(Too) Bold Predictions aims to take nuanced, well-researched information and use it to make wildly improbable predictions. Analysis!
J.J. Stankevitz
1. Khalil Mack has a feast.
So David Blough is starting instead of Jeff Driskel (and Matthew Stafford) in his first career NFL game. Yikes! The Lions may do whatever they can to protect Blough from Khalil Mack, but the mere threat of Mack might be enough to scramble Blough's decision-making. And after seeing Mack get a strip-sack last week against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants, I'll say he goes off today for an even bigger game: 3 1/2 sacks, bringing his season total to 10, and a forced fumble.
2. Anthony Miller goes over 100 yards AND gets his first TD of 2019.
Miller has been steadily playing better over the last month and a half, culminating with his six-catch, 77-yard showing against the Giants on Sunday. If the Bears go up tempo/no huddle more frequently, that'll be a great benefit to Miller, who's been at his best in those situations in 2019. Miller has only had one game in his career in which he's had over 100 yards with a touchdown...and it came against the Lions last year. He'll do it again on Thanksgiving.
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Cam Ellis
1. Kyle Fuller has 2 interceptions
After finishing last season with the most interceptions on the team (7), Fuller again leads the team (3) heading into Thursday's game in Detroit. It was this game last season that Fuller iced with a pick in the end zone. He should probably have more than three this season too, as a few times this season (Denver, LA) Fuller's struggled with drops. With the Lions starting David Blough, who is a real person, the Bears' secondary is going to get their chances.
2. The Game is Not Boring
On the surface, there's not a lot to like about this game. The Bears aren't great, the Lions are NOT great, and generally the early Thanksgiving game is more often background noise for chopping carrots or napping after that Turkey Trot. With that said, the last three Thanksgiving games in Detroit have finished as a one score game:
2016: Lions 16, Vikings 13
2017: Vikings 30, Lions 23
2018: Bears 23, Lions 16
So it's possible! Will it be pretty? Probably not. Don't sit down expecting Rams-Chiefs. But it won't be boring, so just set an alarm for the fourth quarter.
NFL
