Bears and Lions In-Game Blog

Analysis and reporting on Sunday's Bears game against the Lions as Chicago attempts to avoid setting a franchise record nine-game losing streak.

Fourth Quarter

• Lions finish with 504 yards of offense. Most yards allowed by the Bears since Oct. 14, 2018 against Miami in a wild overtime loss.
• Fields needs 64 yards rushing to break the 1,206-yard QB rushing record of Lamar Jackson.
• Texans got flattened by Jaguars so that doesn't help if the Bears want the first pick. They need to lose to Minnesota next week and have Indianapolis lose to the Texans. Final Bears lose and have set a team record with nine straight losses, 41-10.
• TWO-MINUTE WARNING!!! as Claypool is targeted but can't come up with it lunging on an in-cut 20 yards downfield.
• Braxton Jones, besides contributed a few sacks allowed, also commits a false start.
• Badgley with a 41-yard field goal with 2:40 to play.
• Justin Jones sacks Nate Sudfeld for his third sack of the year after the Lions pulled Goff.
• Equanimeous St. Brown's first catch comes with six minutes left. Still waiting on Chase Claypool.
• Lions sack Fields again, seventh for 45 yards in losses.
• Fields still running, and runs twice for a first down when no one gets open as usual.
• The ultimate insult to the Bears. The Lions go for it on fourth-and-2 from just inside the Bears 40 leading 38-10 with eight minutes left.  Detroit got what it deserved for this lack of respect and Goff had to throw it away. That's one to keep in the memory banks.
• The Bears can't run or pass now but at least Fields has learned to throw away the ball when no one is open and the pass rush is coming. They punt after a failed third-and-6.
• Dante Pettis AND Jaylon Jones are in the concussion protocol.
• This is the kind of beating a team with a 3-13 record deserves.
• Harrison Hand breaks up a third down throw and forces a punt. That might be the highlight of the last three quarters for the Bears.

Third Quarter

• Quarter ends.
• Second-and-19 and down 28 points and they hand it off straight up the middle to Montgomery. A totally wasted play but at least no one got hurt and Fields didn't get hit again.
• Houston sacks Fields, who held the ball too long and should have just thrown it away. That's his third sack.
• Fields 3 of 11 for 33 yards with 3:28 left in the quarter.
• Fields scrambles out of bounds and they'll punt.
• Not enough evidence to overturn. Not sure what evidence they need? 
• Fields hit and it's ruled incomplete first but he appeared to lose control when hit and somehow David Montgomery didn't come up with the ball when it came right to him. Expect this will be overturned for a lost fumble.
• Not sure why they would even call a run or RPO to Fields now after he's been beaten up but they did.
• Screen to Swift for the TD and Lions block it up for him perfectly. That's 31 straight points for the Lions if you're counting at home.
• Kalif Raymond for 16 on a catch at the Bears 22.
• Lions are throwing at will against Bears pass defense which has now caved in. The Bears keep saying they're fighting and are in these games. Not this one.
• Gordon with the unpardonable sin the Bears have had happened last year. Lets Chark fall to the ground and doesn't touch him before he finally has to go back and tackle him after a few more yards.
• Pettis drops a pass on third down at the stick and the Bears punt again.
• Claypool got a target on second down, sort of. Fields was trapped for what would have been a sack on a bootleg pass but threw it away in the general direction of Claypool. He couldn't have caught it.
• Great start to the half for the Bears quickly disintegrates as Jamaal Williams scores from the 2. Lions 31, Bears 10
• Jameson Williams on an end around for 40 to the Bears 8.
• A simple draw play to Swift and no one tackles him. He broke it all the way to the Bears 48.
• Even more rare, a Bears sack from a defensive end. Trevis Gipson chased him back to Dominique Robinson. Double-team of the ends. Forces third-and-18.
• Lions at their own 25 and a Justin Jones sighting on a 1-yard gain stopping the run. It would be nice to see more of those.
• Chase Claypool with no targets in the first half.

• Fields 3 of 8 for 33 yards passing in the first half against a terrible pass defense. He can't set up and throw but when he does he's holding the ball too long. He has 113 yards on six runs, and is 83 yards from breaking the QB record for rushing. 
• They better look at Fields again at halftime. He didn't look like he knew what he was doing on that play to end the half, like someone who had a concussion and then passed the first check. That's happened with other Bears this year.

