Chicago @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 11, 2018 ) Detroit 22, Chicago 34

Mitchell Trubisky has been providing plenty of correct answers for the Chicago Bears this season, but the availability of the quarterback is now in question for their Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Thursday. Trubisky did not practice on Tuesday, two days removed after injuring his throwing shoulder on a late hit in a 25-20 win over Minnesota.

"I'm saying cautiously optimistic but I can't make any promises," Chicago coach Matt Nagy said of Trubisky's potential involvement against Detroit. "I hope he does. But it's a day-to-day thing for us, like I said. He wants to play. I know that. And for us, we got to make sure in these situations that we're doing the right thing." Trubisky threw for a career-high 355 yards with three passing touchdowns to go along with a rushing score in the Bears' 34-22 win over the Lions on Nov. 11. While Chicago has won four straight to ascend to the top of the NFC North, the Lions snapped a three-game skid by holding on for a 20-19 victory over Carolina on Sunday. Kerryon Johnson scored in his second straight game and rushed for 87 yards against the Panthers before sustaining a knee injury that has prevented the promising rookie from practicing this week.

TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Bears -3.5. O/U: 44.5

ABOUT THE BEARS (7-3): Veteran backup Chase Daniel would get the nod if Trubisky is sidelined, with the former having spent time under Nagy in Kansas City before shuffling over to Chicago. "I haven't gotten any reps with the first team this year, but it's the same offense that I was in for five years, so for me, it's mostly the same plays," said the 32-year-old Daniel, who hasn't started an NFL game since the 2014 season. Allen Robinson reeled in six catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns versus the Vikings while fellow wideout Anthony Miller has found the end zone in back-to-back contests. Jordan Howard, however, was limited to just 21 yards on 11 carries against the Lions' 24th-ranked rush defense (125.0 yards per game).

ABOUT THE LIONS (4-6): Coach Matt Patricia likely will use a running back-by-committee approach in place of Johnson, with the bruising LeGarrette Blount, Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner expected to handle specific tasks out of the backfield. "It's not cookie-cutter. Football is not that way," Patricia said. "When you have a different player that is in and in the same position, it doesn't mean they can do the same thing. So you have to be able to adjust with that and do a good job of handling that whatever the situation is, whoever those guys are." Matthew Stafford has thrown for 220 yards for fewer in two of his last three outings and faces a Bears defense that leads the NFL with 18 interceptions, although wide receiver Kenny Golladay set a season high in catches (eight) for 113 yards versus the Panthers last week.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Detroit WR Marvin Jones Jr., who did not practice on Tuesday, is trending toward missing his second straight game with a knee injury.

2. Bears LB Khalil Mack returned from a month's absence due to an ankle injury and collected two of his team-leading eight sacks against the Lions.

3. Detroit CB Darius Slay, who missed this month's meeting with Chicago, had a pair of interceptions in his last encounter with the club on Dec. 16.

PREDICTION: Bears 20, Lions 19