Lions will make passing attack do the talking
Detroit Lions receiver Roy Williams didn't guarantee a victory over the Bears on Wednesday. He tried that last season in Week 2, and the Lions were pounded 34-7 at Soldier Field.
But Williams did predict the Bears will have their hands full Sunday in Detroit trying to stop the Lions' passing attack, which ranks first in the league.
"We have the best group (of receivers) in the NFL," Williams said during a conference call with Chicago reporters. "We create a lot of mismatches.
"You bring your third corner in, that's the guy who's not good enough to be a starter. We have four guys that can start. So that's a mismatch there. Then if you go dime and you bring in your fourth corner, that's a waste of time."
There are better receiving duos in the NFL right now, but based on the numbers, no team can match Detroit's set of four receivers.
That could spell trouble this week for the Bears, who may be short-handed in the defensive backfield. Starting corners Nathan Vasher (groin) and Charles Tillman (ankle) both sat out Wednesday's practice.
This week's final injury report is not out yet, but it appears Tillman has the better chance of playing against the Lions. If Vasher sits out, Ricky Manning Jr. will be the starter. Rookies Trumaine McBride and Corey Graham could both see action.
The Lions (2-1) have been pass-intensive this season, averaging 46 attempts per game. Clearly, Detroit is feeling the influence of second-year offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who made his name calling plays for the St. Louis Rams' two Super Bowl teams.
"We're fastbreak, baby," Williams said. "We run and gun. That's what we do. It's a fun offense to be in.
"What's so scary is we're putting up numbers and we haven't even played ball yet. We made some plays, but we've messed up more times than we've done things correct and we've put up numbers like this. So this offense can do anything it wants to do."
The 6-foot-3 Williams is the class of the Lions' receiving corps. A product of Odessa (Texas) Permian, the high school of "Friday Night Lights" fame, Williams ranks No. 1 in the NFC in receiving yards (335) and is second in catches (20).
Rookie Calvin Johnson, the No. 2 overall pick from Georgia Tech, has 10 catches for 189 yards and is suffering from a bruised back, but he expects to play against the Bears.
The other two receivers have less obvious pedigrees. Mike Furrey (10 catches, 155 yards) is a former XFL and Arena League star who switched to safety for the Rams in 2005. After joining the Lions, Furrey led the NFC in receptions last season with 98.
Shaun McDonald (18 catches, 237 yards) is another former Ram. During four seasons in St. Louis, McDonald started just three games and never caught more than 46 passes in a season. He's on pace to break that milestone by midseason.
Quarterback Jon Kitna set a franchise-record with 442 passing yards in last week's 56-21 loss at Philadelphia. Kitna and Williams connected for a 91-yard touchdown.
The biggest problems for Detroit's offense have been too many sacks (15) and a running game that ranks 29th in the league.
"We've got some really electric receivers and I like our quarterback a lot," Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. "So we've just got to keep adding some balance to it and pass block."