Final Score: Lions 19 Bears 16
The Bears dropped the ball this week to the last-place Detroit Lions in the final game of the 2025 regular season. With the possibility of falling to the #3 seed, the team came out extremely flat and didn’t score until the 4th quarter. Despite a vigorous comeback to tie the game at 16 late in the 4th quarter, the Lions were able to drive down the field and successfully kick a game-winning 42-yard field goal.
Ultimately, this game felt weird. With the dramatic Sunday Night Football loss last week and the playoff game next week looming, this makes sense to be a trap game. Luckily, Philadelphia’s loss to Washington prevented the Bears from dropping out of the #2 spot in the NFC. Still, Ben Johnson lamented the team for coming out flat and looking sloppy in one of his ‘simpler gameplans’. The loss isn’t ideal, but doesn’t actually do anything other than curb momentum. Onto the playoffs.
Glaring Issues
Run Game Disappeared
Despite boasting a top-of-the-line rushing attack, the Bears couldn’t get anything going on the ground. Chicago mustered up a mere 65 rushing yards, its lowest total of the entire season. For reference, the offense averaged 164 rushing yards per game in the 5 games prior. Detroit jumping off to an early lead definitely contributed to this stat, considering that the Bears ramped up the passing game while trailing. Still, the lack of efficiency on the ground was disappointing especially considering the way that the Lions had been struggling stopping the run as of late.
Bears Came Out Flat
The Bears just didn’t hit the field with the type of energy it needed to win this football game. The Lions, on the other hand, were able to put everything into this-the final game of their season. Caleb Williams and co. didn’t even get onto the scoreboard until the 4th quarter, leaving Ben Johnson disappointed that the offense couldn’t execute his gameplan.
Defense Struggles Without Multiple Turnovers
This defense is scary-for Bears fans. It generated one takeaway this week but the offense was not able to capitalize on it. The bend-don’t-break tendency of this unit only works if it is generating takeaways, ideally multiple. The Lions didn’t have a single bad drive in the first half. Hopefully Chicago is able to find some more of its regular season mojo next week when it comes to forcing turnovers.
Bright Spots
Bears Won’t Come Out Flat Next Week
The good news is that I can almost guarantee that the team won’t come out flat again next week. The Bears will host the Green Bay Packers in Chicago’s first home playoff game since the devastating loss to the Eagles in the 2018 season. Chicago hasn’t won a playoff game since 2010. In addition, this is only the third time the two rivals will ever face off in the postseason. This week felt a little weird, but the Bears players will be jacked up next week with certainty.
Standout Performers
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown went off again. After posting 3 TDs against the Bears in Week 2, St. Brown continued him dominance over the Chicago defense with 11 catches and 139 receiving yards. This was the second time he surpassed 10 receptions this season and the third time he surpassed 130 yards. The veteran wide receiver was lethal on third down especially.
Aidan Hutchinson
Detroit pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson had a fantastic game to close off his season. His 8 pressures and sack were enough to earn him the 4th-best PFF pass grade in the NFL this week. When at his best, he consistently affects nearly every play where he is on the field.
Colston Loveland
The rookie tight end has been on fire to end the regular season, adding 10 receptions (season-high), 91 yards, and a touchdown this week. Loveland garnered 13 targets from Caleb Williams, also a season-high. That is the same amount that he received in Weeks 1-5 combined. After a slow start Colston transformed into Williams’ most reliable target and the Bears leading receiver (713 yards), surging ahead of D.J. Moore (682 yards) and Rome Odunze (661 yards) this week.
Key Drive of the Game
Despite ultimately getting the loss, the best drive of this game in a vacuum was Chicago’s game tying campaign late in the 4th quarter. This 12 play, 88-yard, nearly 6-minute-long possession concluded with a Colston Loveland touchdown followed by a dramatic-and successful-Cole Kmet 2-point try. This was an electric moment and I still don’t know how Kmet held onto that football after getting decked by a Lions defender. Excluding those plays, the highlights of the meat of the possession were a 27-yard completion to Loveland and a 19-yard catch from Kmet. The tight ends were in flow states on this drive.