Final score prediction for Bears vs. Lions Week 11 game

The Chicago Bears (3-7) travel to Detroit to take on the NFC North-leading Lions (7-2) in what feels like a game that will tell us a lot about where the Bears are in their rebuild.

No, I don’t think the Bears will win this game. The Lions are legit. They’re a balanced team that’s taken on the personality of their head coach, Dan Campbell. They bite kneecaps.

Quarterback Jared Goff is playing the best football of his career. The two-headed monster backfield of former Bear David Montgomery and first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs can take over games, and pass-catchers like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and even Jameson Williams are tough to cover. And the Lions’ offensive line might be the best in the NFL.

Yeah, Detroit will be a massive challenge for coach Matt Eberflus’ defense. The Lions are No. 6 in scoring, No. 4 in passing offense, and No. 4 in rushing offense.

Good luck, Coach!

The Lions’ defense will be a formidable challenge for Justin Fields in his return to the starting lineup, too. They rank No. 3 in run defense, and there’s no doubt they’ll be spying QB1 all game. He’s making his first start since dislocating his right thumb in Week 6, and logic suggests that he will try to run as much as possible. Detroit will be ready.

For the Chicago Bears to keep this game close, they’ll need a big play (or two) on special teams and turnovers on defense. They don’t have the talent the Lions have right now, but they’re getting there. Campbell drew comparisons between the 2022 Lions and this year’s Bears earlier this week, which advances the theory that Chicago isn’t that far away from being a competitive team again.

I don’t know if we’ll see a competitive game in Detroit this week, but does it even matter? The goal for the Bears at this point in the season is to reach a conclusion about Justin Fields: Is he or isn’t he the quarterback of the future? Even if Chicago loses in Week 11, Fields can take a positive step forward and give GM Ryan Poles the confidence he needs to pass on a quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. He needs to play with consistency and keep the Bears in the game for as long as possible.

Back to that whole rebuild thing: if the Chicago Bears get the doors blown off them on Sunday, there’s a genuine cause for concern. Eberflus’ system … his scheme and the locker room culture … should start turning the corner if it’s going to work. The Bears don’t have to beat the Lions, but they must make Detroit know they’re in a dogfight for four quarters. If they do, Bears fans can feel good about the direction the team is going, one that has them with a 3-3 record over their last six games.

The Detroit Lions should demolish the Bears at Ford Field. But I’m starting to believe in where this team is headed, and I don’t think they’ll get blown out.

The Bears will lose, but it’ll be a fun game.

FINAL SCORE: LIONS 27, Bears 20

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