Griese Era Begins In Bears-Lions Showdown

Football Betting Lines

09/28/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears will have a new look under center when they travel to Ford Field this Sunday for an NFC North clash with the Detroit Lions.

After getting off to a 1-2 start under the guidance of quarterback Rex Grossman, Bears head coach Lovie Smith has decided to go with backup Brian Griese for this week's game against the Lions. Griese began taking snaps with the first team offense on Wednesday.

Grossman has been unable to keep possession for Chicago so far this year. Through three games, he has completed just 47-of-89 throws for 500 yards with one touchdown and six interceptions for a 45.2 passer rating.

He was particularly turnover-happy last weekend against Dallas, as he threw three picks en route to the Bears' 34-10 setback to the Cowboys. Grossman, who was booed by the Chicago faithful throughout the final quarter, passed for 195 yards and no touchdowns in that loss. In fact, his lone TD pass this year went to an offensive lineman.

So in steps Griese, whose last start came on October 16, 2005 while with Tampa Bay, when he guided the Buccaneers to a 27-13 win over Miami. In six games with the Bears last season, Griese completed 18-of-32 passes for 220 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

If Chicago is to rebound, now would be a good time. Sunday's game is the first of three straight for the Bears against division opponents. The club opens up NFC North play this weekend after playing outside of its division for the first three games.

The Bears are 10-2 against NFC North teams since 2005 and have won the division the previous two seasons.

Detroit, a doormat in this division for over the last decade, is trying to reverse that trend this season. They took a step in the right direction in Week 2, when they defeated Minnesota in a divisional matchup.

The club then ventured outside of the NFC North last weekend and was throttled by the Philadelphia Eagles, 56-21. The Lions trailed 35-7 by the second quarter, opening the playbook up for Jon Kitna, who went on to throw for a franchise-record and career-high 446 yards. He also tossed two touchdown passes with an interception in the setback.

Kitna's performance eclipsed the previous team record set by Charlie Batch on November 8, 2001. Batch threw for 436 yards against Arizona on that day.

The Lions, who failed in their quest to start 3-0 for the first time since 1980, will honor the 50th anniversary of their 1957 NFL Championship team on Sunday.

SERIES HISTORY

Chicago leads the all-time series with Detroit, which dates back to the 1930 season, 87-62-5. The Bears have swept home-and-homes in each of the last two seasons. Last season, Chicago was a 34-7 home winner over the Lions in Week 2, and took a 26-21 decision at Ford Field in Week 16. Detroit last won a game in the series in 2004, when it swept its home-and-home against Chicago.

Smith is 3-2 against the Lions as a head coach, while Detroit's Rod Marinelli is 0-2 against both Smith and the Bears as a head man. Smith and Marinelli both served as defensive coaches on Tony Dungy's staff with Tampa Bay from 1996 through 2000.

WHEN THE BEARS HAVE THE BALL

Chicago will hope a switch to Griese will help spark a Bears offense that currently ranks 30th in the league in yards per game (226.7), 30th in passing (139.3 yards per game) and 28th in points per game (11.0). Against the Cowboys, Chicago totaled just 239 yards of offense. One bright spot has been wideout Bernard Berrian (16 receptions), who made six catches for 73 yards. All six of those receptions accounted for first downs, as have 14 of his 16 caught passes this season. Another target for Griese, tight end Desmond Clark (9 receptions), made two catches for 58 yards against Dallas, while 2007 first-round pick Greg Olsen made his debut with Chicago and hauled in a pair of passes for 28 yards.

On the ground, Cedric Benson (189 rushing yards, 1 TD) will try to get a Chicago running game that ranks 26th in the league going. On the injury front, offensive lineman Ruben Brown is questionable for the game with an ankle injury suffered in the Dallas loss.

