Instant Reactions: Justin Fields does his part, but defense crumbles in epic Bears collapse

The Chicago Bears were leading the Detroit Lions by 12 points with just minutes to go and it looked like Justin Fields, Matt Eberflus and Co. would finally get the statement win they’ve been looking for all season.

The defense had other plans.

Despite throwing three interceptions earlier in the game, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff led his offense on two scoring drives to cap off a 31-26 Lions’ victory in Sunday’s Week 11 game at Ford Field.

The defeat dropped the Bears to 8-3 while the NFC North-leaded Lions are now 8-2. The Bears will return to action next Monday in a road game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Justin Fields looked good in his first game since October 15, posting 273 all-purpose yards.

Here are our initial impressions about the loss …

Adam Hoge

Until they prove otherwise, the Bears are just a team that doesn’t know how to win. They dominated the Lions for 56 minutes, but couldn’t make the plays (or the tackles) to win the game. Tremaine Edmunds’ missed tackle on the second-to-last drive was brutal, especially considering the money the Bears are paying him. Tyler Scott slowing down on Justin Fields’ deep ball is a little more understandable considering he’s a rookie, but it was a missed opportunity nonetheless. Just a brutal loss in a game that could have changed the entire momentum of Poles/Eberflus era.

Nicholas Moreano

Epic collapse.

The Bears were up 26-14 with 4:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, and somehow lost to the Lions 31-26. Despite the defense creating four turnovers, Matt Eberflus’ unit absolutely crumbled in the final minutes in the fourth quarter. If Eberflus is fired tomorrow, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Will DeWitt

Initial reaction? Damn, it stung to watch David Montgomery pound it in for the go-ahead score. And then the safety right after made me want to rip my hair out.

* Sigh *

Justin Fields provided a good spark with his legs and made some good throws including that deep touchdown pass to DJ Moore, but the fumble at the end is fitting considering how the season has gone.

If the Bears can play like they did for the majority of this game the rest of the way, they’ll find some wins, but it wasn’t enough against the division-leading Lions.

Mark Carman

There are on painful losses and there are nauseating, disgusting, putrid ones. The Bears won the turnover battle. They won the time of possession battle. Justin Fields played well. The Bears gave up 14 points in the final 5 minutes to lose a game they should have won. The Flus remains winless against the division.

Greg Braggs Jr.

How embarrassing.

Today was supposed to be a statement game for everyone. Justin Fields certainly made a great statement. The coaches? Just made the statement that they definitely should be replaced when the season is over. No excuse to lose this game. Zero. Ryan Poles asked for consistency from his quarterback and I’m asking him to say the same of his coaches.

Kevin Kaduk

That one hurts. For all but the final five minutes of the game, the Chicago Bears played the game we’ve been waiting for all season long. In the final five, they’ve done what they’ve been doing all year. Justin Fields was stellar for most of his return and there were standout performances all over the field. None of it matters, though, because the defense couldn’t hold a 12-point lead with just minutes to play.

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