Lions' defense a big challenge for Bears
The Lions' stingy defense is not a welcome sight for a Bears offense that hasn't scored a first-quarter point in its last six games and has been shut out in the first half of three of its last five.
The heart of the Detroit defense is the front four led by two first-round picks: tackle Ndamukong Suh and end Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah, who have combined for 10 sacks, 5½ by Ansah.
Tackle Nick Fairley, another first-round pick (2011), has been out with a knee injury since Week 8, but C.J. Mosley has stepped up in his absence.
With the D-line, including ends Jason Jones and George Johnson, leading the way, the Lions are No. 1 in the league in points, rushing yards and average gain per rush allowed heading into the Thanksgiving Day meeting with the Bears in Detroit.
They're No. 3 in total yards allowed, No. 4 in third-down efficiency, No. 7 in interception percentage and No. 10 in passing yards allowed.
“(It's) their speed.” Bears coach Marc Trestman said of the Lions' defensive line. “They're physical; they're penetrators; they're relentless to the football.
“That's where it all starts for them — up front. It's not just the way they play the pass, but they play the run extremely well.”
The Lions are only 14th in sack percentage, but that's partly because teams have learned what can happen when quarterbacks don't get rid of the ball in a hurry.
“(You) can't hold on to anything,” said Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who has been sacked 26 times, including three times Sunday against Tampa Bay. “One, 2 and you've got to get to No. 3 pretty quickly.
“They do a great job of collapsing the pocket. They're coming off the edge, and they've got the big guys in the middle that are forcing the guards and everybody right into your lap. They make it really difficult.”
Cutler knows the Bears' best chance for success is for him to get the ball to his playmakers as soon as possible and hope they can make something happen.
“Against a team like this, you've got to get the ball out, and you've got to get some catch-and-runs,” Cutler said. “You've got to break some tackles because you're not going to be able to consistently push it down(field) 15-20 yards.
“A lot of things are going to be under 12 yards, under five yards, so you've got to get some catch-and-runs. That's where you're going to get your pushes down the field.”
Most opponents have found that trying to run on the Lions is like pounding your head against a brick wall, literally.
Only one team (the New York Jets in Week 3) has rushed for more than 90 yards against the Lions this year and nine of 11 opponents have been held to fewer than 80 yards on the ground. Six opponents have averaged 3.0 yards or less per carry.
Most defensive linemen say they have to stop the run before they can rush the quarterback. The Lions stop the run while they're going after the quarterback.
“(Their) thought process is: ‘We're going to go to the quarterback first, and then we're going to play the run,' ” said Bears offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer. “What that does for them is it gives them a lot of penetration, and then it's hard (for a running back) to cut back or go forward.
“You're trying to keep them on their side of the line of scrimmage in the running game, and in pass protection you've got to get on them fast.
“They are relentless. They don't stop. We've seen them over and over hitting quarterbacks. We want to make sure we're matching their aggressiveness.”
That and also getting rid of the ball in a hurry.
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