Five reasons why the Bears can soon be a 5-5 team

The Bears have more life at 3-5 than meets the eye.

With the Packers and Lions up next at Soldier Field, not only can they make up ground in the NFC North, but a .500 record can be had.

Looking specifically at the Packers and Lions, here are five reasons why a 5-5 record is attainable:

Hundley isn’t Rodgers

Obvious enough, right?

This might be the week in which the Packers finally rally around backup quarterback Brett Hundley, who will make his third start in place of injured Aaron Rodgers.

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Or the Bears’ eighth-ranked defense could make Hundley’s trip to Chicago absolutely miserable.

Statistically, Hundley improved from his first to second starts, finishing with 245 passing yards against the Lions after throwing for 87 against the Saints.

But Hundley’s fill-in work for Rodgers in Week 6 against the Vikings also shouldn’t be ignored. He was overwhelmed by the Vikings’ defense, which is one of the league’s best. Hundley was sacked four times and also threw three interceptions.

And that was on the road, where he’ll be this week.

Hundley faced the Saints and Lions at Lambeau Field.

“I believe in Brett,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “That’s not just a press-conference statement. He’s got what it takes.”

More injuries

Timing matters. Not only are the Packers without Rodgers, but right tackle Bryan Bulaga (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and safety Morgan Burnett (groin) suffered injuries against the Lions.

The Packers’ offensive line was in flux when they hosted the Bears in Week 4. But they still had Rodgers, the “great eraser” who has proved year after year that he can overcome most injuries on his team.

“It sucks,” Packers center Corey Linsley said Monday night when asked about Bulaga. “We have to move forward from it. But, yeah, it sucks.”

Run, run, run

The Lions’ insistence on running the ball against the Packers is noteworthy because the Lions’ running game isn’t very good.

Ameer Abdullah had a career-high 21 carries for 48 yards and a four-yard touchdown. It was his second rushing touchdown this season.

The Lions’ rushing totals weren’t impressive, but their approach certainly resonated with the Bears.

As everyone knows, with rookie Mitch Trubisky at quarterback, the Bears want to run the ball with Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen.

The Packers have allowed four rushing touchdowns in their three consecutive losses. Opposing backs also created mismatches.

The top two backs for the Vikings (Jerick McKinnon, Latavius Murray), Saints (Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara) and Lions (Abdullah, Theo Riddick) combined for 479 yards from scrimmage against the Packers.

Lions are what?

Don’t overrate what the Lions did Monday against the Packers. They looked good against a reeling team missing its all-world quarterback.

Consistency is the Lions’ problem again. They just snapped their own three-game losing streak.

The trouble with the Lions is that different issues lead to their defeats.

* In a 52-38 loss to the Saints, quarterback Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions, lost two fumbles and was sacked five times.

* In a 20-15 loss to the Steelers, Stafford and the Lions’ offense produced 482 yards but went 2-for-12 on third down and settled for five field goals by Matt Prater.

* In a 27-24 loss to the Panthers, quarterback Cam Newton picked apart the Lions’ defense for a season-high 355 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Old woes show up

The turnover-driven Bears might be able to prey on Abdullah. He had two fumbles in the second half against the Packers, including one at the Packers’ 1-yard line that the Lions recovered.

Abdullah, the Lions’ top back, didn’t return against the Packers after his second fumble. He had fumbling issues in college at Nebraska. As a rookie in 2015, he lost two of his five fumbles.

The Lions have eight turnovers and five takeaways in their last four games.

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Email: ajahns@suntimes.com