Bears vs. Lions: Matthew Stafford out, Chicago catches break

Suddenly, the Chicago Bears catch a huge break going into a must-win game against the Detroit Lions.

Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford has been officially ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

In a surprising development overnight, Stafford’s back injury became a bit more serious than most originally thought. He was on the injury report this week and listed as questionable, but doctors told him they would not let him play due to fractured bones in his back.

For the Lions, this is a huge disappointment. Stafford has been fantastic this season, leading the Lions passing attack to the league’s no. 3 overall unit and averaging just under 300 yards per game.

On the flip side, this is a huge break for the Bears. Their defense has been a bit vulnerable to the run this season at times, but they’ve been much better against opposing quarterbacks. Now, they’ll face backup quarterback Jeff Driskell, who started five games as a rookie last year in Cincinnati. He went 1-4 in those games, completing 59.7 percent of his passes and throwing for 1,0003 yards, six touchdowns and just two picks.

Driskell has some weapons to work with, though. Both Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay are big plays waiting to happen at any second. Each of them can put up highlight reel catches at the drop of a hat, and the Bears defense better be ready. Come after Driskell early and often, and force bad decisions. That’s the game plan.

At 3-5, Chicago faces a desperation game today. There is no chance they wind up back in the playoff mix if they lose this one. Going up against the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers over the second half of the season is not exactly ideal for a team in the Bears’ state right now.

As it stands, the Bears could absolutely finish this season with just six or seven wins. But, if they can get a quality game out of their defense today, their season is not dead yet. Not to mention, this team needs to see Mitchell Trubisky turn things around even just a little bit. If not, they won’t be going anywhere, even if they win against Detroit without Stafford.