This Detroit Lions' offense is at its best when they are versatile on that side of the football featuring both an effective passing and rushing attack.

The run game has set up the pass all season. Detroit's the No. 6 rushing offense in the NFL (143.7) and until last week's loss to Buffalo had recorded at least 100 rushing yards in every contest this season. They had just 48 rushing yards last week.

Jared Goff is one of the best play action passers in the NFL with 13 touchdown passes on play action and he leads all other NFL quarterbacks by more than 300 yards in play-action passing yards (1,677). That's a direct result of Detroit's effectiveness running the football.

But over the last couple weeks, Detroit's run game hasn't been up to their standard. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Thursday that last week's struggles against the Bills caught him off guard as the Lions have averaged less than 3.4 yards per carry the last two weeks against Buffalo and Green Bay.

"It was a combination of some poor angles, whether schematically or our guys just not taking the proper angle, we had a guy trip, we had a mis-target, so a little bit of everything showed up there with that run game," Johnson said. "I would call it uncharacteristic of what we've been so far this year. So, certainly a point of emphasis going into this week."

The Lions face a Bears team Sunday that ranks 26th in run defense (133.3) and gave up 194 yards and a 5.9-yard average to Detroit's offense on Thanksgiving.

"We had some success against this team, Chicago, the last time that we played them, particularly in the first half running the football, and so hopefully we can build off that," Johnson said. "They certainly have had some struggles over the last couple of weeks just limiting the number of points, but we know they're going to come out and they're going to come out firing. So, it'll be a good challenge."

Sunday will be the first game the Lions won't have running back David Montgomery this season after he injured his knee last week against the Bills. Despite the loss, Johnson says nothing changes schematically and the standard is the standard.

"Gibby's really – he's ready for this," Johnson said of second-year back Jahmyr Gibbs. "We've seen a lot of growth from him over the last year and a half and I think that he'll take the bull by the horns and run with it. So, hopefully we don't miss a beat, and I really do believe that Gibby is ready for this."

SILENT ASSASSIN

Speaking of Detroit's run game, practice squad running back Jermar Jefferson is expected to get an opportunity to provide some depth behind Gibbs while Montgomery is out.

Jefferson had some opportunity to play as a rookie in 2021 and did some good things (4.9 average) but has spent the better part of the last three seasons on Detroit's practice squad.

He's been able to stay on that unit because of his practice habits and playmaking ability on the scout team.

"He's really deserving of a chance here this week to show what he's made out of," Johnson said of Jefferson."He's almost like a silent assassin, he goes about his business, he's coming in, he's working, don't even hear a peep from him in the unit meetings, but you know when you're watching him on scout team and how he's going about his job, he's taking it very seriously, he's very professional and I'm looking forward to him getting a chance this week."

So is Jefferson.

"I'm going to seize the moment on any opportunity I get out there," Jefferson said. "What do they say in the NFL? One goes down next man up. I've got the next-man-up mentality and I've been ready for this opportunity for awhile."

PRACTICE WINDOW

The Lions opened the 21-day practice window for linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin on Thursday to return from Reserve/Injured. Reeves-Maybin has been out since Week 9 with a neck injury.

Reeves-Maybin was a Pro Bowler on special teams last year and is one of Detroit's better cover linebackers on defense. His return would certainly help the depth in that room that's been ravaged by injury.

EXTRA POINT

Goff enters Week 16 with 2,971 career completions and can become the fifth player all-time with at least 3,000 completions in his first nine seasons, joining Matt Ryan (3,288), Derek Carr (3,201), Peyton Manning (3,131) and Matthew Stafford (3,005).