In their own words, here are five Bears and five Lions to watch at Ford Field during Thanksgiving Day.
THE BEARS
WR Brandon Marshall: ‘‘We didn’t expect a false start, and that would change our [first] drive [against the Buccaneers]. We just gotta get total focus and be able to throw and catch the ball.’’ — offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer
RG Kyle Long: ‘‘He was so young last year, just trying to feel his way through the game [against the Lions].’’ — Kromer
DE Willie Young: ‘‘Wherever I could go to get on the field, that’s all that mattered.’’
DE Jared Allen: ‘‘As a team, we’re working well together. . . . Guys are playing well, playing aggressive, and we’re not hanging our heads when we get beat. You can always create a turnover.’’
CB Kyle Fuller: “Kyle was playing well [before his knee injury against the Bucs]. He was doing a good job in coverage, and, for the most part, he was tackling. He was playing fast. He was flying around.’’ — defensive coordinator Mel Tucker
THE LIONS
QB Matthew Stafford: ‘‘He has things you can’t teach, like his arm strength. He can make any throw. He’s gotten a lot better with his decision-making. He’s a huge asset to this team.” — WR Golden Tate
WR Golden Tate: “The offensive coordinator, position coach and head coach are designing plays to get me open and understanding my skill set and what I do best.’’
WR Calvin Johnson: ‘‘Just to try to slow him down is going to be a group effort. Everyone has to play well, and execution has to be at a high level.” — Tucker
DT Ndamukong Suh: “You think you have him stopped, and then the next second he’s throwing you aside because you have all your weight down to try to stop him. He throws you aside and goes and hits the quarterback.’’ — Kromer
DE Ziggy Ansah: They do a great job of collapsing the pocket. They’re coming off the edge.’’ — quarterback Jay Cutler