Second Quarter

• Fields apparently is OK and has a shot at something after a 63-yard kick return by Velus Jones. But waits too long with the ball trying to hit a quick gainer to set it up in field goal range, then throws a pick right to Hutchinson on a pass to Pringle. Half ends.  They easily could have run something else and gotten 5 yards for a long field goal try.
• Gordon with a nice third-down tackle on Josh Reynolds to bring up fourth-and-1 at the Bears 5. They'll take the field goal by Michael Badgley because they get the ball back to start the second half. Lions 24, Bears 10
• Fields being checked for concussion after being blindsided on that run.
• At least Blackwell is all right and on the field. He seemed to be hurt on that punt play but is in coverage. But Jones is out and Harrison Hand is playing right cornerback.
• Another tight end catch on bootleg action and Lions are at the 13.
• Lions at the 28 after a pass to St. Brown over the middle, virtually uncontested but he went to the ground to get it and was mad at himself about not keeping his feet. 
• Jaylon Jones walking gingerly after a hit on Amon-Ra St. Brown on a first-down catch. TWO-MINUTE WARNING!!!
• Fields scrambles, gains 2 and is blindsided and fumbles. Aidan Hutchinson recovered it at midfield. Fields just set a Bears record for most fumbles with 16.
• Herbert with a beautiful cut off a toss, saw the opening in the middle instead of outside and cut it back for 15.
• Fields with an RPO run on first down and didn't look like his old self but was fast enough to get 8 yards and get OB. 
• Schofield injury is a knee and he has been ruled out of the game. That isn't a good sign for him returning this year with one game left. It would be a good time to get Ja'Tyre Carter into a game but the rookie is injured at the moment and inactive today.
• Fields hasn't been running since the second Bears scoring drive but it's unclear whether he's hurting and it's causing him to not run or because the pass rush is destroying the Bears line. Braxton Jones alone has been a reason why the Bears can't get a pass off. And now they're using a right guard from South Africa, who has spent his career on the practice squad, Eiselen.
• Goff play-action TD to Wright after they went with the running game and short passes.  A 10-yard pass.  Brisker got behind on the coverage because of the play-action. Lions 21, Bears 10 
• Lions driving to inside Bears 20 on runs and short passes.
• Now Michael Schofield is injured. That means Dieter Eiselen at right guard? Jenkins' injury was his neck and he's doubtful to return. Not sure on Schofield yet.
• Blackwell got shaken up making a tackle of Kalif Raymond on a punt return. Their pass coverage could really fall to pieces if he's out of the game. Great open-field tackle, though.
• Again Braxton Jones beaten for a sack on a bull rush. That's happened enough this year now that someone needs to look at left tackle in free agency.
• Fields on the skinny post to N'Keal Harry gets back 15. Nice play. They need more of that. 
• Fields sacked on first down with a poor effort by Jones. 
• Goff 8 of 12 for 91 yards and a TD.
• Bears start at the 30 after a 61-yard Jack Fox punt and 10-yard Pettis return. It looked like Pettis had room for a big return too but couldn't break the last tackle.
• THREE-AND-OUT by the Bears defense. Incredible. Tight end slips and Brisker tackles him after a 7-yard gain.
• Al-Quadin Muhammad may have tipped the first pass that falls incomplete, a short one.  If not, he should have. It was right there to be picked.  Then Goff tries to throw it over the middle to St. Brown but incomplete.
• Fields overthrows Byron Pringle with Will Harris blitzing and getting in his face. So Bears punt. Maybe the Bears defense can make a tackle this series after a Trenton Gill punt to the 13.
• Fields to his only dependable receiver, Kmet, for a 14-yard gain at the sidelines for a first down. The ball hit the ground though and replay might overturn it.  Officials actually overturned it before looking at replay. Kmet had the ball and then bobbled it when he hit the ground.
• There are ways to get speed to the outside without Fields and they just did it but running the end around to Velus Jones for 12 around the right side. 
• Herbert takes some of the pressure off of Fields and runs it, 8 straight up the middle.  They need to get the backs more involved like that.
• When Fields is having problems with his legs in the first quarter this looks like more than being dehydrated as the Bears have passed it off as being.
• Bears defense looks especially defenseless in this one. Lions got helped by the officials on the first scoring drive but they really don't need the help.  Bears are glad to oblige.
• Swift tears right through the defense on a simple toss left almost unimpeded for a 16-yard TD. Joe Thomas not there to fill the gap. Lions 14, Bears 10
• Goff takes a short one to Josh Reynolds for the first down at the sidelines. Lions are at the Bears 17.
• Detroit starts the quarter at the Bears 22, second-and-3.

