The Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears met in their NFC North clash on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field.
Jim Caldwell's men needed to get back on track following two straight defeats, which had knocked them out of first place in the division, while the Bears were in dire need of a win to save their season.
However, despite the visitors getting off to a bright start, the home side rallied back in the second quarter and dominated the rest of the game to seal an important victory in their push for the post-season.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the NFL clash between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears at Ford Field.
The Lions are in dire need of a win this evening to keep the pressure on the Green Bay Packers in the race for the playoffs in the NFC conference. Jim Caldwell's men dropped to second place in the NFC North with their loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday, but can apply pressure to the Packers with a victory tonight over their other divisional rivals the Bears.
The Bears also need to win to keep their season alive as they currently have a 5-6 record, which leaves them well out of the race for a wildcard spot in the NFC. Marc Trestman and his coaching staff are under immense pressure along with quarterback Jay Cutler to salvage the campaign, and finish with a winning record at the least.
The Lions are without several key players this evening as offensive linemen Larry Warford and Riley Reiff are out of action due to injury, along with running back Reggie Bush and defensive tackle Nick Fairley. Caldwell's men do have strength in depth, and wide receiver Calvin Johnson is slowly working his way back to form following a spell on the sidelines and could have a big day against the struggling secondary of the Bears.
Chicago also have injury problems as several key players such as Lamarr Houston and Charles Tillman have already been ruled for the season. However, linebacker Lance Briggs has temporarily joined them on the sidelines with defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff. A lot will rest on the Bears' offense in this match to fire the team to victory, although that is easier said than done against the potent defense of the Lions.
We're just about ready for kickoff and the Lions will receive.
Ross takes the ball out of the endzone from the kickoff, but he is decked at the 13-yard line where Matt Stafford and his offense will begin.
The Lions have a poor start on offense as Bell gets the handoff twice, but can't find any positive yardage on the ground as the Bears meet him at the line of scrimmage. On third down, Stafford throws downfield for Johnson but his pass falls incomplete. Sam Martin is forced to punt the ball away and his kick is taken to the Chicago 45 by Mariani.
Chicago get a first down immediately as Cutler releases the ball quickly to Marshall in the slot, who picks up eight yards, while Jeffery gets the extra two yards needed on the next play on a quick out down the sideline.
Bennett continues the Chicago advance downfield as he avoids being dropped for a loss as he evades a tackle to run down the sideline for a pickup of 12 yards. A solid start to the game by Cutler and his receivers.
First and goal for Chicago now as Cutler dumps the ball off to Forte on a screen pass, and the back gets behind two lineman who power downfield to set up a 22-yard reception.
TOUCHDOWN! Chicago Bears 7-0 Detroit Lions (Cutler - Jeffery)
Chicago take the lead as Cutler fires the ball out to Jeffery on a screen pass, and the receiver powers through a tackle and is able to walk into the endzone for the 10-yard score. An excellent drive by the Bears to take the lead in the match.
Ross fields the kick in the endzone on this occasion, so Stafford and his offense will begin at the 20.
The Lions get their first first down of the match as Stafford drops back in the pocket and drills the ball to Johnson in the slot. The receiver is tackled, but he reaches out just enough to get the 10 yards needed.
Rookie Eric Ebron showcases his talent as he hurdles a would-be tackler to pick up another first down for his side, and records a 13-yard reception to move the chains. Bell did well on first to pick up eight yards with a run through the middle of the line.
The Lions move into Chicago territory as Stafford drops back again and he zips the ball to Johnson over the middle of the field. Johnson makes one tackler miss with a juke move, but is then brought down at the 29 following a 20-yard reception.
Detroit can't connect on third and 11 as Stafford tries to find Johnson over the middle again, but the pass is well out of reach of the All-Pro. The misfire will forced Matt Prater into action for the first time today with a 46-yard field goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Chicago Bears 7-3 Detroit Lions
Prater fires his kick through the posts with relative ease, which will be a huge relief to Caldwell and his staff as the Lions have struggled mightily on field goals this year.
Martin boots the ball out of the endzone on the kickoff and Cutler and his offense will start at the Chicago 20.
The Bears get handed a free first down and five yards as Mathis shoves Jeffery illegally downfield. The Lions are not renowned for their discipline, but Caldwell will have to hope their manage to retain some semblance of that today.
