The Detroit Lions executed a clever fake-fumble trick play against the Chicago Bears, drawing inspiration from the Green Bay Packers and their quarterback, Jordan Love.
This strategic moment unfolded in the third quarter of a decisive 34-17 win, when Jared Goff faked a fumble, leading to a touchdown pass.
As Goff stumbled back, the Lions’ players shouted “Fumble!” while Jahmyr Gibbs dramatically pretended to dive for the ball. This distraction allowed Goff to find Sam LaPorta, who caught a 21-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 34-14.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson proposed a different approach to Goff on Monday, suggesting a deliberate fumble, reminiscent of the classic “fumblerooski” play.
Though Goff was unsure about executing that exact play, the team adapted their plan. After refining the concept during practice, they flawlessly executed it against the Bears.
“Initially, Ben asked if I could purposely fumble and then recover it,” Goff explained. “I wasn’t confident about that. We quickly shifted to just pretending to fumble while actually holding onto the ball. I believe Gibbs’ dive really sold the play; I was just doing half of it.”
Both Gibbs and Tim Patrick shared with ESPN that Johnson’s creative spark for the play came from the Packers’ season opener last year, where Love successfully connected with Luke Musgrave for a 37-yard pass after a mishandled snap.
