| Detroit Free Press
Detroit Lions game score, live updates and analysis vs. the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox).
The Lions (4-7) and Bears (5-6) are both free-falling in the standings. The Lions have lost two straight, and fired coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn after the Thanksgiving Day blowout loss to Houston.
Now, Lions interim coach Darrell Bevell gets his first shot as an NFL head coach and is geeked about it. He’s without starters D’Andre Swift, Kenny Golladay and Jeff Okudah.
The Bears have lost five in a row to drop a game behind in the NFC playoff standings, and are giving fourth-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky a second consecutive start. He has inexplicably owned the Lions the past 2½ seasons, starting and winning all four games, throwing for 277 yards per game with 12 touchdowns and one interception.
Free Press sports writer Carlos Monarrez recaps each drive and big play during the game. Join the discussion in the comment section of this story.
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Live updates
2:32 p.m.: The Lions couldn’t convert on two Hail Marys and head into halftime down, 23-13. On third-and-10, Stafford hit Jones up the middle for a 22-yard gain to the Chicago 47. Halftime stats are pretty even, but the Bears are crushing the Lions in rushing, 106 yards to 38. The Lions have a big advantage on third down, converting 71% to the Bears’ 33% — although the Bears have been so efficient they’ve only faced three third downs.
2:24 p.m.: David Montgomery scored on a 4-yard run to give the Bears a 23-13 lead with 36 seconds left in the second quarter. Montgomery broke several tackles as he took up the gut for his second touchdown of the game. The Bears went with a hurry-up offense and marched 68 yards on six plays in 1:46 and never faced a third down. The Bears’ big play came on Anthony Miller catching a low pass and then running for some extra yards on a 19-yard gain to the Detroit 18.
2:11 p.m.: The Lions cut the Bears’ lead to 16-13 on Stafford’s 49-yard bomb to Quintez Cephus with 2:22 left in the second quarter. Cephus beat Kyle Fuller deep down the right sideline and caught Stafford’s pass while falling into the end zone. The Lions avoided a three-and-out on the previous play when Stafford hit Jones up the middle or a 25-yard gain to the Bears’ 49. They went 72 yards on four plays in 1:58.
2:02 p.m.: The Lions’ defense forced its first punt when Jayron Kearse dove to break up Trubisky’s pass to Cole Kmet on third-and-10 from the Chicago 39. After a punt and short Agnew return, the Lions will take over from their 28 with 4:20 left in the second quarter.
1:55 p.m.: The Lions punted after Stafford’s was hit while trying to throw to Quintez Cephus on third-and-8 from the Detroit 43. After a 45-yard Jack Fox punt, the Bears will take over from their 12 with 8:06 left. The Lions started from their 31 after Agnew’s 23-yard return. On the first play, Stafford overthrew Marvin Jones on a deep pass attempt. The Lions avoided going three-and-out after Khalil Mack’s sack on third-and-5 when cornerback Buster Skrine was called for illegal contact on T.J. Hockenson. Stafford tried Jones again on a bomb but again overthrew him by a lot.
1:47 p.m.: Cordarrelle Patterson scored on a 5-yard end run to give the Bears a 16-6 lead with 10:10 left in the second quarter. Patterson ran off right tackle and was barely touched by Okwara’s left hand as he easily ran into the end zone. The Bears started from their 25 after a touchback. The Lions tried to force a three-and-out by blitzing Jarrad Davis on third-and-6 from the Detroit 29. But Trubisky hit Robinson open in the middle of the field for a 21-yard gain to midfield. That was the last third down the Bears faced as they steadily marched to the 5.
1:34 p.m.: The Lions cut the Bears’ lead to 9-7 on Adrian Peterson’s 3-yard run up the middle with 15 seconds left in the first quarter. But Matt Prater’s extra point attempt hit the right upright. The Lions started from their 28 after Jonathan Williams returned a short mortar kick 10 yards. The Lions started with Stafford’s incompletion and a sack by Barkevious Mingo, but he hit Marvin Jones for 15 yards to avoid a three-and-out. Peterson took advantage of a great Frank Ragnow block and run up the gut 15 yards to the Chicago 24. On third-and-4, Stafford hit T.J. Hockenson for 14 yards to the 4.
1:22 p.m.: The Bears took a 9-0 lead on David Montgomery’s 13-yard run with 6:13 left. Romeo Okwara blocked the extra-point kick. Montgomery made some nice cuts and stiff-armed Duron Harmon. Trubisky hit a wide-open Robinson in the middle of the field for 17 yards to the Chicago 49. They followed that with Patterson’s run for 12 yards and then a free first down on Okwara’s neutral-zone infraction, and that was followed by Patterson’s 13-yard run. Those four plays moved the Bears from their 32 to the Lions’ 21.
1:14 p.m.: The Lions turned over the ball on downs with 9:29 left in the first quarter after Jamal Agnew was stopped for no gain on a sweep by Buster Skrine on fourth-and-1 at the Chicago 29. The Lions started from their 20 after Jamal Agnew’s 16-yard kickoff return. The Lions got two big chunk plays on Mohamed Sanu’s catch and run for 21 yards to the 41. Then Matthew Stafford’s shot pass hit Agnew for a 19-yard gain to the Chicago 38.
1:07 p.m.: The Bears took a 3-0 load on Cairo Santos’ 45-yard field goal with 12:37 left in the first quarter. The Bears started on offense and in good position when Cordarrelle Patterson returned the opening kickoff 45 yards to the Chicago 46. Mitchell Trubisky’s 16-yard pass to Allen Robinson got the Bears to the Detroit 34. But Romeo Okwara stopped David Montgomery for a 1-yard loss on third-and-2.
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