The Lions defense will try to rebound from a pounding at the hands of the Eagles last week. The unit was lit up for 536 net yards against Philadelphia, including 473 in the first half alone. That performance is a main reason why the club ranks 31st against the pass. Linebacker Ernie Sims (25 tackles) and safety Gerald Alexander (14 tackles) led the way with eight tackles each last Sunday. The Lions also totaled three sacks in the game, with linebacker Paris Lenon (23 tackles), defensive tackle Langston Moore and end Corey Smith all getting to the quarterback. Smith also forced a fumble in the loss.

Detroit has been a little better against the run this season, giving up 129.3 yards per game on the ground, which ranks 23rd in the league. Obviously, the Lions will hope for better play this Sunday out of corners Fernando Bryant (16 tackles) and Stanley Wilson (14 tackles), neither of whom have an interception this season. Defensive end Kalimba Edwards (ankle) missed last week's game and was unable to go in practice on Wednesday. He is considered questionable to play this week.

WHEN THE LIONS HAVE THE BALL

Roy Williams (20 receptions, 3 TD) was the recipient of Kitna's big day against the Eagles. The talented wide receiver hauled in nine passes for 204 yards, including a career-best 91-yard catch-and-run touchdown. Detroit's offense also saw the return of running back Kevin Jones, who carried the ball for three times for five yards, and scored from two yards out on his first carry since December 10 of last year. Jones suffered a foot injury on that day and hadn't played since. Detroit now hopes he can team with fellow back Tatum Bell (121 rushing yards, 1 TD) to give the Lions a solid 1-2 punch on the ground. Neither player got a chance to run the ball much versus the Eagles due to the large early deficit.

Shaun McDonald (18 receptions, 2 TD) made five catches for 76 yards last week, and he and fellow wideout Mike Furrey (15 receptions) could see more passes on Sunday, as rookie wide receiver Calvin Johnson may miss the game due to a back bruise. Johnson suffered the injury after making a leaping 39-yard catch against the Eagles in the second quarter. The Georgia Tech product did not return to the game, but should be okay to play on Sunday. More uncertain is the status of left tackle Jeff Backus, who left the Philadelphia game with a rib injury and is questionable for this week.

Chicago's smash-mouth defense may be missing some teeth against the Lions. Already without safety Mike Brown and defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek -- both are out for the season with torn ACL's -- linebacker Lance Briggs (groin), corner Nathan Vasher (groin) and defensive tackle Tommie Harris (knee) all suffered injuries against the Cowboys. Harris (8 tackles, 2 sacks) and Vasher (5 tackles) are expected to miss Sunday's game, as is cornerback Charles Tillman (18 tackles), who is dealing with an ankle sprain. Briggs (22 tackles, 1 sack) and safety Adam Archuleta (19 tackles) are more likely to play against Detroit. Archuleta broke his hand versus Dallas, but his been practicing on a limited basis this week. Those injuries opened up the door for linebacker Jamar Williams to lead the club with 10 tackles last week, while middle backer Brian Urlacher (20 tackles) recorded a pair of sacks to give him three in his last two games. Prior to his sack against Kansas City in Week 2, Urlacher hadn't gotten to the quarterback since October 16, 2005.

FANTASY FOCUS

For the Lions, Kitna and Roy Williams should get starts even against the Bears defense. However, because the team was unable to run last week due to the score, both Bell and Jones are risky plays since it is still unclear how each will be used. Due to Johnson's injury, Furrey should start getting more passes thrown his way. For the Bears, Griese will play safer than Grossman, but he still won't light up the scoreboard. However, Berrian should get a lot of opportunities to make some plays. Give Benson a start as well against a poor Lions defense.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Bears are going with Griese because Smith feels he will give the team the best chance to win. A poor Lions defense will make the Bears' new quarterback look a lot better than he is and Chicago should be able to put up a high number of points on the board for the first time this season. Although Chicago's defense is beat up, it should be able to shut down the Lions' non- explosive running game, meaning Kitna and Williams will have to step up. Detroit will be able to score against the Bears' wounded defense and if the game turns into an outright shootout, the Lions have a chance. However, Chicago will be just good enough to get by in this game, as it isn't quite ready to relinquish its NFC North dominance just yet.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Bears 24, Lions 17