Bears have work cut out for them against Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day

The Bears got in one more day of hurry-up prep Wednesday before hitting the road for their Thanksgiving Day against the Lions in the Motor City.

Much unlike the case for the Bears lately, the ground-game for Detroit is running on all cylinders—thanks to an ex-Bear.

The Bears defense is salivating at a chance to bounce back against Lions QB Jared Goff and a high-powered offense that averages over 30 points per game—with a strong running attack that features Jahmyr Gibbs and ex-Bear David Montgomery.

"He has, obviously, a ton of talent around him. You know, this team goes through running backs like just point-blank, period," Bears safety Kevin Byard III said of Goff. "He's been distributing the ball to all his playmakers, but this team wants to run the ball. We know what they want to do, but it's another thing go out there stop it."

Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus also emphasized how Montgomery and Gibbs are a double threat.

"D-Mo and Gibbs—both of them—they hit the ball, you know, with speed at the line of scrimmage. They really do," Eberflus said, "and they did a really good job with their bounce. They hit it with speed—probably better than most I've seen."

Meanwhile, the Bears' offense has been playing better under offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. Something tight end Cole Kmet has noticed quarterback about Caleb Williams over the last two weeks is that he has been able to lead a quicker operation.

"For me, it's the confidence and the huddle. I think that's been the main thing. I know that's things that you guys probably don't see, but for me, that stands out," Kmet said, "and you know, when he understands and knows what the play call is and gets in quickly, I think he's just been able to get into the flow much better and be able get everyone involved from there."

While players have less time to take care of their bodies on a short week, the Bears only have two players who have been ruled out for the game Thursday. Safety Elijah Hicks and Guard Ryan Bates are each missing a second straight game.