Detroit Lions go down swinging, knocking off playoff-bound Bears in season finale
Chicago — It was a long December, but there’s reason to believe, maybe this year will be better than the last.
The Chicago Bears are heading to the playoffs. The Detroit Lions are heading home. Nothing was changing either team’s trajectory Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field.
However, with the Bears scrapping for seeding that could have secured a second playoff game at home, they lost to a Lions team playing for little more than pride, 19-16.
And while Sunday’s win does little to erase the overall disappointment of Detroit’s season, it reminded the NFC North champion that the Lions don’t intend to fade away after falling short of expectations in 2025.
For three quarters on Sunday, the Lions did everything right. It wasn’t until the fourth frame that Chicago made things interesting.
Detroit didn’t have any issues moving the ball to start the game, but struggled to fully capitalize on four red zone trips on their first six possessions.
The Lions worked inside the 20 on each of the team’s first three series, but were forced to settle for short field goals on the first two before running back Jahmyr Gibbs came free on an angle route across the middle for a 15-yard touchdown.
That put Detroit up 13-0 at halftime as the Detroit’s defense forced two punts and a turnover on downs through two quarters. The Lions had a chance to extend the advantage to 16 before the break, but kicker Jake Bates drove a 53-yard attempt wide left as time expired.
The Lions managed to get that three points back in the third quarter, turning a Chicago interception into a long drive that ended in another short field goal by Bates.
That lead held until the fourth quarter when Chicago’s Caleb Williams led back-to-back touchdown drives. The second-year quarterback connected with rookie receiver Jahdae Walker for a 25-yard score on the first and tight end Cole Kmet from a yard out on the second, with the Bears converting two-point tries after each touchdown to tie the game at 16 with a little more than five minutes remaining.
Detroit threatend to retake the lead, working to Chicago’s 25-yard line before Goff was flagged for intentional grounding and intercepted on the next snap, when he threw a deep ball intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown into dense coverage.
The ball was tipped and corralled by safety Kevin Byard, marking his league-leading seventh pick this season.
Detroit’s defense managed to settle things down after the giveaway, forcing a punt. That gave the ball back to Goff and the offense with 1:41 remaining in the contest.
The Lions used six plays, with a 26-yard pass to St. Brown being the key one, to set up a game-winning field goal for Bates as time expired.
The win means the Lions finished with a winning record for a fourth consecutive season, the first time the franchise has accomplished the feat in more than 50 years.
Scoring summary
First quarter
● 8:35 — Detroit cruised into the red zone with the game’s opening possession, but stalled out inside the 20, taking a 34-yard chip shot from Jake Bates to open the scoring. LIONS 3, BEARS 0
Second quarter
● 11:28 — Another long drive for the Lions ends in a second short field goal after the Bears defense tightens up deep inside their own territory. The Lions took 16 plays to move it 66 yards, but quarterback Jared Goff couldn’t find an open man on second or third down. LIONS 6, BEARS 0
● 4:40 — Hey, a touchdown. Picking up a free first down thanks to an encroachment penalty against Chicago on fourth down, Detroit got receptions of 11 and 30 yards from St. Brown, setting up a 15-yard scoring grab to Jahmyr Gibbs, running an angle route. LIONS 13, BEARS 0
Third quarter
● 2:15 — Following an interception, the Lions marched 70 yards into the red zone without facing a third down, but stalled out when Goff missed Jameson Williams a touch wide on third-and-goal, taking a 25-yard field goal from Bates to extend the advantage. LIONS 16, BEARS 0
Fourth quarter
● 14:16 — Chicago finally got on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter when Williams found undrafted rookie receiver Jahdae Walker on a post pattern for a 25-yard touchdown. Running back Kyle Monangai followed that up with a 2-point conversion to cut Detroit’s lead to one score. LIONS 16, BEARS 8
● 5:25 — After forcing a punt, the Bears leaned heavily on their tight ends on a game-tying series. Cole Kmet converted a third-and-10 with a 19-yard catch-and-run while Loveland had four grabs, including a 1-yard scoring reception off his shoetops. Then, on the two-point try, Williams rolled to his right and found Kmet to knot things up. LIONS 16, BEARS 16
● 0:00 — After St. Brown’s grab put the Lions in range, Bates banged home a 42-yarder as time expired to give the Lions the win. LIONS 19, BEARS 16
Turnovers
● With Chicago on the move midway through the third quarter, Caleb Williams rolled out and attempted a deep shot, but Lions safety Avonte Maddox read the throw and beat the receiver to the spot for an interception in the end zone.
Key stats
● Goff completed 27-of-42 for 331 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
● St. Brown had nine catches for 110 yards at the half, but only added two yards and 29 yards to his tally the final two quarters.
● Gibbs led the Lions on the ground with 80 yards on 19 carries.
● Linebacker Jack Campbell took his typical spot atop the tackle leaderboard with 11 stops. Aidan Hutchinson added a sack, finishing his year with 14.5.
Notable
● Offensive tackle Chris Hubbard, making his Detroit debut, got the start at right tackle.
● On a fourth-and-2 play in the closing seconds of the first half, Detroit linebacker Derrick Barnes broke up a pass intended for tight end Colston Loveland, ending a Chicago scoring threat.
● Bates missed a 53-yard field goal wide left on the final play of the first half.
Injuries
● Wide receiver Tom Kennedy exited the game in the second half with a rib injury.
Inactives
The Lions made the following players inactive for Sunday’s game: Linebacker Alex Anzalone, offensive tackle Penei Sewell, defensive tackle Alim McNeill, safety Thomas Harper, wide receiver Dominic Lovett and offensive lineman Kayode Awosika.
Anzalone, Sewell, McNeill and Harper had previously been ruled out with injury.
Next game
See you in September.
It’s all a lot of oysters but no pearls - good thing I love oysters
Tough division with no team having a losing record. Lions had many chances throughout the season. No real NFC favorites in the playoffs this year, everyone seems to have a chance except the Panthers. What could have been. Will be interesting to hear the final locker room talk.