It’s not the season anyone had hoped for, but it’s finally coming to an end this Sunday.
The 8-8 Detroit Lions take on an NFC North rival, hoping to hand the Chicago Bears one last loss as they head to the playoffs, while the Lions hope to finish with a winning season.
At Pride of Detroit, we’ve got six keys to a victory from Erik Schlitt, a bold prediction from Brandon Knapp, and a new “On Paper” from Jeremy Reisman.
Once you’re done with that, here are some Week 18 picks, predictions, and thoughts from NFL analysts and writers.
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco: Bears 31, Lions 27
“The Bears are playing for seeding, while the Lions are looking for vacation spots. The Lions haven’t played well down the stretch, while the Bears have on offense. The Lions playing outside have been a different team in recent years, but the Chicago defense is not good right now. This is a shootout, with the Bears taking it.”
Sporting News’ Bill Bender: Bears 28, Lions 24
“This is yet another game where whether the Bears play their starters is a factor. Chicago can still get the No. 2 seed, which is a better playoff path. That extra home game would be huge for Caleb Williams, and the Lions have been on fumes the last two weeks. This will be different than Week 2 – when Detroit beat Chicago 52-21 in Ben Johnson’s return to Detroit.”
Pro Football Talks’ Mike Florio: Bears 27, Lions 20, and Chris Simms: Bears 31, Lions 27
“Ben Johnson remembers Week 2. And if there’s the slightest chance to return the 52-21 favor, he will.”
Four of five NFL.com analysts are rolling with the Bears. Brooke Cersosimo: 26 Lions, 24 Bears
“The Bears are the better team right now. There’s no questioning that. But these Week 18 tilts can get funky. Sunday is it for Detroit this season, while the Bears will go on to play for something bigger regardless of this game’s outcome. I’m taking Dan Campbell’s team in a close one.”
Four members of USA Today’s sports staff backed the Bears, while two think the Lions can get the job done.
“Dan Campbell is not going to let Chicago be the team that forces them into a sub-.500 season.” — Jon Hoefling, Lions win
“Ben Johnson’s team is going for a bounce-back win. At this point it’d be uncharacteristic if this Bears didn’t sprint through the regular season’s finish line.” — Blake Schuster, Bears win
Finally, seven of the eight experts who were polled at ESPN think Bears have this game in the bag.
And onto the rest of your notes.
- The Lions are hoping for an especially strong showing on the ground this Sunday.
- “The NFL doesn’t reward proximity to success. Once you’ve been there enough, you learn quickly that appearances don’t mean much if you’re not ready when you arrive.” Herman Moore shares some thoughtful words on the Lions’ relationship with the playoffs.
- The Lions-Vikings Christmas Day showdown drew a record number of eyeballs:
- Jack Campbell is a beast.
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