The Chicago Bears look like they’re going to play it safe on Thanksgiving. Quarterback Mitch Trubisky was downgraded to doubtful for the game as he continues to deal with a sore right shoulder courtesy of the late hit he took from Vikings safety Harrison Smith last Sunday. Backup Chase Daniel will get the start and Trubisky will receive 13 days of rest ahead of the matchup with the New York Giants next week.
It’s a tough loss because Trubisky has played so well. One hates to lose their starting QB when the team is red hot on a four-game winning streak. Still, if there’s one place that will have zero sympathies for the Bears, it’s Detroit. The Lions are considerably more banged up than them at this point with a host of starters listed with various ailments.
Ezekiel Ansah and Damon Harrison are both dealing with shoulder problems. Darius Slay has been battling a knee issue for weeks. A’Shawn Robinson left the previous game against the Bears with an ankle problem. Yet none of those are the most concerning injuries of all.
Lions Wednesday practice report & game designations: pic.twitter.com/4ZtBDQpxCs
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) November 21, 2018
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Lions offense will be severely shorthanded against Chicago Bears defense
Running back Kerryon Johnson and wide receiver Marvin Jones have already been declared out for the game on Thursday with respective knee injuries. Why is this so significant? The Lions offense has generated 3,437 yards this year. Those two players have been responsible for 39.62% of that. They’ve also accounted for nine of their 23 total touchdowns (39.13%). That’s over a third of their entire offense that will be gone.
Johnson is the biggest loss. He rushed for 641 yards this year. The next closest on the depth chart has 183 yards. He’s been the sole driving force for their ground game. Keep in mind Detroit is 0-4 this season when they rush for fewer than 80 yards in a game. They had 74 the last time they played Chicago and that was with Johnson healthy. Without him? It’s going to be a struggle for quarterback Matthew Stafford.
