Jared Goff throws 3 TD passes as Lions beat Bears 34-17 for franchise-record 13th win

 

[December 23, 2024]  By ANDREW SELIGMAN

CHICAGO (AP) — Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions locked in from the start and delivered a bounce-back performance. It came with a few team records, too.

Goff threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, and the Detroit Lions remained on top of the NFC with their franchise-best 13th win, 34-17 over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Jameson Williams had a career-high 143 yards receiving on five catches, including an 82-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 109 yards and a score, and Detroit (13-2) broke a tie with the 1991 and 2023 teams for the most wins in franchise history. The Lions also set a single-season record for scoring with 493 points, and they improved to 7-0 away from home, a franchise record for road wins.

The Lions took control early against the Bears (4-11), and they even flexed their dominance by executing a trick play in which Goff intentionally stumbled while dropping back. With Detroit players yelling “Fumble!” and Gibbs pretending to dive for the ball, Goff threw to Sam LaPorta for a 21-yard touchdown that made it 34-14.

It was just what Detroit was looking for coming off a 48-42 loss to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. That stopped a franchise-best win streak at 11 games and dropped the Lions into a tie atop the conference with Philadelphia and NFC North rival Minnesota.

“This is when your eyes get opened, when competition is at its highest, people are breathing down your neck or you’re chasing somebody and you’re at the top,” coach Dan Campbell said. “It just doesn’t get any better than this. This is what it’s all about. Can it get frustrating, can it get stressful? Yeah, it gets all those. But also it’s the drug. It’s the drug. This is what you live for. Look, some can’t. Some can’t handle this. It’s too much for them. Players, coaches, teams, it’s just too much. But not our group. This is the good stuff, man, and we’re in the middle of it right now.”

The day took another good turn for Detroit when Washington beat Philadelphia 36-33 on Jayden Daniels' touchdown pass to Jamison Crowder in the closing seconds. Lions players watched the end of that game on their phones.

“We know the circumstances that we’re in, and obviously Washington winning, that does do something for the playoffs, but we still have to win these games, and we know that,” Goff said. “It doesn’t change what we had to do anyways. Yeah, we’ve got to win, and San Francisco is next.”

Caleb Williams threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns following a string of shaky performances for the Bears, who lost their ninth in a row and drew more boos from their frustrated fans.

Goff delivered another strong showing a week after becoming the first NFL player to lose while throwing for 400-plus yards and five TDs with no interceptions. The three-time Pro Bowler completed 23 of 32 passes without an interception and had Lions fans chanting his name.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff passes under pressure from Chicago Bears defensive end DeMarcus Walker during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Along with the deep ball to Jameson Williams and the trick play to LaPorta, Goff also threw to Amon-Ra St. Brown for an 8-yard TD in the second quarter.

Gibbs scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter and caught four passes for 45 yards. He joined Barry Sanders and Billy Sims as the only Lions running backs with at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 15 TDs.

More misery for the Bears
The Bears lost to Detroit for the fifth time in six games. Unlike the matchup on Thanksgiving Day — when then-coach Matt Eberflus mismanaged the ending and got fired the next day — they never really challenged in this one.

“I think we fight. I think we’ve got to have better execution,” Caleb Williams said.

Williams at least had a better outing for the Bears after he looked physically and mentally beaten in a lopsided loss at Minnesota. The No. 1 overall draft pick was 26 of 40.

Keenan Allen caught nine passes for a season-high 141 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown near the end of the first half.

Rome Odunze added 77 yards receiving, and Cole Kmet had a touchdown catch. The Bears fell to 0-3 under interim coach Thomas Brown.

“Trying to find the positives, it’s just not good enough,” Kmet said.

Bouncing back
The Lions haven't lost consecutive games since dropping five in a row early in the 2022 season. And they weren't about to let the Bears change that.

They outscored Chicago 13-0 in the first quarter and struck again early in the second. Jameson Williams beat Jonathan Owens down the middle on a play-action pass and Goff hit him in stride. It was Williams' fourth TD of 50 yards or more this season.

Injuries
Bears: LT Braxton Jones (ankle) exited early in the second quarter after he was hurt blocking on a pass. The Chicago sideline emptied, with players forming a semicircle as medical personnel tended to Jones before he was carted off the field.

Up next
Lions: Visit San Francisco next Monday night in a rematch of last year's NFC championship game. The 49ers have already been eliminated from the playoffs.

Bears: Host Seattle on Thursday night.

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