It was the worst of times, it was the … well, it was pretty much just the worst of times — the Detroit Lions had a rough Sunday afternoon.
Justin Fields threw for 215 yards on 12-for-18 passing and David Montgomery picked up 106 yards on the ground as the Chicago Bears sank Detroit, 24-14.
The Lions had the chance to make it a one-score game with 4:19 remaining, but opted to try for a fourth-down conversion inside the Bears’ 10, coming up empty and ending their comeback hopes and continuing a terrible day inside the red zone.
Detroit went 0-for-3 on its first three trips inside the red zone, turning it over with a fumble twice and missing a fourth-down attempt from the 5 on another.
Final leaders
Passing
DET – Jared Goff: 24/38, 299 yds., 2 TD
CHI – Justin Fields: 12/18, 215 yds., INT
Rushing
DET – Jamaal Williams: 14 atts., 66 yds.
CHI – David Montgomery: 23 atts., 106 yds.
Receiving
DET – Quintez Cephus: 4 recs., 83 yds.
CHI – Darnell Mooney: 5 recs., 125 yds.
Second half
Bears run out clock to end game
Chicago takes over at its own 8, leading 24-14 with 4:15 to go.
Damien Williams rushes for 23 yards to the Chicago 31.
Then he picks up 8. Williams is dropped for a loss of 3 on the next play.
Timeout #2 Detroit (2:36 4th)
Khalil Herbert rushes for 4.
Two-minute warning.
Herbert is dropped for a loss of 2.
Timeout #3 Detroit (1:55 4th)
Herbert rushes for 4.
The Lions line up in the neutral zone on the punt, and that’ll give the Bears a first down.
FINAL: Bears 24, Lions 14
Lions turn ball over on downs in red zone
The Lions take over at their own 34, trailing 24-14, with 7:31 left in the game.
Jared Goff is sacked on first down by Roquan Smith, but comes up with a 16-yard completion to Kalif Raymond on second down to bring up third-and-2. Goff’s third-down pass is incomplete, but he drew Chicago offsides. It’ll be first-and-10 at the 47.
Goff has the ball knocked out of his hands, but it bounces right back to him and he takes off for a gain of 6. Trinity Benson makes it third-and-1 a quick catch. Goff’s third-down pass goes off the hands of Raymond, though Deon Bush probably got there early. Aqib Talib thinks it should have been pass interference.
Anyway, fourth-and-1: He draws the Bears offsides again, but this time completes his throw to Amon-Ra St. Brown for a gain of 9. First down at the Chicago 34.
Goff hits D’Andre Swift for a pickup of 9 on first down. Benson hauls in a screen and pushes forward to the 17, another gain of 9.
Goff goes to the end zone on first down, but overthrows. Second-and-10 at the 17. Goff’s check down to T.J. Hockenson is thrown terribly, and that’ll bring up third-and-10. Amon-Ra St. Brown gets to the Chicago 8 for a gain of 9. The Lions rush to the line to go for it on fourth-and-1, but the pass misses the mark.
Turnover on downs.
Bears 24, Lions 14 (4:15 4th)
Lions use strip-sack to stifle Bears, pick up huge stop
The Bears will take over at their own 31.
David Montgomery rushes for 5 yards on first down, but is injured on the play. It doesn’t look good. He tosses his helmet off while writhing around in pain. He eventually is helped off the field. Gus Johnson describes the replay as “gruesome,” and we’ll take his word for it.
Damien Williams moves the chains with a 7-yard carry.
Justin Fields is strip-sacked by Charles Harris on third down, and after the ball rolls backwards during multiple recovery attempts, Fields eventually jumps on it for a loss of 24. Williams rushes for 2 yards on second down, bringing up third-and-32.
Timeout #1 Chicago (8:33 1st)
Fields’ third-down pass is caught for a gain of 7, and that’s a huge stop for the Lions defense.
Kalif Raymond returns the punt for 22 yards to the Detroit 34.
Bears 24, Lions 14 (7:31 4th)
Lions chip into Bears lead with Raymond touchdown
The Lions take over at the 25, trailing 24-7 with 10 seconds left in the third.
