Bears Fall 3-1 After 40-32 Loss to Lions

Reggie Bush rushed for 132 yards, and Calvin Johnson snagged a touchdown pass as the Detroit Lions, and despite a late comeback attempt by the Chicago Bears, it was too little too late as the Lions knocked off the previously undefeated Bears by a 40-32 margin.

Bears QB Jay Cutler had his worst game of the season, throwing three interceptions and coughing up a fumble as the Bears dropped to 3-1 on the season.

The game didn't start out looking like it would be a runaway win for either team. The Bears and Lions traded first quarter field goals as both teams couldn't quite get anything going offensively. Lions QB Matthew Stafford had several errant throws that killed Lions drives, and Cutler couldn't quite connect with his wide receivers on a few passes of his own.

In the second quarter, the Bears had a brief shining moment on offense, with Matt Forte bursting around the edge for a 53-yard touchdown run to give Chicago the 10-6 lead. After that play, it was all Lions. Matthew Stafford had a rushing touchdown just after the halfway point of the quarter, and then followed that up just 21 seconds later with a two yard touchdown pass on a jump ball to Johnson in the corner of the end zone following a Cutler inteception on a bad pass into double coverage along the sideline. Then, Bush rushed for a 37 yard touchdown scamper less than three minutes later, and just like that the Lions had a 30-10 lead on the Bears late in the first half.

Robbie Gould did kick a field goal just before the half to bring the Bears within a 30-13 margin at halftime, but it did little to stop the bleeding. The Bears did pick up another field goal early in the third quarter, but Cutler's careless game ended up catching up with him, as he held onto the ball for too long deep in the pocket and Lions DE Ndamukong Suh forced a fumble. Nick Fairley picked the ball up for the Lions and waltzed into the end zone to give Detroit the 37-16 lead, and they never looked back.

The Bears did pick up a late touchdown in the fourth quarter, when Cutler found Alshon Jeffrey in the front corner of the end zone. Jeffrey made a great catch on the play despite having a defender right in his face, and used his strength to hold onto the ball. Jeffrey also caught the two-point conversion pass from Cutler, making it a two possession game at 40-24. Oddly, the Bears didn't opt for an onside kick after that drive, but it didn't hurt them too much, as Joique Bell coughed up a fumble near midfield and gave the Bears the ball back.

The Bears took advantage of the miscue, moving the ball back downfield with Cutler finding Martellus Bennett and Brandon Marshall for several key receptions before the two minute warning. Finally, with less than a minute left in the game, Cutler found Earl Bennett in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. Marshall then caught a spectacular ball in the back of the end zone to convert the two point conversion, and the Bears got to within one possession with just 43 seconds remaining.