Lions 19, Bears 16: Too little too late from offense; defense gashed

CHICAGO — Sometimes the end-of-game luck just isn’t on your side.

The Bears dug themselves into a steep hole, punting on three of their first five drives. They turned it over on downs and threw an interception on the other two.

They finally got things going offensively on the sixth drive, going 60 yards in seven plays. The drive ended when Caleb Williams found rookie Jahdae Walker for a 25-yard touchdown. The throw made Williams the single-season leading passer in Bears history, surpassing Erik Kramer’s 3,838 mark from 1995.

Williams couldn’t quite make the 270-yard mark to become the Bears’ first 4,000-yard passer in franchise history. He finished 20-for-33 passing for 212 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

But the effort wasn’t enough. The Bears totalled just 65 rushing yards, with 40 coming from D’Andre Swift.

Defensively, despite the Lions scoring just 19 points, the Bears were not good enough when it mattered most. Lions QB Jared Goff tore the Bears apart underneath, throwing for 331 yards on 27 of 42 passing. The Lions also picked up 122 yards on the ground.

After getting the ball back under the two-minute warning, the Lions marched into field goal range, setting up a 42-yard walk-off winner for kicker Jake Bates.

The Bears will host the Green Bay Packers next week in the NFC Wild Card Round.

Tune into the CHGO Bears postgame show…

---

Adam Jahns

The Bears are heading into the postseason on a losing streak. That’s frustrating. But, hey, they’re still in the dance. Ben Johsnon should be able to flip that switch easily for his team.

---

Adam Hoge

That’s not exactly how you want to go into the playoffs. The Bears were downright flat for three quarters and couldn’t take advantage of a big takeaway from the defense in the fourth quarter.

---

Mark Carman

The Bears showed life at the end to tie it up and avoid a dud of all duds going into the playoffs. Caleb Williams was down, up and then intentional-grounding down on the final drive. The defense is a major concern. Jaylon Johnson is not healthy. Where is Tyrique Stevenson? On to the playoffs. Thank you, Washington. (hopefully)

---

Patrick Norton

Not ideal for the Bears. But the result is inconsequential to their seeding. They’re still the No. 2 in the NFC with a chance to play two home games if they can get past the Packers at home next weekend.

Unfortunately for the Bears, it’s beginning to feel like the book is out on their defense. Lots to figure out in the next few days.