Detroit Lions Sluggish In 17-14 Loss To Chicago Bears

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Oct 2, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Brian Hoyer (2) throws a pass during the second half against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Chicago won 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

Game Notes and Analysis

Lions offense struggles with finishing, penalties and drops

The Lions offense looked out of sorts for the entire game on Sunday, failing to score a touchdown and gaining only 263 total yards of offense, including only 66 on the ground.

Detroit advanced the ball inside the Chicago 25-yard line three times on Sunday but came away with only three points on those drives, two ending in interceptions and one in a chip shot field goal. Five of the Lions’ nine drives ended in punts.

The Lions came into Sunday’s game among the NFL’s leaders in penalties and will likely stay that way after committing ten penalties for 76 yards on Sunday. The team’s pass catchers also dropped as many as six passes in the game and a miscommunication between Matthew Stafford and Golden Tate resulted in an interception in Chicago territory near the end of the first half.

More from Detroit Lions

Hoyer, Howard carry Bears offense

Brian Hoyer, starting at quarterback for the injured Jay Cutler, performed admirably for the second week in a row as the Chicago starter, completing 28 of 36 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns. He made few mistakes and took few risks, running the offense efficiently enough to dominate the time of possession battle and keep the Lions offense off the field. Jordan Howard, the Bears’ fifth-round rookie from Indiana, played very well in his first start at running back. Howard carried the ball 23 times for 111 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and also caught three passes for 21 yards while replacing injured starters Jeremy Langford and Kadeem Carey.

Stafford sets record for most yards in first 100 games

Stafford set another NFL record on Sunday, passing Dan Marino for the most passing yards in a player’s first 100 games. He needed 104 yards to pass Marino’s old mark of 27,064 yards going into the game, the 97th of his career, and achieved the milestone during the Lions’ first drive of the second half. Stafford currently has 27,174 passing yards in his career after throwing for 213 yards against Chicago.

Elsewhere In The NFC North:

The Green Bay Packers (2-1) had their bye week this week and the Minnesota Vikings (3-0) will look to remain undefeated as they host the New York Giants (2-1) on Monday Night Football at 8:30 on ESPN.

Next: Detroit Tigers Playoff Scenarios Heading Into Sunday

Up Next:

The Lions begin a three-game homestand next Sunday when they host the Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) at 1:00 on FOX.

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