Lions vs. Bears recap podcast: Detroit shows tremendous character in bounce-back win

After the beatdown at the hands of the Carolina Panthers last week—a significant hit to the ego and the Detroit Lions' playoff chances—it would have been very easy for the Lions to give up and flail down the stretch. The run defense, in particular, seemed vulnerable to getting plowed for a second week in a row with the Chicago Bears and Justin Fields coming to town.

As much as I hate the “Same Old Lions” motto, we’ve seen Lions teams in the past get completely derailed by lesser beatdowns.

But on Sunday, the team showed tremendous character, rebounding in a decisive and complete way.

“We bounced back and I knew we would because of the guys we have on this team, man, they went to work, they trusted us,” Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell said after Sunday’s 41-10 win over the Chicago Bears.

“We went full pads on Wednesday and said we’re going to get our identity back. And we’re going to recalibrate and those guys did that. They trusted us and they came out and it looked like that. It looked like we were ready to go. It looked like we were more physical. So, I was proud of them.”

The Lions got bullied in the trenches last week, and they paid it forward to the Bears this week. Should that be the expectation against a 3-11 Bears team that struggles on each line? Absolutely. Are we accustomed to seeing that as Lions fans? Absolutely not.

In that way, Sunday’s result wasn’t just a relief, it was a pleasure. The Lions continue to be fun to watch, and now they’re alive for at least one more week.

On this week’s podcast, we break down everything that happened in the Bears game, point to some individual performances, and look ahead to everything on the line in Week 18.

Here’s a breakdown of topics:

Segment 1:

• Regaining the team’s identity
• Lions players and coaches show great character in win
• Defense rebounds after slow start
• Offense is back and better than ever

Segment 2:

• James Houston and Aidan Hutchinson wrecking fools
• Big rebound for the Lions secondary
• Worried about Jeff Okudah’s benching?
• Jared Goff continues the best streak of his career
• D’Andre Swift finally looks like his old self

Segment 3:

• NFC Playoff picture update
• Clinching scenarios
• How important is the Packers game, even if playoffs aren’t on the line
• JUST BEAT THEM, THOUGH, PLEASE???

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