The Bears need to keep their eyes on both “Knuckles” and “Sonic.”
That’s the “Thunder and Lightning”-style nickname that Lions running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs gave each other earlier this year, a nod to the “Sonic the Hedgehog” video game.
“Both of them are pretty good backs, but they do present a different style of play,” defensive end Montez Sweat said before the Bears’ walk-through Tuesday. “[Gibbs] is definitely a more speedy back. Montgomery, who used to be here before I was, is more of an in-between-the-tackles guy.”
In his second season, Gibbs ranks fourth in the NFL with 886 rushing yards.
“The way that they can isolate him versus certain aspects of your coverage and . . . they find ways to scheme to get him the football,” defensive coordinator Eric Washington said.
Montgomery, who spent his first four seasons with the Bears before signing with the Lions in March 2023, has 632 rushing yards — just 33 shy of the Bears’ leading rusher, D’Andre Swift.
Only five teams have more rushing yards than the Lions. They’ve played nine games in which both running backs scored touchdowns, tied for third all-time for a pair of teammates, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
That’s a major challenge for a Bears defense that’s gotten worse against the run since nose tackle Andrew Billings was injured in Week 9 against the Cardinals.
“Our major thing going into this game is to stop the run so we can earn the right to rush the passer,” defensive end Darrell Taylor said.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson started Sunday but played less than half of the Bears’ defensive snaps for the first time all season. Stevenson — who infamously spent the start of the Commanders’ Hail Mary yapping at fans — was replaced by Terell Smith, who appeared in two-thirds of the Bears’ defensive snaps to Stevenson’s 35% against the Vikings. The week before, Smith appeared in 41% of the Bears’ snaps to Stevenson’s 59%.
The reason for the uptick, Washington said: Smith’s production.
“I love his man-coverage ability,” he said. “Love his ability to diagnose and to really feel route concepts, pattern pressure . . . A couple of weeks ago, he came up with a pick for us. So the production is there. We trust him, he’s reliable and he can really fit exactly what we need that position to do.”
Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said he thought coach Matt Eberflus decided to try a field goal when kicker Cairo Santos and holder Tory Taylor ran on the field for fourth-and-4, only to be sent back when the offense stayed on the field. Quarterback Caleb Williams eventually threw an incomplete pass.
Hightower said his headset was tuned to the special teams channel, when Eberflus communicated the decision on the offensive coaches’ channel.
“[Eberflus] said he was [going for it] on the other line, and he just didn’t get it communicated back to us,” Hightower said.
The Bears have worked on Santos’ spinning onside kick — the one he converted to give his team a chance to tie the game — since Hightower’s arrival.
“They never complained about doing it twice a week for two-and-a-half years,” Hightower said.
• The Lions and Bears estimated their practice participation after holding a walk-through for the second straight day. Ninth-year left tackle Taylor Decker missed his second consecutive Lions practice with a knee injury. Receiver Kalif Raymond (foot) and cornerback Carlton Davis III (knee/thumb) also missed practice. All-world receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was a knee injury, was a limited participant.
• Bears safety Elijah Hicks did not participate in the team’s walk-through, while guard Ryan Bates was limited but remains in concussion protocol.
