3 things to watch for when the Chicago Bears host the Detroit Lions

The Chicago Bears hope to avenge a Week 11 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

The Bears dominated the Lions for nearly 56 minutes of play at Ford Field only to see the Lions rally back to score 17 unanswered points.

It was a game where quarterback Justin Fields played great in both the pass and run game. The Bears know they can play with the best in the NFC North. They now need to show they can beat them.

That is one of the three things to watch for during Sunday’s matchup at Soldier Field…

The Chicago Bears need to jump out to the lead and then keep it.

The Lions have won three straight over the Bears. Two of those victories have come via the Lions rallying back from double-digit fourth-quarter deficits.

The Bears built up a 24-10 lead last season at Soldier Field only to see the Lions come back with two touchdowns to tie the game up. Fields made a spectacular dash for the endzone to get the lead back. It did not matter as the Lions marched 91 yards down the field to pick up the winning touchdown thanks to Cairo Santos missing the extra point on Fields’ touchdown.

This is the game where the Bears not only need to get the lead early but never give it back.

Can the Bears’ defense get Goff to throw them ball?

It is fair to ask how Goff will play in the cold weather. Especially since Goff played possibly his worst game as a pro in Bears weather. He threw four picks in 2018 against the Chicago Bears when he was with the Los Angeles Rams.

He played like he wanted to be anyplace but Soldier Field in December because of how cold it was.

It will not be frigid enough this Sunday to make him play like he wants to get to the locker room as quickly as possible.

The forecast has gone from being super cold to a high reaching the upper 30s. Goff should be able to operate in that weather.

So, let’s focus on those turnovers Goff tends to have when he plays the Bears.

Goff threw three interceptions when these two division rivals last played at Ford Field. The defense needs to replicate that number to give the Bears a shot at victory.

The run game needs to get going.

It is not supposed to snow or rain like previously forecasted. That does not mean the run game should not be a factor in this game.

Injuries to the wide receiver group also requires the run game to perform. Equanimous St. Brown has already been ruled out with a pectoral injury. There is a chance Tyler Scott will miss the game with a hamstring injury. Velus Jones Jr. is questionable with an illness (not that he would make much of a difference).

The Bears’ run game lately has been Justin Fields and not much else especially after D’Onta Foreman exited the last matchup with the Lions.

He is set to return this Sunday. This is a prime game for Foreman, Khalil Herbert, and Roschon Johnson to grind out yards and keep drives going. Also, it would be better to watch the Bears run the ball rather than try over 20 screen passes like they did two weeks ago in Minnesota.