![](Nov 28, 2019<figure class=" img"></figure> Highlights: Bears at Lions DETROIT Mitchell Trubisky started and closed strong to overcome some shaky decisions and plays in between to keep the Chicago Bears in the NFC playoff picture. Trubisky threw a go-ahead, 3-yard touchdown pass to David Montgomery with 2:17 left, lifting Chicago to a 24-20 win over the slumping Detroit Lions on Thursday. The Bears took the lead on the nine-play, 90-yard drive in which Trubisky converted a pair of third downs with 35- and 32-yard passes Anthony Miller. ''He made special throws at special times,'' coach Matt Nagy said. Chicago sealed the victory on the ensuing possession with Eddie Jackson's interception. Rookie quarterback David Blough led Detroit's last drive to the Chicago 26 in the final minute before losing 13 yards on a sack to leave a desperation pass as the only option and Jackson picked off his heave. The Bears (6-6) have won three of four games after losing four in a row, keeping their postseason hopes alive. ''We put ourselves in a good position to have another big game next week,'' Trubisky said. The Lions (3-8-1) have lost five straight for the first time under second-year coach Matt Patricia. ''It's one of the toughest teams I've probably ever been around,'' said Patricia, a former assistant coach with the New England Patriots. ''This team fights like probably no other team I've ever seen. ''We've got to find a way to win. '' Detroit led for much of the game despite starting a quarterback it acquired from Cleveland for a swap of seventh-round picks after training camp. ''Watch that team fight and rally behind somebody like that, I think you can tell how much all those men in that room care about each other,'' Patricia said. Matthew Stafford was out for a fourth straight game with back and hip injuries and his backup, Jeff Driskel, was limited by a hamstring injury. Blough, an undrafted player from Purdue, threw a 75-yard TD on his first completion to Kenny Golladay to pull the Lions into a 7-all tie. Blough threw an 8-yard TD pass to Marvin Jones late in the first quarter to put Detroit ahead 14-7. Trubisky had an 18-yard TD pass to rookie tight end Jesper Horsted to make it 17-all late in the third quarter. Trubisky finished 29 of 38 with three TDs, matching a season high he also equaled in a win over Detroit earlier this month, for 338 yards and an interception. He got off to a strong start with a 10-yard pass to Allen Robinson and closed the game well enough for Chicago to score more than 20 points for the first time in more than a month. Blough was 22 of 38 for 280 yards with two TDs and an interception. ''This is what you dream about as a kid,'' Blough said. ''I'm thankful for it all, all the ups and downs. '' TRIPPED UPChicago cornerback Kyle Fuller may have prevented Detroit from scoring a tiebreaking TD early in the fourth quarter when he stopped J. D. McKissic in the open field on third-and-1. ''Probably one of the biggest plays in the game,'' Nagy said. ''To make a shoestring tackle was an absolute game-changer. '' Patricia choose to kick a 24-yard field goal for a 20-17 lead with 10:47 left instead of going for it on fourth-and-1 from the Bears 5. FLAG DAYChicago had 10 penalties for 89 yards and Detroit was flagged nine times for 85 yards. ''If there's a negative to the game, the improvement we need to make is with penalties,'' Nagy said. SHOW GOES ONBrothers Osborne, a country music duo, performed at halftime and the show did not go as planned. Fans were asked to turn on the flashlights on their mobile phones when the lights were turned off at Ford Field. After the lights dimmed, the indoor stadium was illuminated again before going dark following an awkward delay. The technical difficulties led to the musical artists being on the field longer than expected, forcing players to warm up behind and around an elaborate stage. Ford Field officials said in a statement that ''parts of the stadium lost power due to an outside utility failure. Though it was quickly restored, the sound system transmitter required two minutes to reset and reconnect. '' INJURIESBears: CB Prince Amukamara went down and walked off the field slowly late in the game after breaking up a pass. Four starters WR Taylor Gabriel (concussion), TE Adam Shaheen (foot), OT Bobby Massie (ankle) and LB Danny Trevathan (elbow) were inactive. Lions: DT Damon ''Snacks'' Harrison (knee, calf), CB Rashaan Melvin (ribs) and return specialist Jamal Agnew (ankle) were inactive. UP NEXTBears: Host Dallas on Thursday, Dec. 5. Lions: Play at Minnesota on Dec. 8. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL)
