Lions win on Thanksgiving for first time since 2016 as Bears botch final snap in stunning fashion

The Detroit Lions hadn’t won a Thanksgiving game since 2016. Lions fans had to unexpectedly sweat out breaking that streak.

They can thank a game-management fiasco by the Chicago Bears.

The Bears, who had a timeout left, let the clock run down to the final seconds after a sack, trailing by three points. It ran down too far, and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw incomplete on the final play.

The Lions ended up getting the 23-20 win. A questionable defensive pass interference penalty downfield on a fourth-and-14 desperation pass gave the Bears a first down well within field-goal range. But the drive moved back and then the Bears mismanaged the clock as poorly as you’ll see in the NFL.

It’s hard to be sharp every single half of an NFL season, and for most of this season the Lions have been very good. The Lions’ second half wasn’t impressive, but at least they didn’t take another Thanksgiving loss. After how they dominated the first half, it would have been a severe letdown. As is, another win and an 11-1 record is just fine as they chase the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

For Chicago, it will be a long week for head coach Matt Eberflus, who is on the hottest seat possible after the way the Bears screwed up the end of the game.

Lions dominate 1st half

The Bears have been playing better the past couple weeks. They were a blocked field goal from beating the Green Bay Packers and took the Minnesota Vikings to overtime. The Bears were 4-7 coming in but haven’t been inept lately.

The Lions made the Bears look like a college team in the first half.

In the first quarter, the Lions outgained the Bears 214-11 and had 15 first downs (a ridiculous amount in a quarter of football) to zero for the Bears. Detroit scored on the first play of the second quarter, with a touchdown pass from Jared Goff to tight end Sam LaPorta to take a 10-0 lead.

The Lions’ offense has been fantastic all season, and the defense has made major strides to match it. The Bears’ first three…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-28 21:55:00

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