The Bears are an enormous 8.5-point underdog this week, likely leading to an extreme passing game script.
This game will be played in a dome—which means zero wind, increased pass volume, increased TD potential, and better passing efficiency.
Opposing offenses have averaged 37.8 pass attempts per game vs. the Detroit Lions defense this year: 6th-most in the league.
Justin Fields’s throwing accuracy has gotten better this season, with his Completion% increasing from 60.3% to 64.5%.
Opposing offenses have passed for the 2nd-most yards in football (276.0 per game) versus the Detroit Lions defense this year.
Cons
The Chicago Bears boast a new play-caller this season in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, and THE BLITZ projects their pass/run mix to tilt 7.0% more towards rushing than it did last season (context-neutralized).
THE BLITZ projects the Chicago Bears to be the 2nd-least pass-heavy team on the slate this week with a 47.6% pass rate, given their underlying tendencies and matchup dynamics.
THE BLITZ projects this game to have the 4th-smallest volume of plays run on the slate this week at 127.3 plays, accounting for the tendencies of each team and game dynamics.
The Chicago Bears have called the 3rd-least plays in the league this year, totaling a mere 53.9 plays per game.
THE BLITZ projects Justin Fields to attempt 27.8 passes in this week’s game, on average: the 2nd-least of all quarterbacks.