Bears

Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions live updates from Ford Field in Detroit

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields jumps over a teammate as he scrambles during the first half against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Detroit.

DETROIT – The Lions are in the playoff hunt and the Bears are just trying to end their eight-game losing streak.

The two NFC North division rivals will square off Sunday from Ford Field in Detroit. Jared Goff and the Lions (7-8) need a win to get back to get back to .500 and to keep their playoff hopes alive. Matt Eberflus, Justin Fields and the Bears expect to have several weapons back on offense and hope to make life tough on the Lions’ defense.

Follow @bears_insider for live updates all game long. Shaw Local Bears beat reporter Sean Hammond is covering the game live from Detroit. Follow him on Twitter at @sean_hammond and on Instagram at @bears_reporter.

Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of the game below, and stay here all game long for live updates.

Lions add field goal; Detroit wins

Lions kicker Michael Badgley made a 41-yard field goal try. The score put the Lions ahead, 41-10, with 2:40 remaining in the game.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields remained in the game even with the wide margin in favor of Detroit. The Lions ran out the clock on a victory, 41-10.

Lions pile it on

Jared Goff connected with running back D’Andre Swift for a 21-yard touchdown on a screen pass midway through the third quarter. The Lions piled it on, 38-10, on Sunday at Ford Field. It was a seven-play, 92-yard touchdown drive for the Lions’ offense.

Lions go ahead by three possession

Jamaal Williams scored a 2-yard touchdown to cap a 75-yard touchdown drive for the Lions after halftime. The Lions went ahead, 31-10, making it a three-possession margin. It went as a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive for Detroit.

The Lions went over 300 yards of total offense in the game with 11:38 to go in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, the Bears announced that cornerback Jaylon Jones is out for the remainder of the game due to a concussion.

Bears fumble, Lions add a field goal

Justin Fields scrambled out to his right but didn’t see the defender trailing behind him. Defensive lineman James Houston stripped Fields from behind and Aidan Hutchinson recovered the fumble. The turnovers set up the Lions with good field position.

Jared Goff led the Lions’ offense right down the field and added a field goal before halftime. Michael Badgley made the 23-yard field goal try. Detroit extended its lead, 24-10.

Fields threw an interception prior to halftime, but the score remained 24-10 going into the break.

Lions add another touchdown

The Lions extended their lead with another touchdown late in the second quarter. Jared Goff connected with tight end Brock Wright for a 9-yard touchdown. It was Wright’s second touchdown reception of the game.

The Lions extended their lead, 21-10, with 4:16 to go in the first half.

Bears lose another lineman

Starting right guard Teven Jenkins left the game in the first quarter and is doubtful to return with a neck injury. Jenkins had been working his way back from a neck injury he suffered Dec. 18 against the Eagles.

Then in the second quarter, Bears guard Michael Schofield – who replaced Jenkins at right guard – left the game with a knee injury. Schofield was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Backup lineman Dieter Eiselen stepped in to play right guard after Schofield left the game.

Lions answer with another touchdown

Lions running back D’Andre Swift scored a 17-yard touchdown on a pitch from QB Jared Goff. The Lions marched right down the field after the Bears took the lead on a field goal.

The drive went for 75 yards on only six plays. The Lions took the lead, 14-10, early in the second quarter.

The teams combined for 244 yards of offense in the first quarter alone.

Fields rips off another long run

Twice already in the first quarter, Justin Fields ripped off huge quarterback runs. Fields found space for a 60-yard run on a quarterback scramble late in the first quarter. It set the Bears up inside the 10-yard line.

The offense couldn’t find a way to get into the end zone. On third down, Fields had nobody open and was forced out of bounds. Kicker Cairo Santos made a 23-yard field goal to put the Bears back in the lead, 10-7.

Fields has 105 rushing yards in the first quarter. That puts him at 1,116 yards on the season. He is less than 100 yards shy of Lamar Jackson’s 2019 QB record of 1,206 yards.

Lions draw even with help of Bears’ penalty

On fourth-and-4 at the 36-yard line, the Lions went for it instead of kicking a long field goal. Quarterback Jared Goff threw a ball up for grabs into double coverage. Bears safety DeAndre Houston-Carson nearly came away with an interception, but dropped the ball on a diving effort.

The refs, however, called defensive pass interference against safety Kyler Gordon, who was also in coverage near the ball.

One play later, Goff connected with tight end Brock Wright for a 2-yard touchdown. The Lions pulled even, 7-7, with the Bears.

Bears score first on Fields’ pass to Kmet

The Lions won the coin toss, but elected to defer until the second half. Justin Fields and the Bears took the ball first. The Bears’ offense drove 75 yards on nine plays to score a touchdown on the opening drive.

Fields connected with tight end Cole Kmet for a 13-yard touchdown pass on third-and-short. Fields rushed for 44 yards on the opening possession, including a long 31-yard run.

Pregame inactives

Receiver Chase Claypool is officially active and will play in Sunday’s game. It will be his first time seeing the field since injuring his knee on Dec. 4.

The following Bears players are inactive and will not dress for the game: quarterback Tim Boyle, defensive back Breon Borders, running back Darrynton Evans, defensive back Michael Ojemudia, linebacker Sterling Weatherford, offensive lineman Ja’Tyre Carter and offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood.

Injury updates

Receiver Chase Claypool (knee) is questionable for Sunday’s game after missing each of the last two contests. The Bears seemed optimistic this week that Claypool might play.

Receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (concussion) and guards Cody Whitehair (knee) and Teven Jenkins (neck) hold no injury designations and are expected to play Sunday. All three players sat out last week against the Buffalo Bills.

Guard Ja’Tyre Carter is out with a back injury, and linebacker Sterling Weatherford is out with an illness. Receiver Dante Pettis (ankle) and tight end Trevon Wesco (calf) are questionable for Sunday’s game. Pettis injured an ankle in practice this week.

Fields could finally have a somewhat full arsenal at his disposal at the wide receiver position with St. Brown and potentially Claypool returning. The QB has had to adjust to a different set of receivers in recent weeks with those two sidelined.

What to expect from the Lions

The Lions come into this contest having won six of their last eight games. This comes after starting the season 1-6. It has been quite the rally for coach Dan Campbell’s team. The Lions have a shot at the playoffs, but badly need wins this week against the Bears and next week against the Packers.

Here are five things to watch in this week’s matchup. The Lions’ offense is high-powered and can put up big numbers, but the defense can be vulnerable at times. Goff has played as well as any quarterback in the month of December. He hasn’t thrown an interception in nearly two months.

How is our staff feeling about the matchup? Check out our staff picks here.

For your pregame listening needs, head over to the Shaw Local Bears Insider podcast.

What else did I miss this week?

Here’s what else was happening at Halas Hall this week.

Sean Hammond

Sean Hammond

Sean is the Chicago Bears beat reporter for the Shaw Local News Network. He has covered the Bears since 2020. Prior to writing about the Bears, he covered high school sports for the Northwest Herald and contributed to Friday Night Drive. Sean joined Shaw Media in 2016.