Chicgao Bears Week 10 Recap: is Matthew Stafford Worse Than We Thought?

Lions Analysis: Lions 13 (6-3) Bears 37 (6-3)

What Happened:

Wow. I have not seen self destruction to that level in quite some time. Matthew Stafford playing with a broken finger might not have been a great decision. He threw 4 interceptions and two were returned for TD’s. Once again the Detroit Lions coverage units were exposed. Everything the Lions did right in week 5 versus the Bears they did wrong in week 10. Bears simply were mistake free, played great defense and special teams, and waited for the Lions to screw up.

Matchup outcomes:

1. Jeff Backus vs. Julius Peppers: Advantage Tie. Peppers had multiple pressures but he did so playing DT. When lined up against Backus he was mostly ineffective. Backus played decent and does not deserve the reticule he receives from the Detroit fan base.

2. Matt Forte vs. Detroit Lions Run Defense: Advantage: Lions Run Defense. Bears only ran for 109 yards in this game. That number is below the Lions average. Forte did score a touchdown but was mostly ineffective in the game. It’s too bad the offense and special teams messed up because the Detroit defense came to play.
3. Calvin Johnson vs. Charles Tillman: Advantage: Charles Tillman. Calvin Johnson might have had his worse game of his career. He was dropping passes and had a key fumble on the first drive of the game. Tillman did solid work on CJ. Problem Lions had was they did not take advantage of the attention CJ received. Where were Pettigrew and Burleson???.
4. Lions coverage units vs. Hester: Advantage: Devin Hester. Lions coverage units allowed this game to get out of hand. Hester almost busted every return he had on punt returns. He had one return called back because of a holding. I stated this was the key to the game and I think I was right.
5. Lions DL vs. Bears OL: Advantage: Lions DL. This game had nothing to do with a bad outing by the defense. They stopped Matt Forte and hassled and beat up Cutler. The Lions DL didn’t have their best game but were effective in getting 2 sacks and two forced fumbles. Cliff Avril had a very sound game.

Questions That Need Answers

1. How good is Matthew Stafford at this point in his career? I think he has all the talent in the world, but at this point in his career injuries have taken developmental time and have limited his effectiveness.

2. Who will replace Jahvid Best as Stafford’s security blanket? When Best went down many thought the run game would suffer. That is not true since Best is way more important in the passing game. With him gone no RB or TE has stepped up. Only man possible is Pettigrew and I think it is important to get him more involved.
3. Can the Lions make the playoffs with the coverage units being near the bottom of the league? What was strength last year has crippled them this year. I do not know what to tell the Lions other than this…learn to punt out of bounds and kick off through the end zone.

What’s Next?

Hosting the Panthers is a must win game. Panthers are struggling but are still a dangerous team. Panthers are 2-7 and have been destroyed the past few games but are still capable of beating the Lions. I look forward to this exciting game between 2 young QB’s.

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