The Detroit Lions are getting set to open a new season in 2020, and as they get set to do so, they seem to have had an unfortunate carry over from 2019.
Last season, the Detroit struggle was defined by injuries. This year, the team is fighting much the same battles as they start a new season. Detroit will be missing several players before they even play a game, which is tough to note. Moreover, a few are bigger name starters. This has to be frustrating for the coaching staff and the players never mind the fans, who lived through last year’s struggle first hand.
Who is on the shelf for this week? Here’s a look.
Lions Inactives
Kenny Golladay, WR
Halapoulivaati Vaitai, T
Hunter Bryant, TE
C.J. Moore, S
Jeff Okudah, CB
Logan Stenberg, G
Jonathan Williams, RB
Lions-Bears Inactives Analysis
Obviously, the Lions will be in tough shape without Vaitai and Golladay, and missing a pair of solid offensive weapons to start the season is bad news. Losing Okudah isn’t great, either. The Lions have started the season with several injuries and many are of the hamstring variety. The Lions will have to get healthy in the coming weeks and shake off this struggle, because injuries derailed their 2019 season in a significant way. They cannot afford to let this happen again this season.
From the Chicago perspective, linebacker Robert Quinn is a big loss along the team’s defensive front which will be significant news as they try to slow down Detroit’s running game and pressure the pocket as well. Other than Quinn, Chicago will be without Duke Shelley in their defense. For these purposes, however, Quinn is likely the biggest loss considering the premium placed on pressuring the pocket, especially with the fact that Detroit has been unhealthy in the trenches. This will be a big challenge for both sides.
Lions vs. Bears Primer
Detroit and Chicago will tangle at 1 p.m. EST on Fox Sports. The game will be broadcast by Dick Stockton, Jon Vilma and Shannon Spake who will handle sideline duties. The telecast will also feature fake fans.
Coming into this game, the Lions will have to make sure that they can bottle up the Chicago attack, led by Mitchell Trubusky. Detroit has fallen victim to Trubisky before, which means the Lions will have to find a way to keep the quarterback in check. Additionally, the Lions will have to get solid play out of their defensive backfield this week on defense, which could be easier said than done against a solid group of wideouts which the Bears will present. As a whole, the Lions are a narrow favorite for this game, which makes sense given it is coming at home to start the year. Both teams are looking to bounce back after frustrating finishes to the 2019 season. Alex Kemp will be the referee.
With the revealing of these inactives, it’s almost time for Bears vs. Lions to kick off the 2020 season.
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