Chicago are halted on third and one as Forte tries to run the ball through the middle of the line, but he is met by a posse of players in light blue. O'Donnell punts the ball away and his kick is good as it bounces inside the five-yard line and is downed by McMannis.
FUMBLE! Stafford fumbles the ball as Allen gets round the back of offensive tackle Lucas and strips the ball from the quarterback. Sims looked to have recovered the ball for the Bears, but Allen managed to wrestle the ball back for the visitors. Cutler and his side will take over at the five-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN! Chicago Bears 14-3 Detroit Lions (Cutler - Jeffery)
The Bears extend their lead as Cutler fakes the handoff to Forte and drops back under pressure. However, he manages to loft the ball over several defenders into the grasp of Jeffery, who secures the ball under pressure from Quin.
Ross returns the kickoff from Gould back to the 22-yard line of the Lions, where Stafford will start once again.
Bell powers through the middle of the line to pick up the first down for his side to get them moving with a five-yard carry. Ebron had taken a short pass from Stafford for six yards down the sideline to kickstart the series for the home side.
Stafford fires two quick strikes to Johnson for eight and 15 yards respectively to move the Lions into Bears' territory. The quarterback hasn't found it difficult to connect with his top target, but he will need to find him in the endzone to get his side back into the game.
END OF FIRST QUARTER: Chicago Bears 14-3 Detroit Lions
The Lions overcome a holding penalty on Raiola which sets them back 10 yards and leaves them on first and 20, but Stafford drills the ball down the middle of the field for Corey Fuller to make a grab for 21 yards. Fuller's brother Kyle is playing cornerback for the Bears, and he didn't appreciate the catch made by his sibling.
TOUCHDOWN! Chicago Bears 14-10 Detroit Lions (Stafford - Johnson)
A huge throw by Stafford on third and seven as he fires deep down the left for Johnson, who ends his side's nine-quarter run without a touchdown as he makes the grab over Fuller and Vereen to record the 25-yard touchdown. There is much relief around Ford Field now that the Lions are back in the match.
Martin's kick is fielded in the endzone and the Bears will start at the 20-yard line.
The Bears convert on third and one as Cutler drills the ball out to Jeffery on a quick out to pick up two yards. The receiver was forced to power through a tackle to pick up the yardage to continue his excellent start to the game.
Cutler delivers again as he fires a strike under pressure on second and 10 to Bennett, who manages to get open in the flat. The tight end jukes one defender and powers through two tackles to get the first down with an 11-yard reception.
Another good throw under pressure by Cutler to keep his side moving into the Detroit half of the field as he finds Brandon Marshall on third and five. The receiver managed to get open quickly to aid his quarterback, who faced pressure up the middle of the line from Ndamukong Suh.
A penalty on Garza proves to be Chicago's undoing on the drive as his holding penalty erases a big gain from Marshall and forces his side back into second and 19. Cutler fails on two attempts to find Marshall to move the chains and O'Donnell is brought out to punt the ball. His kick is collected by Ross at the 14-yard line, where Stafford will begin.
The Stafford-Johnson connection works again for the Lions as the quarterback drops back and hits Johnson on a curl route. The receiver makes the catch and then turns upfield to gain 11 yards to get the first down.
Golden Tate makes his first reception of the game as he comes across the formation and Stafford drills the ball to him following a fake to Bell and Tate moves the chains for a 19-yard reception.
The Lions move into the redzone as Stafford drills the ball over the middle of the field to Ross on third down and he manages to evade tacklers to pick up 31 yards after Bell had found six yards on first down with a run up the middle.
Tate makes a four-yard reception, but the Lions progress further downfield when Jennings is penalised for unnecessary roughness which moves the home side to the eight-yard line. An excellent chance to take the lead to put the visitors under pressure.
TOUCHDOWN! Chicago Bears 14-17 Detroit Lions (Bell)
An eventful period on the goalline as Bell thinks he goes in for the score on second down, but the touchdown is chalked off for a holding penalty. Theo Riddick drives his side back to the one-yard line on a screen pass from Stafford, but on the next play a pass to Fauria falls incomplete. The Lions decide to go for it on fourth down and Bell gets the handoff, and he leaps over the line to register the score.
The Bears will start at their 20-yard line again as Martin's kick is downed by Mariani in the endzone.
The Bears go into the two-minute warning in a bit of trouble on offense as they are backed right up inside their own 12-yard line with a third and 18 to convert, after a holding penalty and a tackle for a loss halted their momentum.
