For the second week in a row, the Chicago Bears were involved in a shootout in which they fell just short in securing a win. The Bears lost 31-30 to the Detroit Lions, dropping their third game in a row despite another strong outing from the offense.
Quarterback Justin Fields once again had a spectacular day, both through the air and on the ground, but couldn’t find the magic late in the fourth quarter to lead the Bears back after they surrendered a 14-point lead in the second half. It’s been a similar story for the Bears the last couple of weeks. The defense struggles to stop the opposing offense, but the offense or special teams commits a fatal flaw to put the game out of reach despite having a strong game. In this case, it was a pick six that Fields threw to former college teammate Jeff Okudah that was the difference.
Here’s everything we know following the disappointing loss.
Final score: Lions 31, Bears 30
Keys to the game
Poor pass defense: It was another disappointing showing for the Bears secondary on Sunday as they allowed the Lions passing game to carve them up. Quarterback Jared Goff was efficient, going 19-of-26 for 236 yards and a touchdown. His receivers were constantly getting open and made big plays, particularly on third down to keep drives alive. Without Kindle Vildor and with Jaylon Johnson dealing with an injury, the back end was vulnerable and Detroit took advantage.
Elite rushing attack: The Bears continue to showcase an elite rushing attack, eclipsing more than 225 rushing yards for the fifth straight game. Fields was sensational on the ground but running backs Khalil Herbert and David Montgomery both averaged more than four yards a carry. The Lions came in with the second-worst run defense in the league and the Bears made sure to expose those flaws. They had 258 rushing yards on the day on 35 attempts.
Untimely penalties: One of the calling cards early on in the Matt Eberflus era has been the Bears’ ability to avoid costly penalties. They have played disciplined football for much of the year. Not on Sunday, though. The Bears committed eight penalties on the day, the most they have had in a single game this season. Some calls admittedly were questionable, but the Bears needed better awareness at crucial moments of the game. They were uncharacteristically sloppy in that department.
It was over when...
It was over when Fields was sacked on fourth down on the Bears’ final drive of the game. For the second week in a row, the game rested on the shoulders of No. 1. The Bears led by as many as 14, but went down by one late in the fourth quarter. Fields had the chance to lead a scoring drive, needing just a field goal to get the win.
Up to that point, Fields was having his way with the Lions defense. But Detroit clamped down on him and dialed the pressure up. Fields took two sacks on the drive, the latter of which came on fourth down. Fields miraculously nearly broke free of the pressure, but couldn’t muster any more magic on the day. It would be the final play of the day for the offense as Detroit ran the clock out to seal the victory.
3 studs of the game
*Justin Fields: One of the most explosive players in the NFL, Fields continues to dazzle when the ball is in his hands. Fields went 12-of-20 for 167 yards and two touchdowns through the air. He also ran 13 times for 147 yards and two scores. Fields bested his 61-yard touchdown run from last week with a 67-yard score on Sunday. He did make a costly mistake, throwing a pick six, but still played extremely well overall.
**Cole Kmet: The connection between Cole Kmet and Fields is very real at this point in the season. The third-year tight end caught four passes for 74 yards and scored two touchdowns for the second game in a row on Sunday. He’s just the second player in the NFL this season to have two games in a row with multiple touchdowns, joining Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Kmet has found his role in this offense and it’s resulting in points.
***Jack Sanborn: The defense had a rough game overall, but undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn was one of the lone bright spots. Sanborn led the team in tackles with 12, nine of which were solo. He also had two sacks, two tackles for loss, and two QB hits. The biggest play of the day for him, however, was wiped out when he picked off Goff in the fourth quarter, but was called back due to a penalty. The defense needs to pick up their play, but Sanborn has fared well since stepping into the starting lineup.
What's next
The Bears return to Georgia to take on the Atlanta Falcons next week. The last time these two teams met, the Bears had a comeback for the ages. Nick Foles came off the bench to replace a struggling Mitchell Trubisky and helped lead the Bears to a win after being down 16 midway through the fourth quarter. Though most of that roster is now gone, hopefully the Bears can recapture some of that magic when they return on Sunday.
