Matthew Stafford isn't going to start at quarterback for the Lions on Sunday against the Bears due to injury. Other than what it means on the field, it meant two things off the field.
First, the betting line took a jump in the Bears' direction with the news of Stafford's absence. The Bears opened as a three- or 3.5-point favorite depending on the sportsbook. It moved a point to the Lions over the course of the week. The Stafford injury has seen the line jump to Bears -6.5 or -7 at various books.
The last time the Bears were this heavily favored? Week 5 against the Raiders. The Bears were a 6.5-point favorite in London before losing 24-21.
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That brings us to the second point: Bears fans are in no mood for good news, optimism or confidence. A four-game losing streak will do that, but checking out the replies to our tweet detailing the news about Stafford paints a dark picture for the mental state of Bears fans.
Yeah, Bears fans are not in a good place right now.
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