Beat writer breakdown: How the Bears offense could change with Chase Daniel at QB

[#X A V I ♕]

Editor's note: This is the "beat writer breakdown," a weekly series where he pose five questions to a reporter who covers the Detroit Lions' opponent. This week, Bears beat writer Rich Campbell of The Chicago Tribune is our victim. Follow his work here and find him on Twitter here. Detroit (4-6) hosts Chicago (7-3) at 12:30 p.m. on CBS.

MLive: Mitchell Trubisky is in danger of not playing against Detroit because of a sore throwing shoulder. How does this offense change if he can't go?

Rich Campbell: Chase Daniel can't escape the pocket and make off-schedule plays with his legs like Trubisky can. In fairness to both, Trubisky's running ability is what distinguishes his game at this point in his second NFL season. After all, he leads all quarterbacks in rushing (363 yards).

That total stems from a combination of designed runs and off-schedule plays. Neither will be as effective with Daniel as the quarterback Thursday. 

MLive: Chase Daniel hasn't thrown a pass since 2016. What can you tell us about him, based on what you've seen in practice or otherwise?

Campbell: Daniel knows his athletic limitations. He also knows he has to distribute the ball quickly to operate the scheme effectively. His upside is his knowledge of the offense, which actually is more advanced than Trubisky's because of his past experience playing for Matt Nagy. 

In the Bears' penultimate preseason game, Daniel carved up the Chiefs starters in the first half by getting the ball out quickly on short throws -- exactly what Nagy's West Coast offense is designed to do. So maybe the Bears won't take as many downfield shots Thursday, but they still should be able to move the ball. 

Behind the scenes, Daniel is the epitome of a role player. Get this: His career earnings exceed $28 million, but he has only thrown 78 regular-season passes. That says it all about how supportive he is as a backup and how he accepts that role. Can he win a game, though? We're about to find out.

MLive: The Bears went with a pass-heavy game plan in the first meeting to attack a Lions secondary that was without Darius Slay. Now Slay is back, and Trubisky might be out, which could lend itself to more of a run-oriented game plan. How have Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen been this year?

Campbell: The Bears' running game has been a source of consternation for Nagy. After Howard and Cohen combined for 36 yards on 18 carries in the first game against the Lions (some easy math for you there), Nagy said: "I didn't see a lot of (available) yards. It was tough sledding. ... To me, this is a challenge. This is why I'm a coach. This is why we all coach, is to get these answers, figure it out. And we'll do everything we can -- we're not going to stop trying until we get this thing right."

I think the Bears' rushing problems start with blocking breakdowns, to which Nagy alluded. A'Shawn Robinson and Snacks Harrison did well controlling blocks in the first meeting. I'm interested to see what the Bears try to do to change that.

MLive: Chicago has won four straight games and is cruising toward an NFC North title, all under a first-year coach. Detroit, meanwhile, has fallen into last place under a first-year coach. I'm just curious, how has Matt Nagy been able to achieve so much immediate success?

Campbell: There were people at team headquarters who reached the end of last season believing that the Bears were closer to contention than their 5-11 record indicated. Those folks thought the Bears were only a new coach and some new receivers away from contending. That's a long way of saying Nagy has exploited the additions of Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Anthony Miller and Trey Burton in the passing game. 

Defensively, the Bears already were good from a yardage standpoint. They just lacked big plays. Well, after trading for Khalil Mack, they lead the NFL in takeaways.

To Nagy's credit, his misdirection-filled, quarterback-intensive offense has helped, as has his quarterback expertise in developing Trubisky. He also is relatable, energetic, friendly and competitive. He's easy to interact with, and the early success has encouraged players to follow him. The result is a team brimming with confidence.

MLive: The Bears throttled Detroit a week-and-a-half ago. They get their first season sweep in the series since 2012 if ...

Campbell: ... they don't turn the ball over. Trubisky threw three picks in the second half at Ford Field last December, as the Bears offensive ineptitude carried the day. Daniel will be functional because he knows the offense and knows his limitations. Maybe I'll eat these words, but I even think it's possible that Daniel's knowledge of the offense allows him to be more efficient in spurts than Trubisky.

That said, I don't think the Bears should be favored in this game. The 3.5 points is too much for me. The Lions' run defense appears improved, and they should be competitive, even without Kerryon Johnson and Marvin Jones.

The Bears defense could end up scoring, as they have three times in the last three games, and that has consistently tilted the field in their favor this season. In a game that could go either way, I'll go: Bears 22, Lions 20.