Jared Goff’s first-down pass to T.J. Hockenson is high.
END 3RD: Bears 24, Lions 7
D’Andre Swift picks up 11 yards to move the chains for Detroit. Swift then rushes for 3, and hauls in a pass for 9 yards to make it first-and-10 at the 48.
Goff is sacked for a loss of 10 on first down. Goff makes up for it with a 24-yard throw to Amon-Ra St. Brown, moving Detroit into Chicago territory at the 38.
Goff then hits KhaDarel Hodge over the middle for a gain of 13 to the Chicago 25.
Kalif Raymond is wide open over the middle on the next play cuts Detroit’s deficit to 10 with a 25-yard touchdown reception.
Bears 24, Lions 14 (11:17 4th)
Bears extend lead to 24-7 in third quarter
The Bears take over at their own 25, leading 21-7 with just over 3 minutes to go in the third.
Justin Fields comes up throwing to Cole Kmet for a gain of 6. A direct snap to David Montgomery works to perfection and gets Chicago into Detroit territory at the 45, a gain of 24.
Fields throws a dime to Allen Robinson near the sideline for a gain of 27, but Detroit challenges.
After review, the call stands. Detroit is charged with a timeout.
Timeout #1 Detroit (2:01 3rd)
It’s first-and-10 at the Detroit 18.
David Montgomery gains 4, then loses 1, to bring up third-and-7: Justin Fields’ third-down throw to Cole Kmet is over the head of his receiver, incomplete.
Cairo Santos’ 33-yard field goal attempt is good.
Bears 24, Lions 7 (0:10 3rd)
Lions chip into Bears lead with third-quarter touchdown
The Lions take over at the Chicago 44.
Jared Goff fires to T.J. Hockenson on first down for a gain of 22 to the 22, and the Lions are in business.
Goff’s next throw is to Amon-Ra St. Brown for a gain of 4, and then he gets it to Quintez Cephus for a pickup of 10. That’ll bring up first-and-goal at the 8.
This is the Lions’ fourth trip to the red zone today; they’re 0-for-3 so far.
Jamaal Williams pushes ahead for 3 yards and D’Andre Swift gets 1. Another third-down situation coming up in the red zone, this time at the 4: And the Lions convert.
Goff hits Kalif Raymond for a 4-yard touchdown that cuts the Chicago lead to two scores.
Bears 21, Lions 7 (3:19 3rd)
Lions force 3-and-out to give offense another chance
It’ll be Bears’ ball at the 9 after another terrific punt by Jack Fox.
David Montgomery rushes for 3 on his first two carries to bring up third-and-4. The Lions get pressure on Justin Fields and force a limp pass that falls incomplete.
Chicago’s Xavier Crawford cracks Kalif Raymond right as he catches the punt, and that’ll draw an interference penalty. That’ll put the Lions in Chicago territory.
Bears 21, Lions 0 (6:49 3rd)
Goff sacked on third down to end drive
The Lions take over at their own 20, trailing 21-0 in the third quarter.
Jared Goff on first down hits Quintez Cephus for a 20-yard gain.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is flagged for offensive pass interference on the next play, and that’ll make it first-and-20.
After a first-down incompletion, Goff gets it to T.J. Hockenson on second down for 11 yards to bring up third-and-9. Khalil Mack sacks Goff, a loss of 6.
Bears 21, Lions 0 (8:14 3rd)
Bears use big play to start rout of Detroit
The Bears start their first series of the second half at their own 23.
David Montgomery rushes for 2 yards on first down. Darnell Mooney takes a direct snap for a gain of 10 on the next play.
Allen Robinson moves the Bears into Lions territory with a 28-yard gain to the Detroit 37.
Montgomery is stopped for 1. Fields goes over the top to Mooney on the next play, and the 32-yard reception sets up first-and-goal at the 4.
Bears 21, Lions 0 (10:38 3rd)
Lions go 3-and-out to open second half
The Lions take over at the 25, trailing 14-0, to open the third quarter.