The Bears can't convert as Forte is decked for only a seven-yard gain, which forces O'Donnell to boot the ball away with a punt on fourth down. Ross makes the catch and moves his side to their own 36-yard line.
Riddick makes a good catch on second down and one as he takes the ball to the Chicago 36 as he comes out of the backfield and collects a short pass from Stafford. Johnson continued his fine game with his eighth reception of the game to get his side moving on first down.
Stafford guns the ball over the middle of the field again and this time Tate makes the grab to take his side to the four-yard line and within striking distance of another score.
TOUCHDOWN! Chicago Bears 14-24 Detroit Lions (Stafford - Johnson)
The Lions add another touchdown just before the break as Stafford loops the ball to the back of the endzone and Johnson manages to snag the ball ahead of Fuller to register his second score of the game.
The Bears kneel down to end the half.
HALF-TIME: Chicago Bears 14-24 Detroit Lions
The Lions show their playoff mettle as they come from behind to take a 24-14 lead into the break at Ford Field. Cutler and the Bears had early success against the home side's defense with a short passing game, but they were stifled in the second quarter, which allowed Caldwell's men to his back.
Chicago didn't have an answer to Calvin Johnson in the first half as the receiver recorded nine receptions for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Stafford did a good job of spreading the ball around as Tate, Ross and Ebron also got involved in the action, and if he can keep up the level of his form, he should guide his side to an important victory.
The Bears will start at the 20 as Martin's kick is downed in the endzone.
Chicago manage to move the chains on a third and five as Cutler escapes the pocket and throws to Bennett. The tight end finds 12 yards to get to the 37-yard line before he is brought down.
Cutler bounces back from taking a sack on second down to convert on third and 19 as he finds Jeffery over the middle of the field for a gain of 26 yards and into Detroit territory before he's taken down by Quin.
Another third down pickup by the Bears as Cutler drills the ball to Jeffery on a hitch route for 14 yards to take his side to the Detroit 24-yard line.
The Bears finally get halted on third and three at the Detroit 17 as the Lions get pressure up the middle at Cutler, which forces an inaccurate throw from the quarterback as he overthrows Jeffery down the left sideline. Gould will attempt a 38-yard field goal.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Chicago Bears 17-24 Detroit Lions
Gould drills his kick through the posts and the Bears bring themselves within seven points.
Ross returns the ball to the 17-yard line from Gould's kickoff.
The Lions can't continue their momentum from the second quarter as they go three and out in their first possession of the second half as Stafford is forced to throw the ball away on third down and seven. Martin punts the ball to the Chicago 29-yard line.
Chicago get moving as Cutler fires to Forte on a swing pass and he manages to get the 10 yards needed to move the chains to take his side to the 40-yard line. Forte continues to be a reliable option for his quarterback out of the backfield.
Marquess Wilson almost makes a spectacular catch on third down and 10 to move the chains for his side, but he just can't keep his feet in bounds down the sideline and the pass falls incomplete. O'Donnell is forced onto the pitch to punt and his kick travels to the five-yard line where Stafford will begin.
Stafford shows off his arm strength as he manages to thread the needle with a bullet pass to Tate on third down and four, as his pass just has enough power to find the receiver before Hurst can break up the play.
Stafford to Johnson again as the duo connect for the 10th time of the game as he receiver makes a catch over the middle of the field for 20 yards to move the chains. The All-Pro is having an excellent match this evening.
Stafford fires two quick passes to Riddick to earn a first down and another to Tate to pick up 20 yards down the right sideline, as the receiver manages to shake off two big hits from Jennings and Vereen to make the grab at the Bears' 29-yard line.
The Lions move to the nine-yard line as Young crashes through the offensive line and sacks Stafford, but the drags the quarterback down by his helmet and is penalised for roughing the passer. A costly penalty for the Bears.
Stafford fires to the endzone for his tight end Fauria, but as he tries to reach over the goalline to confirm the score he is beaten away by a ferocious hit from Vereen, which stops him in his tracks at the one-yard line.
END OF THIRD QUARTER: Chicago Bears 17-24 Detroit Lions
TOUCHDOWN! Chicago Bears 17-31 Detroit Lions (Bell)
The Lions move 14 points into the lead as Bell gets the handoff on the goalline and he finds space over the left side of the line to stroll into the endzone untouched for his second score of the game.
