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Chicago Bears turn to Anthony Walters at safety vs. Lions

The Chicago Bears desperately need a win over the Detroit Lions in Week 17, and they will need to rely on second-year safety Anthony Walters on the back end of the defensive secondary in that game.

Christian Petersen

The Chicago Bears (9-6) didn't plan on starting undrafted free agent safety Anthony Walters at free safety in a must-win game against the Detroit Lions in Week 17, but such is life in the NFL. Starting FS Chris Conte suffered a hamstring injury during the team's recent win over the Arizona Cardinals, and now Walters will be pushed into action as the Bears defense attempts to shut down Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

Johnson needs just 108 receiving yards to become the first wideout in league history to crack the 2,000-yard mark. Walters won't be able to stop Megatron on his own, but he's responsible for closing off angles on the back end of the defense to prevent any big plays in the passing game. Walters knows he will be able to count on the rest of his teammates to lessen the load:

"All I have to do is be where I'm supposed to be when I'm supposed to be there," he said. "Those guys make plays. We scored two defensive touchdowns last week. So I think they'll help relieve the pressure."

The Bears held Johnson to just 34 yards on three catches in the first matchup of the season, and they will need another strong performance to emerge with a victory in Week 17.