You've stumbled into (Too) Bold Predictions, a weekly column that is exactly what it sounds like! Here, we'll take nuanced, well-researched information and use it to make wildly improbable predictions. Analysis!
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1. Chase Daniel has a passer rating of 100 or higher.
Yes, Daniel has only thrown 78 passes in his NFL career and last started a game in 2014. But consider this: Nine of the 10 quarterbacks to play against the Detroit Lions’ defense this year have had a passer rating of 93.9 or higher (the only one who didn’t, because sports make sense: Tom Brady). That group of nine quarterbacks includes the likes of Sam Darnold (116.8) and Brock Osweiler (114.9). The Lions having cornerback Darius Slay available – he didn’t play in Week 10 – will be important, but don’t discount Daniel’s ability to operate Matt Nagy’s offense, and operate it well against a generally-bad defense.
2. Tarik Cohen rips off a run of 50 or more yards.
The Lions’ run defense excels at limiting opposing running backs to one or two yards per carry…until someone breaks off an explosive run. The Bears weren’t able to do that in Week 10, but the week before, Dalvin Cook gained 70 of his 89 yards against the Lions on one run. Jordan Howard’s strength isn’t explosive runs, but Cohen has that ability, and will have an opportunity to hit home on one Thursday.
Cam Ellis
1. Khalil Mack has a pick-6, courtesy of Akiem Hicks.
The thought process goes like this: Khalil Mack shows up for nationally-televised games. Incidentally, Khalil Mack also shows up for regionally-televised games, but you know, whatever. The Bears love them some defensive touchdowns, and lead the NFL with 18 interceptions. Sometime in the 1st half, Akiem Hicks is going to get pressure on Matt Stafford and knock a pass right into the hands of Mack, who'll walk into the endzone for his first pick-six since Week 1.
2. The Bears screen pass the Lions into oblivion.
You surely have heard all the nonsense about Trubisky and screen passes, and while I don't personally put all that much stock into the argument, the Bears do call a lot of screen/bubble passes. From all accounts it seems like the offense is going to be too watered down with Chase Daniel at the helm, but I bet you see a slightly more conservative gameplan from Nagy tomorrow. Some Anthony Miller here, a lot of Taylor Gabriel there, etc. The Bears (and the rest of the NFL, for that matter) loves that trendy Trips formation, which gets used a lot in the short passing game. The Bears will want to get Daniel comfortable and in a zone early, and what better way to do that than a bunch of high-percentage plays?