Martin kicks the ball into the endzone where the ball is grounded. So, Cutler will start at the 20-yard line.
Cutler fires over the middle of the field to hit Bennett on a deep crossing route for a 17-yard gain. The tight end has had a solid afternoon for the visitors with four receptions for 52 yards.
SACK! The Bears' drive comes to an end as Cutler is brought down for a sack on first down as Jones comes off the edge and drags the quarterback down for an eight-yard loss. On the next two plays Cutler can't get the yardage back and that forces O'Donnell onto the pitch for a punt. His kick is deep but Ross is able to return the ball to the 22-yard line.
Tate collects a screen pass from Stafford and he jukes past Mundy to turn the reception into a 12-yard gain down the right sideline, which is enough to secure the first down for his side.
Johnson again for the Lions as the Bears just can't seem to stop the receiver this evening. Fuller tries to cover the slant route, but doesn't contact Johnson on the line to disrupt the timing of the play. This allows the quarterback to pick him our for a 16-yard gain to the Chicago 48-yard line.
The Lions can't put the game out of sight as the Bears' defense makes a stand as Stafford's pass on second down is blocked, while on third his attempt to Tate slips out of the receiver's fingers, but he would have been short of the first down anyway. Martin's punt is a good kick as the Lions down the ball inside the five-yard line, where Cutler will start a crucial drive.
INTERCEPTION! Cutler makes a crucial error as he tries to throw downfield for Marshall under pressure. Slay should make the pick, but he deflects the ball up the air. Fortunately for the Lions, Quin is on hand just behind his teammate to make the play at the Chicago 40-yard line. A score here would all but end the game for the home side.
The Lions move the chains as Riddick churns five yards on first down and Bell comes back on second with seven yards through the middle of the line as he gets pushed forward by his offensive line to get extra yards.
Detroit are stopped from putting the game completely out of sight as for once Stafford and Johnson can't connect on third down in the endzone, as the quarterback's pass falls incomplete to the right of the the receiver. The misfire will force Prater into action with a 40-yard field goal attempt.
FIELD GOAL GOOD! Chicago Bears 17-34 Detroit Lions
Prater has no problem firing his kick through the posts and Detroit should have this game in the bag now with a 17-point lead as just six minutes remain in the match.
SACK! Cutler is decked by Ansah on first down and that kills the drive by putting the Bears on a long-yardage situation. The quarterback is forced to throw the ball away on second, while Bennett can only get five yards on third, forcing the punt. Ross collects the punt for the fair catch at the 39-yard line.
Bell gets a crucial first down for his side as he breaks out over the left side of the line after finding the middle crowded and he is able to churn out 22 yards before he is pushed out of bounds at the 32-yard line of the Bears.
Bell shows his battling qualities on third down and four as he manages to break a tackle in the backfield and power over the right side of the line, and a would-be tackler to earn another first down for his side. The 13-yard run takes the Lions to the 17-yard line.
Detroit can't end the game on offense as the Bears make a stand in the redzone to stop the victory formation as Hurst makes a good tackle on Tate on fourth down and six to prevent the first down.
Marshall gets the chains moving for the Bears as he collects a crossing route over the middle for the visitors for 12 yards, while Bennett goes up to claim a high pass from Cutler for 23 yards to move his side into Detroit territory.
Cutler fires to Bennett for 22 yards down the right sideline and he doesn't get out of bounds, so that could be it for the match this evening.
The Bears manage to drag out the game for one final play as Cutler snaps the ball with a second to go, but both sides commit penalties on the play so we still have one more snap to play.
INTERCEPTION: Cutler is intercepted by Ihedigo as he heaves the ball to the endzone looking for Marshall, but his pass is off target and picked off by the safety.
FULL-TIME: Chicago Bears 17-34 Detroit Lions
The Lions earn a crucial win in their push for the playoffs as they come from behind to defeat the Bears at Ford Field. The visitors had the better of the first quarter, but the home side dominated the final three to secure a comfortable 34-17 victory to move them to 8-4 in their season.
Calvin Johnson and Joique Bell proved to be the difference makers for the Lions this evening as the visitors couldn't cover the receiver, while the back took the pressure off Matthew Stafford with solid running between the tackles. Detroit could push the Green Bay Packer all the way for the NFC North title if they maintain the level of this display in their final four games.
Thanks for joining us for our coverage of this game. Be sure to stick with Sports Mole for our continued coverage of the NFL this evening for the matches between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