Jamaal Williams rushes for 6 yards on first down, T.J. Hockenson hauls in a 2-yard pass on second down. The throw to Hockenson is knocked away on third down.
Jack Fox’s punt is returned to the 23 of Chicago.
Bears 14, Lions 0 (13:22 3rd)
First half
Both teams turn ball over near end of half
The Bears take over at the 23 after the turnover. Officials ruled that Khalil Mack’s flip to Eddie Jackson was actually a forward pass, so that’ll move the ball back.
Justin Fields spins out of a first-down sack and throws to Cole Kmet downfield, incomplete.
Timeout #2 Chicago (2:51 2nd)
David Montgomery rushes for a gain of 8 on the next play.
Two-minute warning.
Montgomery rushes for 2, and after an incompletion, Fields hits Williams for 8 yards and a new set of downs.
Fields’ next throw is batted at the line and picked off by Amani Oruwariye, his second interception in as many weeks.
The Lions will take over at the Detroit 39 with 1:01 on the clock and all three timeouts.
Bears 14, Lions 0 (1:01 2nd)
D’Andre Swift sets up third-and-4 after a second-down carry, but a false start on Penei Sewell makes it third-and-9. Jared Goff’s throw misses the mark.
Jack Fox’s punt is downed at the 4.
Bears 14, Lions 0 (0:34 2nd)
The Bears run out the clock to end the half.
END 2ND: Bears 14, Lions 0
Lions’ Goff strip-sacked in red zone as another red zone trip fails
Detroit takes over at its own 45 after the punt.
Jamaal Williams plows ahead for a gain of 4 on first down, then picks up 9 on the next play to move into Chicago territory. First-and-10 at the 42.
Injury update: Lions C Frank Ragnow (toe) is questionable to return.
Williams rushes for 2, and after a second-down incompletion, the Lions are facing a critical third-and-8. The third-down throw is also incomplete, but Khalil Mack hits Goff in the head to give the Lions new life.
It’s first-and-10 at the 25.
D’Andre Swift is cracked for a loss of 1 on first down. Goff has Kalif Raymond open in the seam on second down, but the pass sails over his head. It’s third-and-11: Goff somehow stays alive with the pocket collapsing around him, and hits a diving Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 17-yard gain to the Chicago 9. What a play by the Lions quarterback.
It’s first-and-goal at the 9.
Williams’ first-down carry goes for 2, his second-down carry for 3. Detroit is at the 3.
Goff is strip-sacked on third down; the ball is recovered by Mack, and after running downfield, he flips it to Eddie Jackson, who’s eventually taken down at the Chicago 43. That was quite the wild ride.
Another trip to the red zone comes up empty.
Bears 14, Lions 0 (2:59 2nd)
Lions force huge 3-and-out to keep Bears at bay
The Bears take over at their own 5 after the turnover on downs. A false start will make it first-and-13 at the 2.
David Montgomery rushes for a yard on first down and 7 on second down. Justin Fields is lit up while trying to let go of the third-down throw, and that’ll force a punt.
Kalif Raymond returns it to the Detroit 43.
Bears 14, Lions 0 (8:00 2nd)
Lions come up short in red zone again, turn ball over on downs
The Lions take over at the 25 after the turnover.
Jared Goff tosses to D’Andre Swift for a gain of 5, then hands off for a pickup of 3. Goff’s third-down pass to T.J. Hockenson is incomplete, but draws a pass interference penalty that sets up first-and-10 at the Detroit 43.
Jamaal Williams rushes for 11 yards on first down to move into Chicago territory at the 46.
Goff checks down to Amon-Ra St. Brown for a pickup of 6, then hands to Swfit for a gain of 2. Goff scrambles on third down, finds Quintez Cephus, and he’ll run all the way to Chicago’s 5-yard-line for a gain of 33 yards.
Goff is forced to throw it away on first down. Swift is dragged down for a loss of 2 on second down. Goff scrambles on third down, goes down for a gain of 2. Back to square one on fourth-and-goal at the 5.
The Lions go for it on fourth down, and his pass is batted away by Alec Ogletree to save a touchdown. Turnover on downs.
