CHICAGO, Ill. — The Detroit Lions (12-2) are heading back on the road to face the Chicago Bears (4-10) in Week 16 at Soldier Field.
In this post, we’ll tackle three key questions before the game.
How much does Detroit’s offense change without David Montgomery?
While there may be some minor adjustments and new faces in the mix, not much is expected to change, as Jahmyr Gibbs is fully prepared for the increased responsibility.
The second-year running back has already accumulated 1,000 rushing yards this season, surpassing both his rushing and receiving totals from his breakout rookie year. Gibbs will take on the role of lead back, with the Lions also incorporating Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki, and possibly Jermar Jefferson into the mix.
Montgomery is undoubtedly the team’s battering ram and short-yardage weapon, but Gibbs has continued to prove that he’s more than capable of taking on the traditional running back responsibilities.
“Yeah, it’s why we have the room the way it is, and we’ve always felt like the running back room was a strength for us going into the season, and it stinks that Monty is going to be out, but Gibby’s really – he’s ready for this,” said Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. “We’ve seen a lot of growth from him over the last year and a half, and I think that he’ll take the bull by the horns and run with it.
“The guys that are depth players beneath him, Craig Reynolds, Jefferson and Vaki, those guys will have a great opportunity here to contribute as well. So, hopefully, we don’t miss a beat, and I really do believe that Gibby is ready for this.”
As for the Bears, what has changed since the firing of their head coach?
Not much, as they still haven’t secured a win. The Bears have lost eight consecutive games, with their last victory dating back to early October against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Since firing head coach Matt Eberflus, the Bears have failed to gain 300 yards of offense in both of their losses. Granted, they faced the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings, but they’ve scored just 25 points combined in those two games, and their defense has been a liability for a month, exacerbating the situation.
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has gone eight weeks without throwing an interception, but as mentioned, the Bears have lost every game during that stretch.
“Yeah, it’s hard to — it’s really hard to say that you’re gaining a lot of tendencies on just two games,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell commented. “So, we’re really using it all, you do kind of look at that, (Bears defensive coordinator) Eric Washington’s calling the defense now, I know him, got a lot of respect for him. (Bears interim head coach) Thomas Brown’s done a good job running the team, calling the offense.
“So, they’ve got things that they like, but they’re also — they have a lot of variety in what they do, and it’s hard to say with just two games. So, we’re going to prepare for really everything they’ve done. We have to be prepared for that. Inevitably, every week we get things that — unscouted looks, that’s where we’re at now, we get a lot of those, so we need to make sure that we’re looking for everything. We’ll have our guys prepared and ready to go.”
What happens next for the secondary without Carlton Davis III?
Things get interesting here, as the Lions are not only without Carlton Davis III but also missing depth cornerback and special teams standout Khalil Dorsey after their loss to the Bills last week.
Kindle Vildor is the likely replacement, and Amik Robertson may be shifted outside, while Brian Branch continues to play a significant role at nickelback. Emmanuel Moseley, who has been inactive for a couple of weeks following his season debut, is the wildcard.
What we know for sure is that Terrion Arnold, Robertson, and Branch will play crucial roles moving forward. The Lions might experiment to see what works best, but they are confident they have enough options to adjust as needed.
“Well, it all depends on the team that we’re playing against and the matchup that you have, and I think in this league that’s what you want to make sure, that your matchup is in position to where you can get the best of the other team,” said Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. “We’ve been fortunate to have guys like Branch, like Kerby (Joseph). (Ifeatu Melifonwu) Iffy’s clock has started on how we can utilize him. (Moseley) E-man, how we can utilize him.
“And then we just look at what that team has and what are the matchups that best fit. Even with Amik, do we have a guy that is similar to who he is that we can put him out there on, and we’re able to put him on the outside, put him on the inside, same with Branch. Branch still plays nickel for us if you take a look at the film, he’s still going to play in the slot, play man coverage. We just try to utilize that as much as we can.”
