Bears’ late-game mistakes helped the Lions hold on for their 10th straight win, showcasing the fine line between victory and defeat in the NFL. The Detroit Lions have showcased their dominance throughout the season, leading the league in point differential and often overpowering their opponents. Against the Chicago Bears, they managed to extend their winning streak to an impressive 10 games.
Just barely.
Jared Goff connected with Sam LaPorta for two touchdown passes, while Jake Bates secured three field goals in the first half. The Lions ultimately triumphed over the Bears, 23-20, on Thursday.
“It was a crazy ending, right?” Goff remarked.
Indeed.
In the closing moments, the Bears found themselves in Lions territory, poised to either tie the game with a field goal or take the lead with a touchdown. However, a series of missteps derailed their efforts. The confusion escalated when Caleb Williams completed a 12-yard pass to Keenan Allen, placing the ball at the Lions’ 13-yard line with less than a minute remaining.
That completion could have provided the Bears ample time to secure a win, but a penalty on guard Tevin Jenkins for illegal hands to the face pushed them back to the 35-yard line.
On the next play, the Bears opted for a quarterback draw with Williams, hoping to gain the necessary yardage for a field goal attempt. However, backup tackle Larry Borom failed to block Za’Darius Smith, who came in unblocked and sacked Williams for a 6-yard loss.
“It got loud, and I don’t think Larry heard the count,” Williams explained. “Once I saw Za’Darius coming free, I didn’t want to risk throwing the ball away in case he got a chance to get his hands on it. I took the sack and tried to get everybody lined up for the final play.”
As Williams attempted to set the play, Bears coach Matt Eberflus chose not to call a timeout, aiming to save it for a potential field goal attempt.
“The hope was we could re-rack the play, snap it with about 18 seconds left, throw it into field-goal range, and then call the timeout,” he stated.
However, the clock ticked away past 18 seconds and beyond Eberflus’ other benchmarks.
“Once it gets under 12, we can’t throw a pass to the sideline, and once it gets under seven, you have to throw the ball to the end zone,” he elaborated. “At that point, if you call a timeout, it is to throw it to the end zone.”
Realizing that no timeout was forthcoming, Williams quickly adjusted the play call to a deep pass aimed at Rome Odunze, but the attempt fell incomplete, just shy of the end zone.
“I knew we didn’t have time for a field goal, so I made an adjustment,” he said. “I just wanted to get Rome one-on-one and try to take a shot at six.”
Williams did not question his coach’s decision.
“We can call a timeout there or we cannot,” he said. “I’m not going to say I was surprised. My job is just to go out there and make plays. I let the coaches and everybody make that decision — it is their call. Maybe in the later years of my career, it will be my call.”
The dramatic finish overshadowed an impressive second half by Williams, who completed 15 of 24 passes for 222 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 29 yards.
“We didn’t have any sustained possessions in the first half, so we had to get positive drives in the second,” he said. “That was a big point for us at halftime, and we got into a rhythm and stayed encouraged.”
Williams had the chance to lead the Bears to a memorable Thanksgiving comeback, but once again, they fell short.
“I think we handled it the right way,” Eberflus said. “I believe we could re-rack the play and get it done.
“It just didn’t work out.”
The NFC-leading Lions (11-1) achieved their best record after 12 games in franchise history, while their 10-game winning streak ties a record set by the 1934 team.
The Bears (4-8) have now lost six consecutive games, four of which were decided by a mere 10 points.
Detroit dominated early, leading 16-0 at halftime and 23-7 after three quarters. Williams attempted to orchestrate a comeback, but it fell short for the second week in a row. He had previously helped the Bears rally from an 11-point deficit in the final moments against Minnesota, only to lose in overtime.
The Lions started strong, executing four consecutive scoring drives to take a 16-0 lead, highlighted by Goff’s 3-yard touchdown pass to LaPorta in the second quarter and Bates’ field goals.
In contrast, the Bears struggled early, failing to secure a first down on their first four drives and accumulating only 32 yards.
“We started off pretty hot offensively and defensively,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said.
Goff’s second touchdown pass to LaPorta, a 1-yard toss, extended Detroit’s lead to 23-7 late in the third quarter. This score was set up by a remarkable 15-yard reverse by Jameson Williams, who impressively hurdled Kevin Byard to gain extra yardage.
Caleb Williams, the first overall pick in the draft, completed 20 of 39 passes for 256 yards, with two touchdown passes to Allen and one to DJ Moore.
Williams experienced a rookie moment in the third quarter when he hesitated to go out of bounds, resulting in a low hit from linebacker Jack Campbell.
“Knee is fine, but that play was kind of funky,” Williams said. “I didn’t appreciate him diving right at my knee, but it is good.”
The former USC standout quickly rebounded, throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Allen on the next snap. He later connected with Allen again for a 9-yard touchdown with 5:36 remaining.
Detroit had an opportunity to increase their lead, but Bates missed a 45-yard field goal after starting his NFL career with 19 consecutive successful kicks. The drive was hindered by a 15-yard penalty on Jameson Williams for tossing the football at a Bears player on the sideline.
Jameson Williams later expressed regret for his actions after the game.
“I’m proud of him, the way he handled it,” Goff said.
Finally, feeling festive
The Lions broke a seven-game losing streak on Thanksgiving.
“We’re going to enjoy this,” Campbell stated.
Injuries
Bears: RB Roschon Johnson left the game with a concussion. … Bears G Ryan Bates (concussion) and DB Elijah Hicks (ankle) were inactive.
Up next
Bears: Play at San Francisco on Dec. 8.
Lions: Host Green Bay next Thursday night.
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