The Detroit Lions Were BLown Out In Chicago On Sunday.
First Quarter
The Bears received the football to start this game and had the most optimal start imaginable. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky completed 5/5 passes, setting up running back Tarik Cohen for a three-yard touchdown rush.
The Lions had a decent response from their offense, pushing the ball to the Chicago 27-yard line. However, a sack of quarterback Matthew Stafford knocked the Lions out of field goal range and they punted the ball back to the Bears.
Trubisky continued to be hot on the next drive, taking the Bears 91 yards in just eight plays. He completed passes of 27 and 20 yards before finding wide receiver Allen Robinson for a 36-yard touchdown.
Score: Bears lead 13-0
Second Quarter
The Bears were quick to find the end zone yet again in the second quarter when Trubisky threw his second touchdown of the game to rookie wide receiver Anthony Miller from 45-yards out.
To answer this the Lions offense came out and promptly threw an interception. Stafford was pressured and ended up throwing the ball right into the waiting arms of Chicago cornerback Bryce Callahan.
For their fourth consecutive drive to start the game, the Bears put the ball into the end zone when Trubisky ran the ball in himself from four yards out.
Detroit finally showed signs of life right before the end of the half. Stafford led them on a 14-play 75-yard drive that took over seven minutes. The conclusion of the drive was rookie running back Kerryon Johnson diving into the end zone for a one-yard touchdown run.
Score: Bears lead 26-7
Third Quarter
The Lion offense carried their newfound momentum over to the second half. They were able to advance the ball 36-yards into Chicago territory, and Matt Prater connected on a 52-yard field goal to cut the Bear lead to 14 points.
After a series of punts, missed field goals, and turnovers, the Bears were the next to strike at the end of the third quarter. Trubisky found Robinson for their second touchdown connection of the day, this one from 26 yards away.
Score: Bears lead 34-10
Fourth Quarter
The Lions offense finally got going at the end of the game, however, it was too late. Stafford found Kenny Golladay for a 5-yard touchdown, then Kerryon Johnson for a 13-yard touchdown. These scores didn’t matter though as time ran out on the Lions comeback attempt and Detroit fell to 3-6 on the year.
Score: Bears win 34-22
Key Stats
Detroit turned the ball over three times and never created a turnover
The Lions did not follow the cardinal rule of NFL football, which is don’t turn the ball over and you’ll probably win. Two interceptions from Stafford and a fumble from Johnson completely changed this game, and not being able to take the ball away even once was very costly as well.
Mitchell Trubisky completed 23/30 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns
Trubisky played arguably the best game of his career on Sunday. With cornerback Darius Slay sitting out, the Lions secondary had no answers for the Chicago passing game. Trubisky also had a rushing touchdown and looked like a legitimate franchise quarterback.
Matthew Stafford was sacked 6 times
Last week in Minnesota, Stafford was sacked 10 times. So six is somewhat of an improvement, but still far too many. After looking very good for the first half of the season the Lions offensive line has had two terrible performances in a row.
The Lions only ran for 76 yards at 3.2 yards per carry
The Lions couldn’t get anything going with the ground game again. Since their win in Miami a few weeks ago, the Detroit running game has been terrible. This has been due to playing good defenses, poor performance from the offensive line, poor playcalling, and a lack of talent from the running backs outside of Johnson.
Plays Of The Game
Kerryon Johnson’s Touchdown Run
https://streamable.com/zdfwj
Kenny Golladay’s Circus Catch
https://streamable.com/xv9xy
Kerryon Johnson’s Touchdown Reception
https://streamable.com/28uah
Detroit Lions Player Of The Game
Kerryon Johnson was the best Lions player on the field Sunday. He ran for 51 yards and a touchdown while also catching 6 passes for 38 yards and another touchdown. When Johnson has been the focal point for the Lions offense, they have been noticeably better. It boggles the mind that LeGarrette Blount and Theo Riddick both get so much playing time over Johnson still.
At the moment, Johnson might be the best player on the entire Detroit offense. He is the only player that consistently has shown up to games all season, and he looks like he will be a cornerstone player of this franchise going forward, even if this season is lost.
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