As if the Chicago Bears didn't have enough incentive to pull off a win tonight in L.A., recent news added an extra jolt. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network revealed that the back injury Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is dealing with might be more significant than the team initially thought. This due to tiny fractures in the upper part of his spine. Aside from sounding cringe-worthy, it underlines how dangerous it would be if he returned to playing before those injuries had a chance to heal.
What was a three-week healing period now looks like as many as six. This is highly significant because it means when the Bears travel to Detroit for Thanksgiving in two weeks, they'll face his backup Jeff Driskel for the second time. That means if they can somehow pull off a win against the Rams and then take care of business against the cellar-dwelling New York Giants at home, they'd have a huge opportunity to be 7-5 heading into December. Something people never would've thought possible.
Matthew Stafford once again couldn't save Detroit
The reality is a sad one from Stafford's perspective. Despite everything his team tried, they were still far too dependent on his presence to have any hope for success in the NFC this year. His body may finally be starting to break down after years of abuse behind average offensive lines. The true tragedy is Stafford is still viewed by many as an overrated quarterback. This simply is not true. He's a great quarterback saddled with a truly listless franchise that can't get out of their own way.
The Bears don't have time to feel sympathetic though. Their playoff hopes are still alive and now they have a clearer window to get there. They beat Driskel once before and likely won't be caught off guard a second time. That provided further incentive to somehow escape Los Angeles with a win, ugly or otherwise.
