Chicago Bears blow late comeback in 23-20 loss to Detroit Lions. Here’s what you need to know.

Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams led his team to a second-half comeback for a second straight week, but the Bears couldn’t find a way to win Thursday, losing 23-20 against the Detroit Lions for their sixth straight loss. Here’s what you need to know.

Three moments that mattered

1. What was that? The Bears seemed like they were destined to either win or at least tie the game late. Trailing 23-20 with 46 seconds left in the game and the ball at the Lions’ 25-yard line, a penalty and a sack moved the Bears back to the Lions’ 41. Williams and the offense scrambled and ran 26 seconds off the clock even though they had a timeout. The game ended on an incomplete pass from Williams.

2. We’ve got a game: For a third straight week, Williams showed he has the ability to bring the Bears back no matter the deficit. After trailing 16-0 at the half, he dwindled the Lions’ lead down to 23-20 with 5:36 left in the game when he placed a ball perfectly for a 31-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore. It was Williams’ third TD pass of the second half.

3. Look who’s here: After a dormant first half, Williams and the offense woke up on their first drive of the second half. The offense used nine plays to drive 74 yards down the field and scored when Williams found Keenan Allen for a 31-yard pass with 9:47 left in the third quarter to make the Lions’ lead 16-7. The play came right after Williams took a tough hit on a scramble the previous play.

Three things that worked

1. Making more history: Williams continued to etch himself into the NFL and Bears record books. He threw his 12th touchdown pass of the season to Allen in the third quarter, which broke the Bears’ rookie quarterback record held by Charlie O’Rourke since 1934. Williams also broke the NFL’s rookie quarterback record for most passes thrown without an interception, passing the Cardinals’ Kyler Murray’s record of 211 set in 2019.

2. Red zone defense: Although the Lions moved the ball down the field with relative ease for much of Thursday, the Bears’ defense limited their trips to the end zone. The Lions reached the red zone five times Sunday but only scored twice, keeping the Bears in the game despite the statistical disparities. The Bears have one of the top red zone defenses in the NFL.

3. Take it away: The Bears’ defense gave up plenty of yards, but it also continued its streak of forcing turnovers. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson forced a fumble late in the second quarter that was recovered by defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. The Bears have forced at least one fumble in every game this season except against the Commanders in Week 8.

Three things that didn’t

1. Where’s the offense? The Lions dominated Thursday’s game in the first half despite leading only 16-0 at halftime. They picked up 18 first downs, had 279 yards of total offense, averaged 5.9 yards per play and held the ball for 22 minutes, 54 seconds. The Bears couldn’t get any momentum in the first half, finishing it with two first downs, 53 total yards, 2.8 yards per play and 7:06 time of possession.

2. Too many yards: The Bears limited the damage but still allowed the Lions to move the ball with ease. The Lions finished with 405 total yards of offense, with quarterback Jared Goff throwing for 221 yards and the Lions rushing for 194. It was the third-most yards the Bears have allowed after the Lions possessed the ball for 35:14.

3. Challenging struggles: Bears coach Matt Eberflus once again showed his struggles with challenging plays. He challenged a pass in the first quarter that Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams fumbled after catching but was then ruled incomplete. The call was upheld after the review. Eberflus now has overturned two of his 10 challenges during his coaching career, last winning one in November 2023.

What’s next?

The Bears will have a mini bye week and get some rest before getting back to action Dec. 8 at the San Fransisco 49ers.