For the third time in four years, the Detroit Lions will battle the Chicago Bears to open the three Thanksgiving Day games. The Bears won the previous two matchups by a narrow margin, and it looks like we could be heading for another close match on Thursday.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Chicago Bears open as a four-point favorite over the Lions.
The biggest question for both teams in Week 12 is who will play quarterback. For the Lions, starting quarterback Jared Goff missed Sunday’s match against the Cleveland Browns with an oblique injury that kept him from training all week. Early reports suggest he is likely to miss another game, but head coach Dan Campbell said after Sunday’s game that Goff is still considered a starter and could return by Thursday.
“If he can go, he’ll go,” said Campbell.
If Goff can’t leave, it will likely be Tim Boyle again as a starter. Boyle started his first NFL game of his career on Sunday against the Browns but couldn’t give the team a spark. He completed 15 of 23 passes for only 77 yards and two interceptions.
At the Bears, rookie Justin Fields took over from veteran Andy Dalton a few weeks ago, but Fields sustained a rib injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s Ravens loss and never returned. Early reports suggest Fields did not suffer any broken bones in his ribs, but the young quarterback will undergo further testing Monday. With a quick turnaround this week, its status seems dubious.
Even so, the Bears seemed to be doing fine on Sunday with Dalton behind the middle. After going goalless with Fields as quarterback, Dalton immediately executed a touchdown drive, including a 60-yard pass to Dalton Mooney. He also led a 10-game, 75-yard touchdown drive in the final four minutes of play to give Chicago the lead, but the defense couldn’t keep up to give Chicago the win.
The Lions leave Week 12 with a 0-9-1 record and are still looking for their first win under Campbell. Meanwhile, the Bears have had a five-game losing streak and their post-season hopes are fading at just 3-7 a year.
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