The 3-7 Chicago Bears are playing the 7-2 Detroit Lions at Ford Field in a Week 11 matchup. Here’s what you need to know.
Halftime: Lions take 14-10 lead with late TD drive
Quarterback Jared Goff led a 75-yard touchdown drive in the final two minutes of the first half to help the Lions to a 14-10 halftime lead against the Bears on Sunday at Ford Field.
Goff completed seven passes on the drive, including a 7-yard touchdown strike to Amon-Ra St. Brown with 11 seconds to play in the second quarter. He threw for 107 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in the half.
In his return from a four-game absence due to a dislocated right thumb, Bears quarterback Justin Fields threw for 103 yards and rushed for 43.
Fields came out strong on the Bears’ opening 75-yard touchdown drive, completing 3 of 4 passes for 38 yards and running for 28 yards. D’Onta Foreman scored on a 1-yard run to make it 7-0. The Bears didn’t have a third down on the drive.
The Bears had two first-half interceptions against Goff but failed to capitalize on either with scoring drives. Kicker Cairo Santos made a 31-yard field goal with 1 minute, 47 seconds to play in the second quarter to give the Bears a 10-7 lead.
Against a good Lions run defense, Bears running backs managed just 11 yards on 10 carries.
Rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson got his first career interception on the Lions’ first drive, picking off an errant Goff pass and returning it to the Bears 37.
The Bears got to the Lions 38, but Foreman lost 6 yards on a first-down carry. Fields overthrew DJ Moore in the end zone, and Fields’ third-down pass was spiked by defensive lineman John Cominsky.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards picked off Goff on the Lions’ second drive. But the Lions got the ball back two plays later when cornerback Cam Sutton forced rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott to fumble and linebacker Alex Anzalone recovered.
The Lions capitalized with a 34-yard touchdown drive, capped by Jahmyr Gibbs’ 2-yard run to tie it 7-7.
Inactives announced
Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds will return Sunday against the Lions after a two-game absence.
Edmunds is active for the game at Ford Field after recovering from a knee injury.
He is one of three players returning from injuries, including quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears announced Wednesday that Fields would start after a four-game absence due to a thumb injury. Running back Khalil Herbert also is active after missing five games while on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain.
Running back D’Onta Foreman is active after battling an ankle injury during the week of practice, and linebacker Jack Sanborn will play after recovering from an ankle injury and an illness.
The Bears previously declared linebacker Noah Sewell out with a knee injury.
Wide receiver Velus Jones Jr., offensive lineman Ja’Tyre Carter, defensive end Dominique Robinson, quarterback Nathan Peterman, safety Quindell Johnson and linebacker Micah Baskerville are inactive.
For the Lions, defensive linemen Isaiah Buggs, Brodric Martin and Levi Onwuzurike, cornerback Steven Gilmore, wide receiver Antoine Green, guard Jonah Jackson and linebacker Trevor Nowaske are inactive.
‘Just go out there and win games’
Bears quarterback Justin Fields isn’t focused on proving himself over the final seven games of the season — though it will be necessary to do that as team leadership charts its future.
Fields’ purpose is narrower as he prepares to make his first start in more than a month Sunday. Asked if he still feels pain in his hand, he said it’s not 100%.
“But it feels good,” he said. “There’s still a little bit of healing left. But it’s stable.”
Fields said he doesn’t think ball security will be an issue with the injury, noting he wouldn’t be playing if it was. But protecting the football is a major focus. Read more here.
Shifts to the offensive line
Teven Jenkins said the conversation was short. Bears coaches let the offensive lineman know he was moving from right guard back to left guard with the return of Nate Davis to the lineup. Jenkins said he responded, “All right. No problem.”
Matt Eberflus said Davis is expected to return Sunday after a four-game absence because of a high ankle sprain. The Bears determined that Davis’ experience at right guard and Jenkins’ flexibility to play on both sides made the switch the right move.
“I trust everything upstairs,” Jenkins said. “They’re trying to put the best five out there, and if it comes down to what it is right now, I trust them.” Read more here.
Stats package
13-4: The Lions record over the last 17 games, solidifying them as one of the best teams in the NFL. Only the Chiefs, Eagles and 49ers — all 14-3 — have been better over their last 17 games.
3-14: The Bears record over the last 17 games. That ranks 31st in the league; only the Cardinals (2-15) have been worse. Compounding the disappointment for the Bears, they have lost their last 11 NFC North games dating to 2021.
Read more attention-grabbing numbers and nuggets here.
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