2016 Chicago Bears Season Preview: Weeks 4 & 14 Detroit Lions

Thanks to the fine folks that work on the individual SB Nation NFL team sites, we have the ability to get the inside scoop on each and every team that the Chicago Bears will face this season.

In this offseason series, we'll lay out a few stats on Chicago's 2016 opponents and have the team sites give us all the info we need to be up to speed on any changes they may have made.

Week 3 - Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
October 2, 2016 - 12:00 CT on FOX

Week 14 Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
December 11, 2016 - 12:00 CT on FOX
Games from week 5-17 are subject to flex scheduling

In 2015 the Bears' offense ranked 21st in total yards (344.6), 23rd in passing yards (228.8), 11th in rushing yards (115.9) and 23rd in total points scored (20.9). Defensively the Bears ranked 14th in total yards allowed (345.4), 4th in passing yards allowed (224.6), 22nd in rushing yards allowed (120.9) and 20th in points allowed (24.8).

In 2015 the Lions' offense ranked 20th in total yards (346.7), 9th in passing yards (263.2), last in rushing yards (83.4) and in scoring they were 18th (22.4). Detroit's defense ranked 18th in total yards allowed (349.6), 15th in passing yards allowed (236.6), 19th in rushing yards allowed (113.0) and they were 23rd in points allowed (25.0).

Lions 2016 Season Preview
From Pride Of Detroit

Notable free agent additions: WR Marvin Jones, OT Geoff Schwartz, DB Tavon Wilson, DE Wallace Gilberry, RB Stevan Ridley, SS Rafael Bush

Notable free agent departures: WR Calvin Johnson (retirement), SS Isa Abdul-Quddus, RB Joique Bell, DE Jason Jones

Trades: Received LB Jon Bostic for a conditional 2017 seventh-round pick

Draft picks expected to contribute as rookies:

1st round - OT - Taylor Decker (expected to start at left tackle)

2nd round - DT - A'Shawn Robinson (rotational player)

3rd round - C - Graham Glasgow - not currently slated as the starting center, but could take over sometime during the 2016 season.

4th round - SS - Miles Killebrew - Also not slated to be the starter, but Lions are weak at the position, so Killebrew could take over, or at least get some snaps during the season.

Biggest offseason addition: WR - Marvin Jones. With Calvin Johnson's retirement, the Lions' No. 1 priority was to find a compliment to Golden Tate. The Lions wasted no time in grabbing Jones, signing him within a day of Johnson's retirement announcement. Taylor Decker is an honorable mention here, as the Lions' offensive line was atrocious in 2015.

Biggest storyline heading into training camp: Will the emphasis on improving the offensive line pay off in 2016? The Lions offense hasn't been good in a while, but the Lions spent three of their first five draft picks on offensive linemen in 2016. It appears the Lions will be moving former left tackle Riley Reiff to the right side, while plugging in first-round draft pick Taylor Decker on the left. The Lions desperately need to get a running game going, and the shuffling of the offensive line could potentially help.

Under-the-radar storyline heading into training camp: Is DeAndre Levy fully healthy, and if so, will his return improve the defense to its 2014 level of play? Levy had a mysterious hip injury in 2015, and while it appears he was fully healthy during OTAs and minicamp, still very little is known about the injury and his current health.

Notable injuries heading into training camp:

RB Ameer Abdullah - Had shoulder surgery in January, is expected to be ready for training camp.

TE Brandon Pettigrew - Tore his ACL in December. Did not participate in OTAs. Probably headed for PUP.

RB Stevan Ridley - Limited participation in OTAs; injury undisclosed, severity unknown

WR Corey Fuller - Underwent foot surgery in early June. Could cause him to miss the cut.