Bears 14, Lions 0 (9:35 2nd)
Bears take 14-0 lead after turnover
The Bears take over at their own 13 after the fumble.
David Montgomery’s first-down carry is for a loss of 3, but Justin Fields looks deep for Darnell Mooney on the next play, and this one’s a dandy for Chicago. It goes for 64 yards, as Mooney is finally taken down by Bobby Price at the 26 of Detroit.
Injury alert: Lions DE Romeo Okwara was injured in the play.
Montgomery rushes for 5, then 1, to bring up third-and-4. Fields scrambles with nowhere to throw, and that nets him an 11-yard gain to the Detroit 11.
END 1ST: Bears 7, Lions 0
Montgomery carries multiple members of the Lions and Bears into the end zone for a 9-yard rushing touchdown.
Bears 14, Lions 0 (14:51 2nd)
Lions fumble in red zone, give ball back to Bears
The Lions take over at the 27, trailing 7-0, with 8:44 to go in the first quarter.
Jamaal Williams pounds ahead on first down for a gain of 5, and T.J. Hockenson moves the sticks with a 7-yard reception on the next play.
Williams is getting fed, rushing for 5 on his next carry and 8 on the one after that to move Detroit into Bears territory at the 48. There’s some extracurricular activity after the play, but no flags thrown.
Jared Goff steps up in the pocket and hits Quintez Cephus on first-and-10 for a gain of 21, before stepping out at the Chicago 27.
D’Andre Swift gets his first carry of the game on first down, pushes forward for 4. Williams plows ahead for 5, and then moves the chains on third-and-1 with a 3-yard run up the middle. Great answer by the Lions offense.
Williams doesn’t have any room to run on his next carry, and is dropped for a loss of 1 to bring up second-and-11. Goff’s next throw is tipped into the air, and is intercepted by Deon Bush. It’s initially ruled that the pass was incomplete, but the Bears challenge.
The ruling on the field stands. After the play, Chicago’s Khyiris Tonga lit up T.J. Hockenson — presumably trying to stop him from reaching Bush — which drew an unnecessary roughness penalty. When it’s all said and done, it’s first-and-goal at the 8.
Goff isn’t ready to accept the snap, it bounces right into a Chicago defender, and the Bears end up with it anyway. Bah Hum Bug.
Bears 7, Lions 0 (2:44 1st)
Bears march down field with ease to take 7-0 lead
The Bears have won the toss and elect to receive. Justin Field is at quarterback for Chicago. The opening kickoff goes for a touchback. Bears start at the 25.
David Montgomery takes the first-down carry for a gain of 9. Montgomery’s next one goes for 4 yards and a new set of downs at the 34.
Darnell Mooney hauls in a 4-yard reception on first down, and after a 2-yard run my Montgomery, it’s third-and-4. Mooney gets 4 more; the Bears will go for it on fourth down, and convert with a 9-yard run. It’s first-and-10 at the 44 of Detroit.
Montgomery goes for 4 more, and Mooney gets wide open on the next play to haul in a 21-yard reception to the Detroit 19.
Damien Williams takes his first carry, a gain of 4. Then he rushes for 10 before stepping out of bounds at the 5. The Bears have made it look easy on this drive.
Marquise Goodwin is stuffed for a yard on first-and-goal, but Montgomery punches it in on the next play with a 4-yard run by Montgomery.
Bears 7, Lions 0 (8:49 1st)
Pregame
The Lions take on the Bears at 1 p.m. Sunday at Soldier Field. In Chicago, Detroit appears to face a franchise in a bit of disarray, from a head coach seemingly on the hot seat, to even speculation the franchise might move to the suburbs.
On the field, the Bears will start rookie quarterback Justin Fields for the second time, after his first didn’t go so well.
The Bears do have something the Lions don’t — namely, a victory this season — but the Lions have been close, coming up short after a furious fourth-quarter rally in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, and then losing in record-breaking fashion last week to the Baltimore Ravens.
Lions at Bears
► Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday, Soldier Field, Chicago
► TV/radio: Fox/97.1
► Records: Lions 0-3; Bears 1-2
► Line: Bears by 3