Matt Prater kicks Detroit Lions past Bears in nailbiter
By Matt Bosko
The Detroit Lions escaped Soldier Field with a narrow 27-24 victory against the Chicago Bears for their third straight win.
Take a breath, Detroit Lions fans. When all else fails, there’s always Matt Prater.
The veteran kicker nailed a 52-yard field goal in the wind to lead the Detroit Lions past the Chicago Bears 27-24 on Sunday.
The Lions once again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against an inferior opponent, and it was their defense that nearly cost them in this one.
The Bears had the opportunity to tie the game with eight seconds remaining, but kicker Connor Barth pushed the attempt wide right to seal the Lions’ win.
It was an opportunity that never should have been.
The Lions squandered two golden opportunities to end the game on their own terms.
On the Bears’ final drive. Rookie cornerback Teez Tabor applied pressure on a blitz, and Darius Slay dropped an easy interception on an errant pass from Mitchell Trubisky.
Several plays later, with the Bears facing a fourth-and-13 situation, the Lions broke contain and missed a key tackle, allowing Trubisky to scramble for 19 yards into field goal range.
The Lions’ defense, aggressive and opportunistic all season, struggled for the second consecutive week to contain their opponent’s running game.
The Bears carried the ball 30 times for 222 yards and two touchdowns – nearly identical numbers to what the Lions surrendered to the winless Browns a week prior. It is a major weakness that must be addressed if the Lions have any hopes of making noise down the stretch.
The offense, meanwhile, picked themselves off the turf after another slow start.
Matthew Stafford was sacked and fumbled on the Lions’ first possession. As the game went on, however, the offensive opened the playbook, and Stafford took over.
In the middle of the second quarter, Stafford connected with Marvin Jones on a beautiful 28-yard touchdown pass. On the Lions’ next drive just before halftime, Ameer Abdullah hauled in a four yard touchdown of his own to give the Lions their first lead, 21-17.
Stafford finished 21-of-31 passing for 299 yards and the aforementioned pair of touchdowns.
The offensive line, sporting all five starters for the first time all season, turned in a satisfactory performance. The unit surrendered three sacks, and Stafford looked comfortable in the pocket. The franchise quarterback used the time afforded to allow routes to develop downfield for deep passes, and delivered often.
The line continued to struggle to create space for the running game. Though the Lions stayed committed to running the football with 24 attempts, the team managed just 64 yards on the ground.
Next: Game balls for Lions' win over the Bears
Despite their struggles, the Lions again found a way to win. They now stand at 6-4, winners of three straight games, and two games behind the Minnesota Vikings for first place.
The Vikings, by the way, come to town in just four days on Thanksgiving Day.