Soldier Field (Chicago)
The wildest three opening weeks of NFL championships seem to have come to an end. In those three weeks, more outsider wins have occurred than at any time in the modern era of the National Football League. What was that all about? And most importantly: will this trend continue in week 4? Honestly, how can one bet when it's a season of surprises and unexpected results? Maybe we should look for something as clear as possible? Let's give it a shot!
Bears are not impressive
The Chicago Bears are in search of their game. Especially after last week's dismal offensive play.
Chicago now has one win with two losses. And they just blew their offensive game last week in Cleveland (a 6-26 loss). 42 takeaways for 47 yards!!! That's one of the worst scores in NFL history.
For rookie Justin Fields the previous week was a nightmare. The Bears quarterback threw for 67 yards and got a sack 9 times!
The No. 11 overall pick in this year's draft is still the team's second quarterback. He played in Cleveland because of Andy Dalton’s knee injury, whom the Bears coaching staff still calls first.
But, unlike their opponent, Chicago's defense is fine. Chicago has 11 sacks, thanks to the great play of the star couple Quinn-Mack. That makes the team that much more established, as defense has been the cornerstone of the Bears' game in recent years.
Add to that the excellent takeout play of running back David Montgomery this season. The takeaway against the Browns is dismal, but Montgomery's season numbers (203 yards per carry) are the fifth best in the NFL.
Detroit clearly can't find their game
As recently as last year, Detroit's biggest hope of the last decade, quarterback Matthew Stafford, lost patience. He came to the team at its darkest times, when they hit rock bottom, losing every championship game. Since then, Stafford had established himself as one of the NFL's most powerful players, leading the team to the playoffs several times, and their duo with Calvin Johnson was considered the strongest in American soccer. But that was the maximum the Lions were capable of. The constant shuffling of the lineup, lack of a clear lineup and normal carry, and many, many other problems.
Johnson was the first to give up: the star receiver simply ended his career at his peak. Stafford lasted a little longer, but when it became clear that the team was facing a new course change, he asked to leave.
There was no way the now-aged quarterback could accept that. The team's front office recognized Stafford's loyalty and sent him to Los Angeles where he had a better chance to show great performance. And in return, the Lions got a younger Jared Goff, who led the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl a few years ago. Except Goff seems to have regressed since that very season. Right? As the first few weeks of the new championship season have shown, Detroit's new quarterback is having a tough time.
In his first game of the season, Jared Goff throws an interception, has just a 30.0 quarterback rating with 19 inaccurate passes. The result is a 33-41 loss to San Francisco.
Game two - and Goff makes 10 inaccurate passes out of 36 completed. It’s better! But in doing so, he again allows an interception and two fumbles. Green Bay turns out stronger (17-35).
Finally, in the game against Baltimore, Goff doesn't throw a single touchdown. No interceptions this time either, though. A tedious, hard-fought game once again ended in a 17-19 defeat.
Of course, Goff isn't Detroit's only problem. There are too many of them! The takeaway, the line, the defense. New coach! New coach? Honestly, I like Dan Campbell. He's emotional. He's a tough guy. He's a risk taker. But so far, his risks have only come in defeats. Like the decision to play fourth down in the second half against the Packers. That decision was fatal.
In summary, Detroit is having a very difficult time!
Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions: form
Detroit has a seven-match winless streak. The previous win came just against Chicago last season when the Lions outscored their opponent away at Soldier Field on December 6, 2020.
That loss was the sixth in a row for the Bears.
But after that, the teams went their separate ways. Detroit lost every official game, both last season and this season. Chicago won 3 straight games and made the playoffs last year. And this year, they managed to beat a tough Cincinnati in Week 2 of the championship.
Expert Betting Tips
Can Detroit win and break the losing streak that’s been burdening the team since last season? There seems to be a chance against Chicago. The Chicago Bears are still searching for themselves, especially trying to build their offense.
But the one definite advantage that the Bears have is their defense.
Oh, and young Fields is often praised, even by his future opponents.
"He's a talented guy and he's growing. You can see that. A lot of things aren't working out so far. But he's ready to learn and grow!" - Jared Goff says of his future opponent.
Betting options:
- Handicap Chicago (-3) for 1.91;
- Chicago To Win for 1.57.
Other predictions
