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    Lions escape Bears comeback bid after Chicago completely botches final snap

    Vaseline Posted on

    The Detroit Lions hadn’t won a Thanksgiving game since 2016. Lions fans unexpectedly had to sweat to break that streak.

    They may have a game management fiasco to thank for the Chicago Bears.

    The Bears, who still had a timeout, ran the clock down to the final seconds after a sack, trailing by three points. Things went too far and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw incomplete on the final play.

    The Lions ultimately earned the 23-20 victory. A questionable defensive pass interference penalty on a fourth-and-14 desperation pass gave the Bears a first down well within field goal range. But the drive went back and then the Bears managed the clock as poorly as you will see in the NFL.

    It’s hard to be sharp every 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 big letdown. As it is, another win and an 11-1 record is fine as they chase the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

    For Chicago, it’s going to be a long week for head coach Matt Eberflus, who is in the hottest seat possible after the way the Bears botched the end of the game.

    The Bears have played better in recent weeks. They were a blocked field goal in beating the Green Bay Packers and took the Minnesota Vikings to overtime. The Bears came in at 4-7, but haven’t been clumsy lately.

    The Lions made the Bears look like a college team in the first half.

    In the first quarter the Lions outscored the Bears 214-11 and had 15 first downs (a ridiculous number 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 tight end Sam LaPorta to take a 10-0 lead.

    The Lions’ offense has been fantastic all season and the defense has made great strides to match it. The Bears’ first three possessions all ended in three-and-outs. They didn’t fall behind until there were 51 seconds left in the first half. The Bears have had some terrible offensive games 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 looked like Detroit was going to blow them away.

    But give the bears all the credit. The game looked very different in the second half.

    Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions built a big lead against the Bears but had to hold on as Chicago was a mess on their last play with a chance to tie or take the lead. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions built a big lead against the Bears but had to hold on as Chicago was a mess on their last play with a chance to tie or take the lead. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

    Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions built a big lead against the Bears but had to hold on as Chicago was a mess on their last play with a chance to tie or take the lead. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

    The Lions were clearly superior in the first half, but some red zone trouble and a Jahmyr Gibbs fumble deep in Bears territory kept the score at a manageable 16-0 for Chicago at halftime. Immediately after halftime, 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 penalty on a third-down stop, the Lions went downfield and LaPorta got his second touchdown.

    But the Bears hung around. Williams calmed down and made plays. The Lions didn’t move up and down the field with ease, and a missed field goal in the fourth quarter by Detroit kept the door open for a comeback. Williams had a nice pass to DJ Moore for a 31-yard touchdown with 5:36 left, and despite a miserable first half, the Bears were within three points.

    The Bears forced a punt, but Detroit had good coverage and beat 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 after the two-minute warning. A sack set the Bears’ drive back and they faced a fourth-and-4 just outside field goal range at the Detroit 44-yard line. There was an offensive pass interference call that negated a Moore catch for a first down, then Williams threw the ball deep on fourth-and-14. Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor was in a scuffle with Moore and the officials called the penalty. That kept the bears alive.

    The drive stalled after that, with a sack and penalty pushing Chicago back. Williams was sacked with 30 seconds left and took too long to get the play in and execute. Williams looked like a rookie trying to get the team organized. The pop 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 blew it at the end.

    LIVE DECLARATION IS OVER46 updates

    • Lions hold on for a 23-20 win while Bears mishandle the final seconds

      The Detroit Lions pulled off an imperfect win, taking a 23-20 win. The Bears’ surge in the second half ended with an easy chance to tie the game and send it into overtime, but instead they found a way to spoil the game.

      Chicago completely mishandled the final seconds. Despite having a full timeout left, the Bears didn’t take it, and the clock slipped away when Williams’ final pass fell incomplete.

      On that strange note, the wild contest in midwestern Turkey came to an end.

    • Lions enjoy messy – but effective! – win

      With the win, the Lions move to 11-1 after winning 10 straight.

      The result is that they can feast on a festive bird with much to be thankful for. Jared Goff, who hit 21 of 34 and threw for two touchdowns, won a special Thanksgiving MVP award in honor of John Madden.

    • Chicago’s final drive was further hampered by flags

      The Bears were locked up first, but were bounced with an illegal hand call. Williams was fired on the next play.

    • Dueling pass interference flags cause chaos in the final minute

      On fourth down, Bears tight end Cole Kmet was called for offensive pass interference, forcing Chicago to play fourth down again with a ten-yard penalty added. But on the next play, the Lions called for pass interference, handing Chicago a sudden first down at Detroit’s 25.

    • Bears allow a third sack on Williams but are able to convert the first

      Caleb Williams was sacked again on this drive, with his third sack of the day coming from Al-Quadin Muhammad. But Williams was able to get two big plays in a row, with a 14-yard pass to DJ Moore and a 12-yard rush from D’Andre Swift, putting the Bears over the line for a first down.

      Chicago now has two minutes and 50 yards left to tie (or win) the score.

    • A huge first down keeps the game alive for Chicago

    • Detroit goes three-and-out, but at least they have a great punter

      The Lions special teams did everything they could to get to the point at the one-yard line.

    • Monster touchdown pass from Williams to DJ Moore

      It’s now a one-score game, with Williams getting the long shot to DJ Moore to bring the Bears within three points.

    • Even with a ten point deficit, Caleb Williams continues to push

    • Detroit misses the field goal

      Jake Bates made three field goals today, but his fourth went wide right. It’s still 23-13, with Detroit’s lead a little smaller than they would like.

    • Jameson Williams was busted for taunting

      Lions receiver Jameson Williams got a little too cheerful after a short gain, taunting defensive back Tyrique Stevenson and throwing the ball in Stevenson’s face. The unsportsmanlike conduct flag dropped things back to second and 22 for Detroit.

    • DJ Reader takes the huge hit on Caleb Williams

      DJ Reader gets his second sack of the game on Caleb Williams, resulting in a loss of 11 yards. Williams’ next pass is incomplete (and nearly intercepted), and the Bears will have to… punt again.

    • Keenan Allen is out after that last play, but it is unclear if there is a serious injury or not. Allen has both of his touchdowns today in Chicago and would be a big loss for the Bears’ offense if he’s ruled out.

    • Caleb Williams finds Keenan Allen for a touchdown, but the two-point conversion is off

      Chicago is determined to make it a game worth watching, with Caleb Williams connecting with Keenan Allen for the second touchdown of the day.

      But the Bears fail to get the two-point conversion and the score remains at 23-13.

    • Big gain of 29 yards for D’Andre Swift

    • Goff and LaPorta connect for their second touchdown

      Jared Goff fakes the pitch into the backfield and finds an open Sam LaPorta for their second touchdown connection of the day. Detroit takes a 23-7 lead.

    • Jameson Williams with the hurdle to get the Lions into the red zone

    • Caleb Williams’ touchdown pass is all the more impressive because it came right after an awkward tackle from Jack Campbell. Williams’ legs were bent back at an awkward angle on the way down, but it looks like he’s doing just fine – and Chicago has pulled within nine points.

    • Bears make it 16-7 with an excellent touchdown throw from Williams

      Caleb Williams hit Keenan Allen again on a huge 31-yard touchdown strike, breaking Detroit’s deficit. Chicago is still in this thing.

    • With the second half approaching, Caleb Williams makes a big throw to get Chicago out of a tight spot

      It looked like things were off to a rocky start for the Bears, with Caleb Williams being sacked by Lions lineman DJ Reader and his next pass falling incomplete. But on third-and-15, Williams connected with Keenan Allen for an 18-yard gain, getting the first down and proving the Bears still have some life left.

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