Bears @ Lions
Final Score: Bears 16, Lions 14
Writer: Mike Miklius (@SIRL0INofBEEF on Twitter)
Everybody joked that they would rather spend their time with family than watch this game. I’m a Bears fan, but I get it. The first quarter was mostly uneventful, save for one Detroit play: a 39-yard touchdown to Josh Reynolds. The second quarter belonged to Chicago, with a pair of field goals sandwiching a Jimmy Graham touchdown. Detroit retook the lead in the third quarter thanks to a TJ Hockenson touchdown, and then Chicago won it as time expired on a last-second field goal. Detroit’s game plan involved dinking and dunking all day long, and it almost worked. Jared Goff’s high completion percentage is largely thanks to his average throw traveling only a few yards in the air. For Chicago, this seemed like a David Montgomery game. I expected 25+ carries as the Bears controlled the clock. Instead, Andy Dalton threw the ball 39 times thanks to a lack of pressure from the Lions. The Bears (4-7) host the Cardinals (9-2) next week while the Lions (0-10-1) will host the Vikings (5-5).
Chicago Bears
Quarterback
Andy Dalton: 24/39, 317 yards, TD, INT, sack | 6 carries, 11 yards
With Justin Fields still out with concussion symptoms, Andy Dalton was once again called to lead the team. He played solidly, as we’ve often seen in his career. There was a nice deep shot to Darnell Mooney, and Dalton led a number of drives into Detroit territory. Dalton did enough to win this game, and that’s all the struggling Bears can truly ask for at this point. To be fair, though, Dalton made mistakes as well. There were at least three throws I saw that could have easily been picked off, and one of them was.
.@AmaniO holds on to this one. PICKED. #OnePride
📺: #CHIvsDET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/OPf7MKsvmu— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2021
There was also the fact that he had plenty of time to throw; the Detroit pash rush was basically nonexistent today. It’s probably a fair question to ask which Bears quarterback makes the team better week to week. Long term, though, it’s no contest.
Congrats, Andy Dalton. You get a Fox football trophy for beating an 0-9-1 team because it just happened to take place on Thanksgiving. pic.twitter.com/tpPjkY4JLx
— Cork Gaines, Ph.D. (@CorkGaines) November 25, 2021
Running Backs
David Montgomery: 17 carries, 46 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 28 yards
Khalil Herbert: 4 carries, 9 yards
This game felt like a slam dunk for David Montgomery; the Bears were without their starting quarterback and they were playing the hapless Lions on a short week. That screamed ‘run the ball’ more than anything. Chicago had trouble maintaining drives for long stretches though. David Montgomery played well in his typical fashion: he runs hard and hits contact with a passion. There just wasn’t much space today and it’s probably why the team threw so much. The Bears have a pair of tough games coming up (Arizona and Green Bay) so I don’t expect to see much positive game script. At least they have extra time to prepare. Khalil Herbert saw a few carries but never had a chance to get rolling. As I mentioned last week, Herbert is merely a handcuff.
my family trying to stop me from getting thirds pic.twitter.com/FGEdz5mv5T
— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2021
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Darnell Mooney: 8 targets, 5 receptions, 123 yards | 1 carry, 2 yards
Cole Kmet: 11 targets, 8 receptions, 65 yards
Damiere Byrd: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 42 yards
Jimmy Graham: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 34 yards, TD
Jakeem Grant: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 25 yards | 1 carry, 0 yards
Darnell Mooney continues his push to be considered a true fantasy WR1 with another 100-yard game. He is averaging more than 87 yards per game over his last four contests in the league’s worst passing attack. Mooney flashed his usual speed and elusiveness and highlighted his day with a 52-yard grab. On the play, Mooney ran past double coverage and got wide open for his long grab.
MOON BALL. @darnell_M1
📺: #CHIvsDET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/hur6ozJios— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2021
He caught a ball in tight coverage over the middle and looks the part of the team’s number one option. He still makes some mistakes though. Mooney dropped what looked like a sure catch on the first drive that could have kept things rolling, and Chicago had to punt it away instead. Cole Kmet was getting peppered with targets and put up a solid day as a result. The biggest issue for him is losing high-value targets to Jimmy Graham and Jesse James. If Kmet can grab those red zone looks, he will quickly become a true TE1.
Thankful for more touchdowns.
Dalton to Graham gives Chicago the lead!
📺: #CHIvsDET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/awGe4BfXdM— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2021
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 21/25, 171 yards, 2 TD
Jared Goff finished with a solid-looking day, but there wasn’t much to see here. Goff’s day was built around tossing the ball short to the running backs and letting them try and do something with it. There was a point early in the game where D’Andre Swift saw three straight targets and I honestly thought that was the Lions’ only plan. Goff did have a nice strike to Josh Reynolds, however, hitting him for a 39-yard touchdown. Goff is not on the fantasy radar, and Detroit is obviously looking towards the future as they amass draft picks each year. They will soon be grabbing a new quarterback.
Goff serves up a DIME to his old friend Josh Reynolds!
39-yard @Lions touchdown #OnePride
📺: #CHIvsDET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/KnVquaWB1M— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2021
Goff goes for seconds.@Lions take the lead! #OnePride
📺: #CHIvsDET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/LL2UG4Xqgg— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2021
Running Backs
D’Andre Swift: 3 carries, 0 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 9 yards, fumble
Jamaal Williams: 15 carries, 65 yards | 5 targets, 5 receptions, 18 yards
Godwin Igwebuike: 1 carry, 11 yards | 1 target
D’Andre Swift was looking good early until he got hurt. Swift was run out of bounds, and linebacker Roquan Smith landed on him. Swift hurt his shoulder on the play and didn’t move as he lay on the ground. He was taken to the locker room and ruled out for the game. Swift was seen on the sideline in a shirt and shorts. Keep an eye on updates to see what next week brings. Jamaal Williams, meanwhile, feasted in Swift’s absence. Williams became the workhorse and ate well thanks to a Bears defense that was willing to give up short passes. Williams looks like a good option as long as Swift is out.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Josh Reynolds: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 70 yards, TD
TJ Hockenson: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 35 yards, TD
Amon-Ra St Brown: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 23 yards
Kalif Raymond: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 16 yards
This group of pass-catchers is pretty uninspiring. Still, there is some good we can say today. Josh Reynolds looked fast on his long touchdown catch. He got behind his defender, and there was no help over the top as he ran free for a big score. Given the conservative game plan, though, he didn’t get many looks. TJ Hockenson still looks like he can be part of a good offense. He made a nice catch on his own touchdown–which looked like it could have been the deciding score. Amon-Ra St Brown and Kalif Raymond both made a few catches of their own, but nothing worth noting. We know what the Lions are, and they are not exciting.
— Mike Miklius (@SIRL0INofBEEF on Twitter)