Getty D'Andre Swift celebrates a score for the Lions vs. Philadelphia.
The Detroit Lions are trying to maintain some momentum into Week 10 when they go back on the road to take on the Chicago Bears and try to end a 13 game losing streak away from home.
Such a streak will only be ended if the team is playing cohesively and is ready to go. It’s safe to say the Lions will come in with some strong momentum, but the only question will be if they can make use of it.
Which players will be key to the victory this week? Here’s a look at some of the best names to watch for the Lions in terms of making a difference on the field in the contest.
D’Andre Swift, Running Back
So far this season, D’Andre Swift has shown in spurts what makes him such a dangerous player. He’s also struggled with injury, but was able to come back last week and make a few plays like he had in the past.
The Lions will want to see Swift manage to make some big plays to drive the running game as well as attract attention on offense. That’s going to be huge for the Lions to continue to move the ball effectively.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Wide Receiver
Much like Swift, Amon-Ra St. Brown has managed to return and spark the offense a bit. He was Detroit’s leading receiver last week, which was the good news. The bad news? He hasn’t made it in the end zone since
Against his brother, St. Brown is going to want to find a way to reverse that in a big way. If he can score, it would help the Detroit offense to feel much better about where they’re at on the field and would make the team more dangerous.
In the absence of Josh Reynolds, it will be important for St. Brown to step up and make something happen for a Detroit passing attack that needs some help.
Aidan Hutchinson, Defensive End
When the Lions needed a big defensive play last week, it was none other than Aidan Hutchinson who stepped up, securing a huge interception for the game to snuff out a drive.
This week, with a mobile quarterback in Justin Fields that can make life difficult, Hutchinson will have to stay home and make some plays. He will need good pocket discipline and will want to try and keep Fields in the box. It’s a big game for the whole defensive front, but Hutchinson stands to be one of the most important players the Lions can have.
Derrick Barnes, Linebacker
Fresh off arguably his best game in the league, Derrick Barnes will have to step up again and make some things happen on the field in this matchup.
With a scrambling quarterback, Barnes is going to have to stay at home and see what he can do over the middle of the field. While he hasn’t been as elite in coverage, Barnes can be good in that role, so he will be challenged to step up and provide something over the middle of the field.
Barnes should have some momentum, and depending on what happens with Malcolm Rodriguez, the Lions might be depending on him to have a big game again this week.
Jeff Okudah, Cornerback
While many might be focusing on what Kerby Joseph can do at safety, the more important player for this game may very well be Jeff Okudah given his ability to support the run and step up in coverage.
Chicago can slam the ball, so Okudah has to be locked-in in terms of run support just like he was against the Cowboys. That game, he piled up 15 tackles. If Okudah can do that, he will be in good shape to help Detroit snuff out a solid Bears offense.
As the game against Dallas showed, Okudah can be a beast in terms of standing up in the box in addition to playing wideouts. He has to do that again for the Detroit defense to survive this game as well as Fields.
Lions vs. Bears Prediction
Detroit 24, Chicago 17. The Lions manage to do just enough to stifle the Bears on defense, while their offense finds a way to execute outside. It’s a big win for Detroit to go back-to-back to get to 3-6 on the season, and a tough loss for a Chicago team that has played well recently.