Getty Trey Flowers makes a play against the Falcons in 2020.
The Detroit Lions have lost a few players in the first few weeks of the 2021 season, but on the most part, they escaped a fierce Week 3 battle against the Baltimore Ravens in fairly decent shape.
As the Lions shift their focus from the AFC North back to their own division, the team is in decent shape as a whole in terms of injuries to start the week, aside from a tough case that seemingly won’t go away from one of their veteran players on the defensive side of the ball.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
How do things shape up for the Lions this week? Here’s a look at what clues the early injury report provides fans as the team gets set to tangle with the Chicago Bears for the first time this season.
Lions Week 4 Injury Report vs. Bears
Obviously, these are some of the usual suspects for the Lions lately given the repeated presence of Flowers, Brockers, Okwara and Swift. The Lions have been trying to keep Brockers and Swift healthy since training camp and the preseason, and it seems that neither is in too bad of shape with this injury. Okwara is a bit dinged up, but played through the pain in Week 3, and barring a setback, the expectation is he will be able to do that for the Lions once more in Week 4. The biggest case to watch remains Flowers, who was missed on defense in Week 3, and could be primed to once again miss the action. That would become a significant loss for Detroit’s defense.
Lions vs. Bears Primer
The Lions and the Bears represent one of the more classic rivalries in the league thanks to the age of both teams and their proximity to one another. So far this season, both team have scuffled to start the year, and that is true even though the Bears have picked up a win for a 1-2 record while the 0-3 Lions remain winless. So far, the Bears are playing solid defense, packing the 12th rated total defense in the league allowing 350 yards per-game. Chicago also gets after the quarterback well, with 11 sacks. Offensively, however, the team leaves a lot to be desired. 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 tough 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.
Detroit, on the other hand, has been balanced, figuring as the 17th rated offense and 22nd rated team in terms of total defense. This shapes up to make this game an interesting affair, where either team could come out ahead. Both have been rankled by injuries, so whoever is able to overcome these factors should excel in the game.
READ NEXT: Dan Campbell: Lions Will Be Ready for Bears’ Quarterbacks