First Quarter

• Fields 105 yards rushing on five carries, 17 yards passing on 2 of 4.
• DJ Chark wide open in the zone and Lions are back at the Bears 29. Then Williams powers off right tackle for 7 as the first quarter ends. Bears 10, Lions 7
• Swing pass to D'Andre Swift looks like another big gainer but Jaquan Brisker puts the hammer down with a textbook open-field tackle for a 5-yard gain.
• Jamaal Williams runs right up the middle. No linebackers anywhere. First down for Lions at their 39.
• Fields cramping up again on sidelines, as he did indoors against the Falcons.
• Tackle eligible on third down is a terrible call by Getsy. He went from a fantastic call earlier on the TD to Kmet to a horrendous call trying to get Reiff a TD against his old team.
• Field goal good but why not go for it? What's the difference? Bears 10, Lions 7
• Fields run out of bounds on third down for a sack and the Bears will try a 21-yard field goal. They were trying a tackle eligible to Riley Reiff. Fields is winded. 
• A Montgomery run and Fields sweep only netted 5 yards. Fields shouldn't be used on a sweep at the goal line unless there is misdirection first.
• Fields' 60 yard scramble up the middle now over 100 yards already. Could be on the way to breaking his own record. Bears first down at the 7.
• Fields sacked on first down but not because Aidan Hutchinson had him. He faked Hutchinson out. Braxton Jones let Cominsky go on the other side and he cleaned up.
• Get used to this. It's going to be a wild scoring free-for-all. There is no defense here.
• Another Lions TD pass to a tight end, Wright. They lead the league in TD passes to tight ends but their tight ends rarely catch passes elsewhere on the field. A 2-yard pass. Lions 7, Bears 7
• Pass interference for 34-yard penalty called on Bears in end zone when Dominique Robinson had a sack dead to rights and Goff had to unload it. Bad coverage and a bad call. The Lions have first-and-goal at the 1. 
• DJ Chark can't come up with third-and-4 pass so Lions will go for it.
• Lions move St. Brown outside and he burns the other undrafted rookie, Jaylon Jones and it's third-and-4.
• Terrible tackling by the Bears on a big run by Jamaal Williams but they got bailed out by a hold on Taylor Decker. Can't win this game with tackling like that.
• A rare off-target throw by Goff and Jaquan Brisker missed the opportunity for an interception. Goff hasn't thrown one in seven games.
• Lions take advantage of mismatch of the day. Amon-Ra St. Brown one on one beats undrafted Josh Blackwell in the slot for 28 on third down and 4.
• Angelo Blackson active this week and in on the tackle. Has been kept pretty much on the sidelines over last four weeks. 
• Trevis Gipson with pressure on a boot that doesn't work for the Lions. Rare Bears defensive line pressure and they get a 2-yard completion.
• Lions starting at the 25.
• Fields went 3/4-arm to hit Kmet in stride, making sure of it. Well-designed and executed TD play.
• Another opening drive score for the team that leads the league in scoring on the opening drive. Cole Kmet from 13 yards for his team-high sixth TD catch of the year off the right side, wide open for a catch and run. Kmet has four TD catches for his career against Detroit. Bears 7, Lions 0
• Khalil Herbert after an incompletion explodes for 8 off right tackle behind Riley Reiff.
• Teven Jenkins hurt again. Maybe he wasn't ready to return from that neck? Hard to tell until they let everyone know what happened. Michael Schofield into the game. Jenkins misses a lot of time with injuries. Just saying.
• There's something you don't see every day. Cole Kmet goes in motion, takes the snap and flips a lateral to Fields, who runs down to the Lions 21. Creative way to get the Lions out of that mesh rush or surfing technique that Aidan Hutchinson likes to use.
• Terrible spot by officials on David Montgomery dump-off. Leaves them third-and-1.
• Aidan Hutchinson waiting for Fields on option run on first down even though he gets 5.
• Two plays, no yards and Bears O-line beaten up twice.  Then Fields scrambles and doesn't get it but Jerry Jacobs held Chase Claypool so Bears have a first down.
• Not a good sign when Alex Anzalone makes the first tackle and stuffs Montgomery for no gain. Anzalone can't defend the run.
• Bears start at the 25 with the ball after a touchback.
• Detroit's biggest strength is its offensive line. They took the ball out of the line's hands by passing so much last week and running for 45 yards. They'll try to run on the Bears.

Pregame

• Bernie Lincicome picked a target for his column Bears fans will not appreciate  
• Several half a dozen fantasy columnists who have Fields ranked fourth this week and Jared Goff fifth or sixth. If it was me, I'd go with what Adam Rank said on NFL.com. Goff has to be a No. 1 this week. He's facing a defense incapable of stopping anyone and the Lions have to win. Even the very good QBs like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow are going to face resistance. And Fields shouldn't rank above Goff this week just because his only dependable wide receiver is out for the year. None of the wide receivers on the roster besides Darnell Mooney has stepped up when they had the chance. The poor guy has to rely on a tight end and a running back as his main receiving threats. Injuries? They've all got alibis or excuses unless they're Mooney, who is actually on IR.  

Inactives 

Bears

• OL Alex Leatherwood

• QB Tim Boyle

• RB Darrynton Evans

• LB Sterling Weatherford

• CB Breon Borders

• OL Ja'Tyre Carter

Lions

• G Kayode Awosika

• DL Michael Brockers

• DL Austin Bryant

• S DeShon Elliott

• RB Justin Jackson

• G Ross Pierschbacher

• Every receiver healthy enough for the Bears to play, including punt returner Dante Pettis and Chase Claypool.  

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