Getty Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes of the Detroit Lions.
Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone didn’t impress former Chicago Bears scout Greg Gabriel during the Bears-Lions Week 14 matchup.
Chicago played well out of the gate, beating the NFC North-leading Lions at Soldier Field, 28-13. Anzalone, who has served as Detroit’s starting linebacker for each of the last three seasons, didn’t have his best game, though. The Lions LB was flagged for back-to-back penalties in the first quarter.
First, Anzalone was penalized for defensive holding on a third-and-4, giving Chicago another series of downs. Then, the very next play, he was flagged for unnecessary roughness after hitting Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney late after the WR had run out of bounds. That was likely the play that triggered Gabriel to criticize the Lions linebacker.
“Anzalone has been a cheap shot player going back to college,” Gabriel wrote on X, also calling the Lions defender “a dirty player” in a subsequent post.
Greg Gabriel Wasn’t the Only Critic of Alex Anzalone Week 14
Anzalone has been a cheap shot player going back to college
Gabriel worked in Chicago’s scouting department for eight years and was released by former Bears general manager Jerry Angelo in 2010. After over 30 years working as a scout in the NFL, he knows the league and its players better than most.
The former Bears scout regularly shares his opinions and expertise on social media, and he currently serves as an analyst for SB Nation’s Windy City Gridiron. It’s telling that he wasn’t the only one watching the game and calling out Anzalone for unnecessarily rough play.
“All Anzalone does is go head hunting,” the Irish Bears Show wrote on X.
“One of these weeks we will see Alex Anzalone actually play football and not just cheap shot/late hit everybody he sees,” analyst Jeff Mans wrote.
One of these weeks we will see Alex Anzalone actually play football and not just cheap shot/late hit everybody he sees…. #Lions
Before the game even started, one fan noted Anzalone had dove at the head of Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who was already-down, when the two teams last met back in Week 11:
Last time we played the Lions, many Bears fans thought #34 Alex Anzalone was HEAD HUNTING
This is something to watch close today. Refs need to protect Fields
You can get a look at Anzalone’s late hit on Mooney below, which also upset the entire ready of the Bears’ sideline:
Alex Anzalone with a late hit on Darnell Mooney right in front of the Bears’ sideline 😳
Bears Outplayed Lions on Both Sides of the Ball in Week 14 Win
Anzalone finished tied for the team lead in tackles with nine, but after coming from behind to beat the Bears 31-26 in Week 11, the Lions were outplayed on offense and defense Week 14. Fields went 19-33 for 223 yards and a passing touchdown, also rushing for 58 yards and a score.
Chicago’s offense had 20 first downs compared to Detroit’s 13, and the Bears gained 336 total yards of offense, while Detroit gained 267.
The Bears defense played well yet again, finishing with three turnovers and 4.0 sacks while holding the Lions to 1-5 on fourth down.
Beautiful route by DJ Moore to work across the DB’s chest and get open.
Beautiful throw from Justin Fields to hit his man deep. Magic. #Bears
The Bears have won two straight and three of their last four. With four regular season games remaining on the schedule, head coach Matt Eberflus says the team plans to use the final month of the year as one big opportunity.
“It’s opportunity for us to put our best foot forward and be able to stay the course and being able to keep coming together and keep executing at a higher rate, and there’s a lot of things out there that we can learn from,” Eberflus said after the win on December 10. “We’re going to take the same mindset, we’re going to look at the tape, and we’re going to try to make sure we look at it the right way. It’s not all rose-colored glasses because you won the game. You’ve got to learn from this game and get better.”