How Serious a Threat are Bears to Lions?

Evaluating the threat that Chicago poses to Detroit in the NFC North

The Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears are at different stages of their rebuilds. 

The Lions are all but done with the building portion. General manager Brad Holmes has constructed a roster capable of competing for a championship in 2023. 

Meanwhile, in Chicago, general manager Ryan Poles is still working to build the roster. It was a difficult 2022 season, as the team finished with the worst record and subsequently the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Poles ultimately decided to trade the pick, giving his team a plethora of draft capital. The Bears have also been active in free agency, and will have a new-look roster in 2023. 

Here's a look at where the Bears stand heading into the season.  

What to know

2022 record: 3-14

Record vs DET: 0-2, 31-30 L (11.13.22), 41-10 L (1.1.23)

The first matchup was all Bears through three quarters, as they led the Lions, 24-10, heading into the fourth quarter. 

Yet, the Lions refused to go away, and ultimately stole the win after a strong fourth quarter. Cairo Santos missed a key extra point, and Jamaal Williams scored the game-winning touchdown with 2:21 remaining. 

The second game was a dominant win for Detroit. As a team, the Lions rushed for 265 yards. 

Head coach: Matt Eberflus (Second season: 3-14)

2022 season stats: 19.2 PPG (23rd), 307.8 YPG (28th), 27.2 PAPG (32nd), 375.9 YAPG (29th).

Key additions

• LB Tremaine Edmunds
• WR D.J. Moore
• LB T.J. Edwards
• G Nate Davis
• RB D'Onta Foreman
• TE Robert Tonyan

The Bears overhauled their roster over the offseason. In addition to landing multiple first-round picks, trading the No. 1 overall pick also landed them a top wideout in Moore. 

Edmunds and Edwards give the team a new feel at the linebacker position. Both enjoyed good seasons in 2022, and should make the Bears much better defensively. 

Foreman will help to replace David Montgomery, who signed with the Lions after four seasons in Chicago. The Bears also signed Travis Homer to add depth in the backfield.

Key departures

• RB David Montgomery (Detroit Lions)
• OT Riley Reiff (New England Patriots)

Montgomery inked a three-year deal with Detroit, and will be the team's top option. 

Reiff, meanwhile, will head to New England, after his third stint with an NFC North team. After being drafted by Detroit, he also spent time with the Vikings. 

The Bears have had minimal losses throughout the offseason. Many of their free agents remain unsigned. 

Draft picks

• OT Darnell Wright (1-10)
• DT Gervon Dexter Sr. (2-53)
• CB Tyrique Stevenson (2-56)
• DT Zacch Pickens (3-64)
• RB Roschon Johnson (4-115)
• WR Tyler Scott (4-133)
• LB Noah Sewell (5-148)
• CB Terrell Smith (5-165)
• DT Travis Bell (7-218)
• DB Kendall Williamson (7-258)

Three of the Bears' first four picks were dedicated to the defense. Dexter and Pickens are talented up front, with Stevenson set to help the secondary. 

Johnson is an interesting pick. He was the backup to Bijan Robinson, the draft's top running back, at Texas. He'll enter the league with a low workload, though, and could thrive in his new situation. 

Once believed to be in the mix to be a first-round pick, Noah Sewell fell to the fifth round. As a result, the Bears may have gotten a steal. 

Chicago's first-rounder, Darnell Wright, will be a day-one starter. Some believed he'd be picked later, but he shot up draft boards with a strong combine and intangibles that the Bears value. 

The Bears added talent to help quarterback Justin Fields grow heading into his third season. Their defense should be much improved, too. 

Chicago likely won't contend for the division title, but it will be much more competitive each week. The Bears lost their last 10 games in 2022, but they will be a much tougher out this upcoming season.