Jay Cutler recognizes he can’t stand in the pocket too long Thursday at Detroit against a pass rush Chicago Bears coach Marc Trestman described as “relentless.”

So expect the Bears to rely on the quick passing game against the Lions with some screens sprinkled into the mix and very few deep shots downfield.

“Can’t hold onto anything,” Cutler explained. “One, two, and you’ve got to get to number three pretty quickly. They do a great job of collapsing the pocket. They’re coming off the edge, and they’ve got the big guys in the middle that are forcing the guards and everybody right into your lap. They make it really difficult.”

The Lions enter Thursday’s contest with the NFL's third-ranked defense, which allows 17.3 points per game. Detroit is No. 10 against the pass and tops in the league against the run (3.2 yards per attempt allowed).

So the hope is the Bears can utilize strategies similar to what New England did in its 34-9 victory over the Lions. Detroit plays a 4-3 scheme, similar to what the Bears faced the past two games against Minnesota and Tampa Bay, which should help them to prepare in this short week.

What sets apart the Lions though, according to Trestman, is their defensive line.

“Their speed [represents a major challenge],” Trestman said. “They’re physical. They’re penetrators. They’re relentless to the football. That’s where it all starts for them -- up front -- not just the way they play the pass, but they play the run extremely well as we all know.”

Led by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, Detroit’s defensive line allowed two rushing touchdowns in the loss to the Patriots. But prior to that, the group surrendered just two touchdowns on the ground in the previous eight games combined.

Offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer believes optimal hand placement along the offensive line will be key in opening holes for the rushing attack, as well as in protection.

“We have to do a great job of using our hands against these guys. They’re very violent with their hands and they’ve prescribed to the thought process of ‘Man, we’re going to go to the quarterback first and then we’re going to play the run,’” Kromer said. “Well, what that does for them is it gives them a lot of penetration. So if one guy allows penetration in the run game, then it’s hard to cut back or cut forward, whatever you’re trying to do. So you’re really trying to keep them on their side of the line of scrimmage as best you can in the running game and in pass protection. You’ve got to get on them fast. They are relentless. They don’t stop. We’ve seen them over and over, hitting quarterbacks. So we just want to make sure we’re aggressive with their D-line; we’re matching their aggressiveness.”

Because of the way Detroit’s front four plays, it gives the secondary confidence knowing quarterbacks have to get rid of the ball quickly.

“They know the quarterback can only look one way or maybe two ways and the ball is coming out,” Cutler said. “They know they’re not going to get pump-faked or looked off a long time because the D-line gets there. So they do a good job of anticipating when the ball is going to come out.”

The Patriots achieved success against the Lions by spreading them out, moving the ball and utilizing quick throws with just enough runs “to keep them honest,” Trestman explained.

Cutler called the prospect of throwing the ball downfield against the Lions “difficult.”

“You watch them on film and a lot of teams are doing different things,” Cutler said. “Not a lot of people are taking shots, because there’s just not a lot of time. We’re going to have to invent some ways to get creative and find ways to push the ball down[field] a little bit because it’s going to be really hard to dink and dunk these guys 5-[yards] at a time all the way down the field.”