The Detroit Lions narrowly defeated the Chicago Bears 23-20 on Thursday, surviving a late-game rally with a bit of luck to extend their win streak to 10 games. This victory marked their best start to a season in franchise history, moving them to 11-1.
The Thanksgiving Day opener between the two teams went down to the wire, with the Bears falling short in their final possession.
Despite having a chance to tie or win, Chicago’s late-game missteps allowed Detroit to escape with the win. The Lions led 16-0 at halftime, thanks to three field goals and a three-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam LaPorta.
However, the Bears came alive in the second half, scoring three touchdowns. Two of those came from a connection between quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Keenan Allen.
Late in the fourth quarter, Williams connected with D.J. Moore on a 31-yard touchdown pass, cutting Detroit’s lead to just three points.
Chicago’s defense forced Detroit to punt, giving Williams a chance to either tie the game or potentially win it.
But the Bears’ final drive was marred by penalties, and with 36 seconds left, Williams was sacked. Despite being in field goal range, the Bears’ offense failed to manage the clock properly.
Instead of calling a timeout to set up the field goal attempt, Chicago tried to gain additional yardage, which wasted valuable seconds.
The ball was snapped with just six seconds remaining, and Williams’ pass attempt fell incomplete as the clock expired.
The Bears, now on a six-game losing streak, appeared bewildered and frustrated by the chaotic ending. “I saw everybody rush onto the field, and I was like, ‘What just happened?’” said Bears tight end Cole Kmet.
“We tried to get some extra yards, but we were too late, and that ended up being the final play.”
Despite the close call, the Lions were visibly relieved after avoiding what would have been a shocking loss.
“It was a crazy ending. We fought hard to get it done, and it was scary,” said Goff.
“Our defense stood strong. They bent but didn’t break and made key plays when it mattered.”
Goff finished the game with 221 passing yards, completing 21 of 34 attempts with two touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Detroit’s running backs, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, combined for 175 rushing yards.
