In short
The Detroit Lions put on an amazing show at Ford Field in Detroit, where 64,201 people were in attendance. They beat the Chicago Bears 52–21 and made their intentions clear in this NFC North battle. The game was full of exciting plays and clever play-calling. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and an energized backfield led Detroit’s attack that destroyed a Chicago team that got off to a good start but couldn’t keep up.
The game got off to a good start when Detroit scored on their first drive and took a 10-point lead. However, Chicago answered with a great first half from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. But by the second half, the Lions were clearly ahead. They scored on plays of 76, 60, and 84 yards, while the Bears were slowed down by good offense and bad defense.
Breakdown of the Years by Quarter
The first three months
In the first play, the Lions went on a smooth 5-play, 60-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 6-yard run by Jahmyr Gibbs. Goff set up the drive well with a 34-yard pass to St. Brown. To answer, the Bears were calm. On third-and-9, Caleb Williams threw a smooth 28-yard slant to Rome Odunze, who scored a touchdown. But Detroit came back quickly in the next series. David Montgomery scored from one yard out to make it 14-7 after one.
Second Quarter
They grew their lead with a smart mix of run-pass and jet-motion plays. Goff completed a crossing pass to Kalif Raymond and then another pass to St. Brown (32 yards), which set up Montgomery’s goal-line finish. Chicago didn’t want to be outdone, so they responded with a clean, timed two-minute drill in which Williams again threw to Odunze, who was in tight defense. Before the break, Goff hit St. Brown for a 4-yard touchdown, making the score 28-14 in favor of the Lions.
Third Quarter
The important swing began right after halfway. Detroit got things going with a 64-yard pass from Jared Goff to Jameson Williams that led to a field goal. Later in the quarter, Goff threw another 44-yard pass to Williams. The Bears’ offensive line had trouble keeping the ball safe and following the rules, and their drives failed when the Lions’ edge defenders and linebackers moved quickly. Detroit built a 38–14 lead going into the fourth quarter with a 10-point quarter that included two scoring drives that went 144 yards.
Fourth Quarter
As the game came to a close, Detroit scored twice more. St. Brown continued his lesson with a short touchdown, and Montgomery and Gibbs ate up time and yardage, scoring both to end the attack. Chicago’s only answer was a 3-yard run by D’Andre Swift, which came way too late to change the pace of the game.
Important Player Thoughts
Jared Goff (DET, QB): Goff finished with a bunch of big completions, like ones of 64, 44, and 32 yards, which led to six scoring plays of 50 yards or more. He moved well in the pocket to make plays last longer and was ready to go after Chicago’s defense in the middle and on the edges.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET, WR): As a constant mismatch, St. Brown caught three touchdowns, including ones of 34, 32, and 8 yards. He constantly beat both zone coverage and man coverage. Detroit’s success in the red zone was built around his yards after catch and ability to play both out of the backfield and as a slot threat.
Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery (DET, RBs): They shared carries well and ran for 179 yards and four scores (Gibbs 2, Montgomery 2). Gibbs made a big impact with runs of 42 and 26 yards, showing patience behind blocks and speed to the edge.
Rome Odunze (CHI, WR): The youngster was the only bright spot for Chicago. He caught three touchdowns, one from 28 yards out on a third-down blitz and two more in the red zone. Because he can find weak spots in zone defense, he is still very important to Chicago’s changing offensive plan.
Caleb Williams (CHI, QB): Williams had some good moments, but it was hard for him to keep his flow when he was under a lot of pressure. Even though he threw three touchdowns, he also had an expensive interception, and several drives finished with sacks or penalties that made the game impossible to finish.
Moments of change and major events
Red Zone in the first half Efficiency: The Lions scored touchdowns on their first three trips into the red zone. They never stopped after three, putting instant pressure on the Bears to score.
The big play by Jameson Williams, a 64-yard catch in the third quarter, changed the field and set up a field goal. However, it also broke Chicago’s defense for good, making their secondary play deeper and giving Gibbs and Montgomery more room to run.
Bears’ Penalties and Turnovers: Key plays in the second and third quarters were stopped by false starts and an interception by Kerby Joseph at a key moment, which gave Detroit the ball and the momentum.
A lot of pressure up front: Aidan Hutchinson and the rest of the Lions’ defense opened up Chicago’s offensive line, recording multiple sacks (including a Branch sack for -7 yards and several holding calls) and constantly putting Williams behind the sticks.
Detroit’s Killer Instinct and Late Gamble: Even though they were ahead 31–31 in the fourth quarter, the Lions continued to play well, scoring scores on fourth down and not slowing down or becoming less aggressive on drives.
Next Games and the Paddy Power Bet Point of View
On September 23, Monday Night Football, the Lions will travel to play the Baltimore Ravens. This is a game between two teams that are both trying to make the playoffs. The Chicago Bears will try to get back on track on September 21 against the Dallas Cowboys. This is a high-stakes, high-profile matchup for spread betting and bet builder tactics.
Bet on the Lions vs. Ravens game with Paddy Power NFL or Sky Bet for NFL to see early lines, bet builders, and markets for player success. There will be a lot of player prop markets for Chicago’s home stand against the Cowboys. You can check out matchups and defense injuries at both bookmakers’ NFL hubs.
Our Squawka NFL hub has all the most recent NFL picks and reports.
Last Word
This was the Lions’ best game under Coach Dan Campbell so far. It was a mix of creativity, aggression, and execution that made their division foes lose hope. Detroit is one of the most-watched teams in the NFC in 2025 because they can make big plays (multiple completions and runs of 40 yards or more), convert in the red zone, and keep up the defensive pressure.
Meanwhile, Chicago needs to get back together quickly. Even though some rookies show potential, the Bears need to work on their protection, tackling, and penalty management right away. For betting fans in the UK, Detroit is now seen as a real force and an interesting team to back before their trip to Baltimore.
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