Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears
The Lions took an early lead and looked they might stymie the struggling Bears’ offense. Then the Bears came alive–well a little bit. Mitch Trubisky led the Bears on a 10-play, 80-yard drive for a 7-6 lead. Chicago put up another 13 in the 3rd quarter and the outcome was never in doubt from that point on.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
- Jeff Driskel: 27/46, 269 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks | 5 carries, 37 yards
It was announced that Matthew Stafford was out with a back injury, so we went into the mystery box to see what Jeff Driskel could give us. To be honest, I was pretty impressed. Sure, Driskel wasn’t asked to do much early. However, he constantly evaded the rush and made some nice throws. On his lone touchdown pass, Driskel evaded a rusher and threw a strike to Kenny Golladay right before he was knocked down. Ultimately, however, Driskel wasn’t asked to do much. He frequently checked down to the running backs and thrived on short throws. This worked early, but it made the offense predictable. Driskel led a pair of nice drives late, but the second fell short due to an untimely drop. Hopefully, Driskel can keep the Lions receivers afloat if Stafford misses another week.
Running Backs
- Ty Johnson: 5 carries, 16 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 3 yards
- J.D. McKissic: 10 carries, 36 yards | 7 targets, 6 receptions, 19 yards
- Paul Perkins: 7 carries, 9 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards
Were you hoping to get a little bit of clarity on the Detroit backfield this week? Yeah, me too. Ty Johnson had 5 carries and a catch in the first 10 minutes of the game, and he was well on his way to a solid day. Then he left the game concussed and he never came back. So much for clarity.
Once Johnson left, J.D. McKissic took over the lead role and he looked decent. McKissic ran strong, including through two facemask grabs that went uncalled. It looked like the Bears’ defense was hoping to injure all of the Lions’ running backs. McKissic was also heavily used in the passing game, though much of this comes from being Driskel’s security blanket. I don’t expect the volume to hold up next week if either Stafford is back OR Johnson is healthy again. Still, if Ty is out then McKissic could be in line for a nice workload on the ground.
Paul Perkins saw 7 carries, and just about all of them reminded me why the Giants dumped him. He isn’t on any radar in any league format–save for those where you want to start all the worst players.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Kenny Golladay: 9 targets, 3 receptions, 57 yards, 1 TD
- Marvin Jones Jr.: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 77 yards
- TJ Hockenson: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 47 yards
- Danny Amendola: 8 targets, 4 receptions, 29 yards
The best takeaway from this game is that the passing game didn’t fall apart. With Stafford out, there was at least some chance Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. would become unusable. Luckily, Driskel kept the ship afloat. Kenny Golladay was the top target, and his touchdown reception was a great play. He appeared to push off on his defender, but it wasn’t enough for a flag. Golladay had a chance for a big catch late, but he dropped it on fourth down giving the ball back to Chicago.
Marvin Jones Jr. was mostly quiet until the last drive when Detroit was playing catch-up and he became a target monster. I blame the frequent check-downs and the overall conservative gameplan. Still, it wasn’t a bad output all things considered.
TJ Hockenson was blanked until the final quarter, and he should continue to be seen as a risky play. I like the talent, but he just isn’t involved enough yet to be reliable.
Danny Amendola saw a lot of targets, but most of them were short dinks and dunks to get Driskel comfortable. This kind of production hardly excites me, and I’m not rushing to grab him based on the volume.
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
- Mitch Trubisky: 16/23, 173 yards, 3 TD, 5 sacks | 3 carries, 8 yards
Days like today are what I’m most worried about in terms of the Bears’ future: Mitch Trubisky puts together some good tape and Bears fans start to say things aren’t that bad. They start to buy back in. I don’t want any more of this rollercoaster. To be fair, Trubisky did play well today. He really, truly did make some great throws, and it reminded me of the good old days (ie. last year). There was a nice scramble early that almost lead to a big catch by Trey Burton. There were a pair of well-placed touchdown throws. There was even composure as the center forgot how to effectively snap the ball in the second half. The volume is still pathetic, but I’m hoping this leads to Chicago taking more chances. The offense can’t function if it isn’t willing to strike 10+ yards down the field.
Running Backs
- David Montgomery: 17 carries, 60 yards
- Tarik Cohen: 3 carries, 14 yards | 4 targets, 4 receptions, 23 yards, 1 TD
David Montgomery now seems to be getting a reliable workload, averaging almost 20 carries a game over his last three outings. Montgomery has run hard and fights well through first contact, constantly pushing for more yards. However, it was discouraging to not see him targeted in the passing game. Montgomery should continue to be the workhorse, though there isn’t much touchdown upside in this offense if it stays on its current trajectory.
Tarik Cohen has been a frustrating player this year, though I don’t blame him. Watching the Bears offense, it feels like they completely forgot how to use their small but explosive running back. Today was much better. Cohen was regularly targeted in open space, and he scored his touchdown on a catch out of the backfield. Better yet, he wasn’t slammed straight forward into the line today.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
- Allen Robinson II: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 86 yards
- Taylor Gabriel: 6 targets, 4 receptions, 39 yards, 1 TD | 1 carry, -1 yard
- Anthony Miller: 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards
Allen Robinson had a solid day, catching six of his nine targets. He was involved throughout the game, though Trubisky locked in on his favorite receiver at certain points. He looked Robinson’s way three times on the last drive of the first half, and then three more times on the first drive of the second half. Robinson continues to impress when the ball comes his way, and he would be a household name on a better offense.
Taylor Gabriel could very well be the second-best receiver on the team, but that makes him all but worthless in fantasy. He serves as a poor-mans DeSean Jackson, but the Bears don’t like going deep.
Anthony Miller saw a pair of targets early (two in the first half) before he left the game injured. He was thrown into heavy contact by Trubisky, and the ensuing hit forced a drop and Miller leaving the game. I imagine this is why Miller’s name didn’t pop up again in the box score. Despite my hopes for a breakout, he is droppable if you need the roster spot.
— Mike Miklius