The Chicago Bears coughed up a 10-point fourth quarter lead, and the Detroit Lions captured a 34-30 victory at Soldier Field Sunday.
The Bears had an opportunity to get the points back late in the game, but Allen Robinson stepped out of bounds short of the first down marker in Lions territory, and then David Montgomery was stopped short of the line to gain, giving the Lions the ball and the victory.
The Bears got on the board first to start the game with a Cairo Santos field goal in the first quarter, his 16th straight successful field goal attempt.
The Bears then scored again with just over six minutes remaining in the frame, as David Montgomery executed a perfect 13-yard run around the edge of the line to put the Bears ahead 9-0 after the extra point was blocked.
The Lions responded late in the quarter, as Adrian Peterson bulldozed his way through the center of the offensive line to cut Chicago’s lead to 9-6 after an eventful 15 minutes.
The Bears’ run gaem continued its strong start to the game early in the second quarter, as the team pulled off an impressive 10-play, 75-yard drive. The drive was finished off by a touchdown run from Cordarrelle Patterson, and Santos’ extra point made it a 16-6 game.
Matthew Stafford and the Lions quickly struck back, cutting the lead to three points near the two-minute warning. A long throw from Stafford found receiver Quintez Cephus near the goal line, and he hauled in the catch to trim Chicago’s advantage to 16-13.
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Montgomery and the Bears showcased their two-minute offense once again late in the half, as the running back scored his second touchdown of the game with a four-yard rush, giving the Bears a 23-13 lead at halftime.
The Bears’ offense sputtered a bit to start the third quarter, and the Lions took advantage as they once again cut Chicago’s lead to three points. Tight end Jesse James, working in one-on-one coverage against Bears corner Jaylon Johnson, muscled his way past the cornerback and hauled in a grab in the back of the end zone to make it a 23-20 game after three quarters.
Trubisky and the Bears executed another strong drive to start the fourth quarter, going 72 yards in 12 plays. Trubisky’s bootleg pass to Cole Kmet gave the Bears another touchdown on the scoreboard, along with some critical insurance points and a 30-20 lead.
Unwilling to concede, the Lions marched down the field for a 96-yard drive that took up just 2:15 of clock. Marvin Jones Jr. hauled in a 25-yard pass from Stafford, once again narrowing the score to 30-27 with 2:18 remaining.
On the ensuing drive, the Bears decided to throw on third down, and the decision proved disastrous, as Trubisky fumbled the ball and the Lions recovered. Just three plays later, the Lions scored on a touchdown by Peterson, giving them a 34-30 lead with 1:37 remaining in the contest.
The Bears' next drive started out well as they marched down the field, but the Lions stopped Robinson and Montgomery short of the first down marker on successive plays, giving Detroit the victory.
