DOWNTOWN — On Sunday in Detroit, the Bears outperformed the team for fifty-five minutes.
About halfway through the fourth quarter at Ford Field, the Bears had a 26-14 lead over the Lions thanks to their defense, which forced four turnovers. Justin Fields also looked sharp in his comeback.
However, under head coach Matt Eberflus, the Bears have frequently failed to complete games, and Sunday was no exception as the Lions stunned the Bears 31-26 by scoring two touchdowns in the last five minutes.
For the first three and a half quarters, the Bears were the epitome of complementary football; how
Fields played without restriction, made wise decisions, and demonstrated why so many people still believe he can establish himself as the Bears’ starting quarterback. When playing against teams with greater talent, Fields’ special ability and high potential can be a great equalizer. On Sunday, it was.
The third-year quarterback gained 104 yards on the ground in addition to going 16-for-23 for 169 yards and one touchdown.
Jared Goff was intercepted three times by the Bears, and Chicago also forced another special teams turnover.
The Bears were headed for their most spectacular victory of the Matt Eberflus era with five minutes remaining.
Then everything collapsed.
The following is what we discovered from the Bears’ 31-26 loss to the Lions:
Which rust?
Fields was expected to have some rust after a month on the sidelines, even though the Bears saw him “improve” throughout the practice week.
It did not show up on the game’s opening drive, as Fields masterfully orchestrated a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to give the Bears a 7-0 lead. Fields added 28 yards on the ground and went 3-for-4 for 38 yards during the drive. The drive was concluded by a 1-yard touchdown run by D’Onta Foreman.
After the Bears’ defense forced two turnovers on the Lions’ opening two possessions, the offense had numerous opportunities to take an early two-score lead on Sunday.
On the Lions’ first play, rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson intercepted quarterback Jared Goff. Fields and the Bears’ offense appeared to be about to take a 14-0 lead as they marched the ball into Lions territory. On first-and-10 from the Lions’ 38, D’Onta Foreman was dropped for a loss of six, and on second down, Fields threw an open pass to DJ Moore.
In the end, the Bears punted.
After linebacker T.J. Edwards picked off Goff on an over-the-middle pass, the Bears defense promptly returned possession of the ball to the offense. Goff was facing edge rusher DeMarcus Walker when Edwards ducked into the passing lane to intercept.
But the offense was unable to take advantage once more. Fields hit Tyler Scott for a brief gain two plays after Edwards’ pick, but the rookie wide receiver fumbled, and the Lions recovered deep in Chicago territory.
The Chicago defense missed an opportunity to make another game-changing play that would have prevented the Lions from scoring, though.
Goff dropped back and found the left side of the field for a pass on first and goal from the Bears’ 8-yard line. Jaylon Johnson, the cornerback, read it perfectly and jumped the route for a potential pick-six. However, Johnson was unable to squeeze, and the pass was incomplete, revitalizing the Lions.
Reversing course The next play from scrimmage saw Jahmyr Gibbs score to tie the score at seven.
