The Detroit Lions hadn’t won a Thanksgiving game since 2016. Lions fans had to unexpectedly sweat out breaking that streak.
They can thank a game-management fiasco by the Chicago Bears.
The Bears, who had a timeout left, let the clock run down to the final seconds after a sack, trailing by three points. It ran down too far, and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw incomplete on the final play.
The Lions ended up getting the 23-20 win. A questionable defensive pass interference penalty downfield on a fourth-and-14 desperation pass gave the Bears a first down well within field-goal range. But the drive moved back and then the Bears mismanaged the clock as poorly as you’ll see in the NFL.
It’s hard to be sharp every single half of an NFL season, and for most of this season the Lions have been very good. The Lions’ second half wasn’t impressive, but at least they didn’t take another Thanksgiving loss. After how they dominated the first half, it would have been a severe letdown. As is, another win and a 11-1 record is just fine as they chase the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
For Chicago, it will be a long week for coach Matt Eberflus, who is on the hottest seat possible after the way the Bears screwed up the end of the game.
The Bears have been playing better the last couple weeks. They were a blocked field goal from beating the Green Bay Packers and took the Minnesota Vikings to overtime. The Bears were 4-7 coming in but haven’t been an inept team lately.
The Lions made the Bears look like a college team in the first half.
In the first quarter, the Lions outgained the Bears 214-11 and had 15 first downs (a ridiculous amount in a quarter of football) to zero for the Bears. Detroit scored on the first play of the second quarter, with a touchdown pass from Jared Goff to LaPorta to take a 10-0 lead.
The Lions’ offense has been fantastic all season, and the defense has made major strides to match it. The Bears’ first three possessions all ended in a three-and-out. They didn’t get a first down until 51 seconds remained in the first half. The Bears have had some awful games on offense this season, but Thursday’s first half seemed to be more about the Lions defense dominating them. The Bears had 53 yards in the first half. The Lions had 279. It seemed like Detroit would blow them out.
But give the Bears credit. The game was a lot different in the second half.
The Lions were clearly superior in the first half but some red-zone issues and a Gibbs fumble deep in Bears territory kept the score to a manageable 16-0 for Chicago at halftime. Right after the half, Caleb Williams hit Keenan Allen for a touchdown and the Bears cut their deficit to 16-7. The Lions came right back. Aided by a questionable horse-collar penalty call on a third-down stop, the Lions went downfield and LaPorta got his second touchdown.
But the Bears kept hanging around. Williams calmed down and made plays. The Lions offense didn’t move up and down the field as easily, and a missed field goal in the fourth quarter by Detroit kept the door open for a comeback. Williams had a nice pass to D.J. Moore for a 31-yard touchdown with 5:36 left, and despite a wretched first half the Bears were within three points.
The Bears forced a punt but Detroit had good coverage and downed it at the 1-yard line. Williams kept the Bears’ hopes alive with a 25-yard pass to Moore on third down. Chicago moved it to midfield at the two-minute warning. A sack set the Bears’ drive back, and they faced a fourth-and-4 just outside of field-goal range at Detroit’s 44-yard line. There was an offensive pass interference call that negated a Moore catch for a first down, and then Williams threw it deep on fourth-and-14. Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor was hand-fighting with Moore and officials called the penalty. That kept the Bears alive.
The drive stalled after that, with a sack and a penalty pushing them back. Williams was sacked with 30 seconds left and it took too long to get the play in and run it. Williams looked like a rookie trying to get the team organized. The snap came with about six seconds left and he held it too long before throwing it downfield.
It was a win for the Lions. It felt more like the Bears blowing it at the end.