DETROIT LIONS VS CHICAGO BEARS POST-GAME WRAP
The following are post-game notes and quotes from the Detroit Lions’ 20-17 win against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field on Sunday, December 11, 2016.
WITH THE WIN
With the 20-17 win over the Chicago Bears, the Lions improved to 9-4 and claimed the team’s eighth victory in the past nine games, marking the best nine-game stretch in a single season since 1995 when Detroit won eight of the final nine games that year. This stretch represents the sixth time in franchise history (1995, 1962, 1954, 1934 and 1931) that the Lions have won eight out of nine games in a single season.
5-Game Win Streak: By defeating the Bears, the Lions have now won five in a row during a single-season for the first time since 2011 (Games 1-5).
Team Comebacks: After trailing 17-13 with 7:07 left to play in the fourth quarter against Chicago, the Lions put together a 7-play, 76-yard drive that covered 3:50 and culminated with a 7-yard touchdown scramble by QB Matthew Stafford with 3:17 left to play. The come-from-behind victory was the eighth time this season that the Lions have trailed in the fourth quarter and won the game. Detroit has now set a new NFL record, surpassing the previous total of eight set by the 2009 Indianapolis Colts (also coached by Jim Caldwell), for the most wins in a season after trailing in the fourth quarter.
9+ Wins in 1st 13 Games: By improving to 9-4 this season, this marks the second time in three seasons under Head Coach Jim Caldwell that the Lions have won 9 out the team’s first 13 games of the season. He joined Buddy Parker (10 in 1952 and 9 in 1953) as the only coaches in team history to notch 9+ wins during the season’s first 13 games at least twice in their first three years as Lions head coach. Caldwell also led the Lions to a 9-4 record through 13 games in 2014.
This is the first time the Lions have twice started 9-4 in a three-year span since the 1954 and 1956 seasons.
TEAM DEFENSE
By limiting the Bears to 17 points, the Lions have now extended their current streak of holding opponents to 20 points or less to seven games (17 vs. Was 10/23; 20 at Hou 10/30; 16 at Min 11/6; 19 vs. Jax 11/20; 13 vs. Min 11/24; 13 at NO 12/4, 17 vs. Chi 12/11). By accomplishing this against the Bears, the Lions have now limited opponents to 20 points or less in seven-straight games during a single season for the first time since the 1961 season (Weeks 5-13).
Since Week 7, the Lions have allowed 16.4 points per game.
20 Points or Less Allowed: Under Coach Caldwell and Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin, the Lions have held opponents to 20 points or less in 26 of the team’s 45 games played (57.8 pct) since the beginning of the 2014 season. In 2016, the Lions have held opponents to 20 points or less in nine games.
WR ANQUAN BOLDIN
WR Anquan Boldin finished with three receptions for 49 yards and 1 touchdown in the Lions’ 20-17 win over the Chicago Bears. On Boldin’s second reception of the day, a 16-yard touchdown reception that gave the Lions a 10-3 lead with :19 left in the second quarter, he surpassed WR Andre Johnson (1,062) for 10th-place on the NFL’s all-time career receptions list. He also passed Johnson for the fourth-most by a player in his first 200 games. Now in his 14th NFL season, Boldin has 1,064 catches in 199 career games.
Career Touchdown Receptions: With 1 touchdown reception against the Bears, Boldin (80) tied WR Art Powell (81) for 25th on the NFL’s career touchdown receptions list.
QB MATTHEW STAFFORD
QB Matthew Stafford completed 21-of-35 passes (60.0 pct) for 223 yards and 1 touchdown in the Lions’ 20-17 win over the Chicago Bears. Stafford led the Lions on a fourth-quarter comeback as he completed the game-winning drive with a 7-yard scramble for a touchdown with 3:17 left to play in the game.
Game-Winning Drives: By leading the Lions on a game-winning fourth-quarter drive against Chicago, Stafford has now accumulated his eighth game-winning fourth-quarter/OT drive this season and the 28th of his career, the most game-winning drives accumulated by a quarterback in a season since the 1970 Merger.
Stafford has now tallied 28 game-winning drives during his career when trailing or tied in the fourth quarter or in overtime. Among his 28 drives, Stafford has now scored a rushing touchdown as the game-winning score in three of those games (7-yd TD vs. Chi 12/11/16; 5-yd TD vs. Oak 11/22/15 and 1-yd TD vs. Dal 10/27/13).
Since Jim Caldwell became the Lions head coach in 2014, Stafford leads the NFL with 16 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Touchdown Passes in 8 Seasons: With 1 touchdown pass against the Bears, Stafford has now tied QB Eli Manning (185) for the sixth-most passing touchdowns by a player in his first eight seasons.
Passing Yards in 8 Seasons: Stafford accumulated 223 passing yards against Chicago and moved ahead of QB Drew Bledsoe (29,257) for the fourth-most yards by a QB in his first eight seasons. Stafford now has 29,423 yards in his first eight NFL seasons.
WR GOLDEN TATE
WR Golden Tate caught 6 passes for 58 yards against Chicago. With 71 catches this season, Tate has now registered 70+ catches for the third-consecutive season. Since signing with the Lions in 2014, he has accumulated 260 receptions, which are the most by a Lions player in their first 45 games played with the club.
DE KERRY HYDER
Through 13 games this season, DE Kerry Hyder has collected a team-high 8.0 sacks. Hyder now needs 2.0 sacks to become the 10th Lions defensive player to reach 10+ sacks in a season (since 1982).
- Hyder can become the second Lions player who entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie free agent to register 10+ sacks in a season and first since DE James Hall (11.5) in 2004. Hyder was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2014 NFL Draft.
- By reaching 10 sacks this season, he would become the first Lions player who entered the League as an undrafted rookie free agent to reach 10+ sacks.
K MATT PRATER
K Matt Prater connected on field goals of 29 and 54 yards in the Lions’ 20-17 win against Chicago. Prater is now 28-of-31 on the season, and his 28 field goals are now tied for the sixth most in a season by a Lions kicker (Jason Hanson: 28 in 1995).
50-Yard Field Goals: On his 54-yard field goals, Prater connected on his sixth 50-yarder of the season and moved into sole possession of second place on the franchise’s list for the most 50-yard field goals in a season. This was Prater’s 35th career 50-yard field goal.
WR ANDRE ROBERTS
By playing against Chicago, WR Andre Roberts appeared in his 100th career game.
OTHER DEFENSIVE NOTES
- LB Josh Bynes, who had 6 total tackles against Chicago, registered a career high with 2 tackles for loss.
- With 5 total tackles, S Tavon Wilson surpassed 60 tackles in a season for the first time in his career. In 13 games, he has recorded 64 total tackles.
- LB DeAndre Levy, who returned after missing the last 11 games due to injury, recorded 4 total tackles (3 solo).