Getty Nick Foles winds up to throw a pass for the Bears in a 2020 game.
The Detroit Lions have a unique challenge this week on defense in the form of the Chicago Bears, thanks to the fact that the team has multiple options for who will play quarterback.
The injured Andy Dalton could return, while Justin Fields could play even after he was dinged-up in Chicago’s lopsided loss to the Cleveland Browns. Even Nick Foles, the team’s third-string quarterback could see time. Truthfully, anything is on the table for the Bears, which could make them a bear to prepare for.
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Never mind that according to Detroit coach Dan Campbell, though. When speaking with the media on Wednesday, September 29, Campbell said that while there are some differences to note, for the most part, the Lions feel as if they will know what to expect in either situation and will be ready for either Andy Dalton or Justin Fields at quarterback this week.
“It’s a little bit different. Certainly there’s a little more under center with (Andy) Dalton where (Justin) Fields was more in the gun, but as the game went on, they started to put him under center, more boots, get him out of the pocket and get him on the move. There’s some things we got to prepare for. That’s alright, we’ll be ready for both,” Campbell said.
In terms of Fields, Campbell said that he believes there have been some positives to note early for the rookie quarterback that the Lions will have to defend against on the field, especially when looking at his performance in the second half of Week 3.
“I feel like if anything they’re going to try to do a little more of what they did in the second half with him. Look, he had some struggles early, but there were signs of life at the end of that tape when you watch him,” he said. “There’s some things where maybe it wasn’t always the right read, but he’s pulling the trigger. He’s not waiting in the pocket, he’s trying to diagnose quicker, they’re getting him out on the perimeter. There’s some things to where ok, I think they probably gathered some information on things that can help him. So those are the things we have to be ready for.”
Regardless of who starts or who plays in what role, count on a revved-up Lions’ defense being ready to go and well-schooled.
Campbell Explains How Lions Would Defend Nick Foles
A wild card could come into the quarterback competition in the form of Nick Foles, who could see time this week as well. During his presser on Monday, Bears coach Matt Nagy admitted that Foles could be in the mix to play against the Lions as well. If that is something that plays out, it sounds as if Campbell won’t be surprised, and already knows how he would handle the situation.
“I think that certainly Fields is going to play some, but I’m sure if Dalton can go, it will be him and if not it will be Foles. I think it will be a lot of, just knowing the background of Foles, gun-run type things, RPO’s. Which is some of the things that they were trying to do with Fields. I think Dalton brings a little more variety just on what he is able to do, but we’ll be ready for both,” Campbell said.
Thus far this season, Foles hasn’t registered a stat, but given the injury situation, there’s a lot at play for the team at quarterback. The fact that Campbell seems ready for Foles as well seems potentially telling as it relates to who could line up under center for the Bears this weekend.
Campbell Praises Struggling Bears’ Offense: ‘They Can Punch It’
As a whole, Campbell understands the danger the Bears offense presents, even though the team has had an underwhelming start to the 2021 season. As he highlighted, the team has some weapons that can impact the game no matter who might be under center on any given day.
“Offensively, it’s kind of the tale of who that quarterback will be. But we know they’ve got a good receiver, they’ve got a good back. We know they can punch it offensively, and so, that’s what we’re getting ready for,” Campbell told the media.
Thus far this season, the Bears are ranked dead-last in the league in total offense with just 191.7 yards per-game. The team’s passing offense is 32nd in football as well, putting up a comical 90.7 yards per-game with only 1 touchdown. Things don’t get much better on the ground, where Chicago is 20th in the league at 101 yards per-game with just 2 touchdowns. Add it all up and the statistics are fairly ugly for the Bears.
Never mind any of that if you’re the Lions, though. It’s clear Campbell expects his team to be more than ready to go on the field in Week 4, and it starts at quarterback.
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