The Bears came into today’s game losers of 8 straight games. During this 8-game losing streak, the Bears’ defense has given up 25.9 points per game. The Bears surrendered 21 or more points in 5 of the last 8 games. Conversely, the Bears are only averaging 14.8 points per game during this losing streak. The Detroit Lions came into this game with 16 players on the injury list with the latest being starting RB & former Bear David Montgomery. It didn’t matter as the Lions thoroughly trounced the Bears today in Soldier Field to earn their franchise record 13th win of the season 34-17.
Two early 1st quarter fumbles lost by Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze led to 10 points for the Lions. It looked as though the Bears defense was going to battle when the Lions were held to a FG to make it a 13-0 but on the Lions’ next possession, Jared Goff found Jameson Williams for an 82 yard TD throw and the lead ballooned to 20-0. The shell shocked Bears were once again forced to try and play from behind.
Jameson Williams generating 150 yards on six touches vs the Bears. The Lions just continue to evolve his use
— Football Digest (@FoootballDigest) December 22, 2024
His ability to catch in traffic, route running, & movement in space have drastically improved. Not just a vertical threat pic.twitter.com/NEXKuLEzTy
Caleb Williams did his best to try and get the Bears back in the game when his second TD throw cut the lead to 27-14 however the Lions answered right back to stretch the lead back to 20 with a TD drive. Ballgame.
Stars of the Game
- Jared Goff, Lions: 23 of 32, 336 yards, 3 TD
- Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions: 23 rushes, 109 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches, 45 yards
- Jameson Williams, Lions: 5 catches, 143 yards, 1 TD
- Caleb Williams, Bears: 26 for 40, 334 yards, 2 TDs; 6 rushes, 34 yards
- Keenan Allen, Bears: 9 catches, 141 yards, 1 TD
- Brian Branch, Lions: 12 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 QB Hit
Grading The Bears
Offense: The run game today was non-existent. When your QB is your leading rusher then that is a problem. The offense only generated 59 rushing yards for a 3.5 yards per rush averaged. Caleb Williams looked better than he did against the Vikings. He made some throws and kept things alive with his legs. I feel 40 pass attempts is a bit much but when the run game was as putrid as it was today, you really didn’t have much of a choice. The OL took a hit when Braxton Jones went down with an ankle injury and surrendered 2 sacks in the 2nd half. I’m still perplexed as to why there seems to be more chemistry between Caleb, Rome Odunze & Keenan Allen than Caleb has with DJ Moore & Cole Kmet. Kmet had a TD catch but he was also only targeted twice today. Going 2 for 10 on 3rd down conversions will not cut it in any league. Caleb & Rome Odunze each lost a fumble which led to 10 points for the Lions. Grade: C-
Defense: The defense was atrocious yet again. Giving up 475 yards of offense is egregious. The Lions were able to use Jahmyr Gibbs in the run game while Jared Goff carved the Bears up for 336 yards through the air. The 82 yard TD pass to Jameson Williams was upsetting as Williams beat a double team to catch that pass. The Bears also allowed the Lions to convert on 7 of their 12 third down attempts. There was a 4th & 3 where the Bears were flagged for offsides. CB Jaylon Johnson picked up a dumb 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct to keep a drive going that eventually led to a Lions TD. They got little to no pressure on Jared Goff and the Lions ended up with a 7.3 yards per play average. Once again there were missed tackles & “business decisions” made on tackle attempts. This defense lacks that aggressive nature. They lack heart. Grade: F
Special Teams: Not much to speak on with the special teams. Cairo Santos made a FG but Tory Taylor was a non-factor. The return game was also a non-factor. Grade: INC
Coaching: Interim Head Coach Thomas Brown was out-coached in all facets of the game today. The offense couldn’t get going until late in the 1st half. The defensive scheme was terrible. The team committed 10 penalties, none more unforgivable than the 4th down offsides penalty that kept a Lions drive going. The season has been over so why not try to push the envelope on both sides of the ball. There’s nothing to lose yet the coaching staff continues to be stick with the same gameplan. Grade: F
What’s Next
Some of the players’ comments after the game were interesting. This team is clearly sleep walking its way through the rest of the season. They know Thomas Brown is not going to be the head coach next year. They know this entire coaching staff won’t be here next year. You have some players still playing hard while others are going through the motions and planning their off-season trips. What angers Bears fans the most is not the fact the season has been a complete disaster(and it has), it’s the fact the team has quit. Fans can accept if their team loses and is bad, what they won’t accept is a team that doesn’t play hard.
As I stated last week, this is a symptom of a dysfunctional organization from top to bottom. This organization lacks an identity… and I’m not sure if they know how to develop one.
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