The underdog Chicago Bears go into Detroit tonight to play the undefeated Lions in one of the biggest regular seasons games between the two teams in recent history. Though the Lions are undefeated, they do have their weaknesses. Here are a few simple keys that the Bears can follow to ensure victory versus the Detroit Lions.

Stop the Run
A defensive key to beating most teams is to make them one-dimensional by stopping the run. The Lions are second to last in rushing yards at 74.5 yards per game. It shouldn't be that difficult for the Bears to force the Lions into becoming a one-dimensional team tonight. Lions running back Jahvid Best has not been very impressive. Worse yet, he's not a good option on check-down passes as he regularly drops them. The Bears defense needs all the help that they can get versus the unstoppable Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. If the Bears shut down the run and can play with the lead, we should see Lovie use several different tactics to pressure Matthew Stafford, which is the only defense versus Megatron.

Block Hard on Returns
The Bears special teams should have good opportunities to give the offense great field position on kickoff returns. Lions kicker Jason Hanson seems to be showing his age (41) on kickoffs. Last week in the domed Cowboys Stadium he only kicked one of his seven kickoffs out of the end zone and it was his last kickoff. I'm sure David Toub, Devin Hester, and the kickoff return unit have been licking their chops all week. Each time the Lions score, the Bears offense should be in great position to recoup those points. If the Bears kickoff return unit blocks hard enough and gets a hat on a hat, they could even contribute to the score themselves.

Capitalize on Stafford's Mistakes
Though the strength of the Lions is their passing game, mostly because of Megatron, quarterback Matthew Stafford has been making plenty of mistakes this season. Several times he has been forcing the ball underneath with stone-handed linebackers dropping easy interceptions. Especially after a couple of dropped check-downs by Best, I expect Stafford to try to force the ball underneath to Pettigrew. As such, I wouldn't be surprised if Urlacher has an interception tonight as I expected he might versus the Falcons and the Packers. Regardless of who it is on the other end of a Stafford mistake, the Bears defense needs to capitalize on most of those opportunities.

Minimize Penalties on Offense
The Bears offense has been growing by making the right adjustments from their poor performances. As long as Matt Forte gets at least one touch on every set of downs, the Bears offense should be able to move the chains. Hopefully Cutler's confidence in his offensive line has grown enough for him to not see ghosts until at least it's warranted. If the Bears want their best chance for victory from drive one, they would be wise to start Spencer at right guard and Louis at right tackle. Even if they don't, at least they have options should Omiyale deserve to be benched again. The passing game has been off and will definitely need to show growth in this game to ensure victory. The Bears offensive confidence is slowly growing, but it's not yet strong enough to survive shooting themselves in the foot with too many penalties. I almost expect at least one turnover, which may or may not be avoidable. Penalties that aren't blown calls are avoidable. If the Bears want to win this game, they absolutely cannot afford to commit too many penalties on offense.

Play Physical in All Phases
This seems like a very simple key, but it is arguably the most important key. Football is about toughness. Toughness is about being physical and playing through pain. The Bears can send a nasty message to the Lions tonight by simply playing more physical than them at their place. Offensively speaking the Bears can play physical by running the ball with Clutts as the lead blocker. Defensively speaking the Bears can play physical by making the Lions pay for every reception they catch. On Special Teams, the Bears can play physical with the Lions coverage units with tough hat on a hat blocking. If the Bears play very physical in all three phases of the game, they will give themselves a great chance to upset the Lions.

Final Pick: Bears 30 Lions 23
Though I have more faith in the Lions offense than the Bears offense, at least the Bears have found a running game, while the Lions haven't yet found theirs. I expect the Bears defense to shut down the Lions running game and then to play physical with whoever catches the ball for the Lions, once they become one-dimensional. The Bears defense will also have their opportunities to get at least one takeaway from Stafford. The Bears special teams should be able exploit Hanson's weak leg and thereby give the offense great field position which can hopefully be enough to prime the offensive pump. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bears score a touchdown on either defense or special teams today. If the Bears offense can do its part by at least scoring two touchdowns, then the Bears should have a great chance to absorb Megatron's productivity.