Nov 27, 2019DETROIT Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has been erratic this season, and he recently had a minor injury issue. The Detroit Lions would love to have such problems. Rookie David Blough is set to make his NFL debut at quarterback for Detroit on Thursday when the Lions face the Bears. Starter Matthew Stafford - who hadn't missed a game since the 2010 season - will be sidelined a fourth straight game with back and hip problems. Backup Jeff Driskel has been decent at times, but now he's dealing with a hamstring injury. Stafford was ruled out for Thursday's game, and the Lions announced Wednesday night that Blough would start, with Driskel backing him up. Coach Matt Patricia said this week the team has tried to keep Blough prepared. ''We've put him in certain situations. We have different team periods throughout practice normally when we're out there,'' Patricia said. ''We like to take those different kind of chances during the week to mix up some of the huddles, and who is out there and who is not. We do it really at all positions, and certainly, Blough is one of those guys that it's important for us to do that with, too. '' This isn't an ideal way for the Lions (3-7-1) to enter their annual Thanksgiving showcase, but it's an accurate portrayal of where the franchise is right now. Detroit has lost seven of its last eight games and is coming off an abysmal defeat at weak Washington last weekend. Patricia appears headed to a second consecutive losing season since taking over as coach - a loss to the Bears would assure that. Chicago (5-6) isn't in good shape either, even after beating the New York Giants over the weekend. Trubisky is averaging 5. 8 yards per pass attempt, the lowest mark of his three-year career. The Bears did beat the Lions 20-13 on Nov. 10 in Detroit's first game without Stafford, but a four-game losing streak prior to that win left Chicago in a hole. Trubisky had to deal with a hip pointer in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams two weekends ago, but he played last weekend. ''We've put ourselves in a position to get back to . 500, and the only thing you can do is, let's put together that one game where it feels really good, where all three phases are playing well,'' Bears coach Matt Nagy said. ''We can't control two weeks from now. We can only control this game. That's kind of the mentality we have. '' INJURIESDetroit wide receiver Marvin Hall (foot) was put on injured reserve Wednesday, and the Lions signed receiver Chris Lacy to the active roster from the practice squad. Defensive end Trey Flowers (concussion), defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand (ankle), defensive tackle Damon Harrison (knee/calf), tight end T. J. Hockenson (shoulder) and defensive back Tracy Walker (knee) are questionable for Thursday. Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel and tight end Ben Braunecker are out for Chicago because of concussions. REMATCHThis is the second consecutive year the Lions have hosted the Bears on Thanksgiving. Chicago won 23-16 last season, en route to a 12-4 record. The Bears won that game with Chase Daniel filling in for an injured Trubisky. ''I really wanted to play in that game last year. It stunk that I couldn't, but I'm excited to play on Thanksgiving this year,'' Trubisky said. ''It's one of those games that as a kid you always remember watching, the Thanksgiving game. Now we get an opportunity to play in it, and after missing last year, I'm definitely excited to play on Thursday. '' NEXT MAN UPQuarterback isn't the only spot where the Lions are having their depth tested. With running back Kerryon Johnson on injured reserve, Detroit has turned to Bo Scarbrough, who made his NFL debut two weekends ago. Scarbrough has 153 yards on 32 carries in two games. WEAKNESS VS. WEAKNESSOne of the biggest concerns for the Lions is their defense, ranked 29th in yards allowed per game. That's despite the fact that Patricia arrived with a defensive background, having been a successful coordinator with New England. But now Detroit welcomes Chicago, which has the NFL's 29th-ranked offense. In the first meeting between the teams this season, the Bears scored three touchdowns in a 5:47 stretch that spanned the end of the second quarter and the start of the third. That was all the scoring for Chicago - and it was all the Bears needed. COMING THROUGHDon't blame the defense for Chicago's struggles. The Bears have held opponents under 20 points eight times this season, going 5-3 in those matches. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
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