The scenario was familiar Sunday at Soldier Field: a 12- point Chicago Bears lead in the fourth quarter against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions. Three weeks earlier, in the Nov. 19 game at Ford Field, the Bears let the same lead slip away in a loss. The Bears defense got three takeaways against Lions quarterback Jared Goff and came up with some major second-half.
The scenario was familiar Sunday at Soldier Field: a 12-point Chicago Bears lead in the fourth quarter against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions.
Three weeks earlier, in the Nov. 19 game at Ford Field, the Bears let the same lead slip away in a loss.
This time, the Bears finished, pulling off a 28-13 victory for their first two-game winning streak since late in the 2021 season.
The Bears defense got three takeaways against Lions quarterback Jared Goff and came up with some major second-half stops, including three sacks in a span of six plays in two late fourth-quarter drives. Goff completed 20 of 35 passes for 161 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Meanwhile, in his first start at Soldier Field since Oct. 15, Bears quarterback Justin Fields completed 19 of 33 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for 58 yards on 12 carries.
The momentum-changing play came on fourth-and-13 at the Lions 38-yard line with 1 minute, 42 seconds to play in the third quarter.
Fields found DJ Moore for a 38-yard touchdown pass and a 19-13 lead after the extra point was blocked. Moore got behind Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs and caught the ball near the 5-yard line before cruising in. The touchdown came on a free play after Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was flagged for a defensive offside penalty before the pass unfolded.
On the Lions’ ensuing drive, Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards recovered a fumbled snap between Graham Glasgow and Jared Goff. The Bears took over at the Lions’ 29-yard line. It was the Bears’ second takeaway after cornerback Jaylon Johnson’s first-half interception. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds also had a late interception to help seal the win.
Five plays after the fumble recovery, Fields scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion pass failed, and the Bears led 25-13. (The Bears had led 26-14 in the first game in Detroit.)
But the Bears lengthened the lead instead of letting the Lions climb back into the game.
On fourth-and-1 on the Lions’ next drive, the Bears stopped running back Jahmyr Gibbs for minus-4 yards, giving the Bears the ball at the Lions 30. Bears kicker Cairo Santos made a 28-yard field goal to put the Bears up 28-13.
Santos also made a 25-yard field goal midway through the third quarter to tie the game after the Lions led 13-10 at halftime.
