The Chicago Bears snapped their five-game losing streak with a 16-14 win over the Detroit Lions on Thursday, November 25, Thanksgiving Day.
In replacement of injured QB Justin Fields, Bears QB Andy Dalton threw for 317 yards, 1 touchdown on 24 of 39 passing attempts. The Bears also needed 18 plays and 69 yards to close out the game, which ended on a 28- yard, game-winning field goal by kicker Cairo Santos.
According to the Chicago Bears, Dalton’s 317 passing yards marks a season-high by a Bears quarterback and the most since Nick Foles passed for 335 yards at Tennessee on November 8, of last season.
The last time Dalton passed for 300 plus yards was against the Philadelphia Eagles as a member of the Dallas Cowboys when he threw for 377 yards on December 27, 2020.
The Bears QB also threw for 220 first-half passing yards, which is the second-most in the first half by a Bears quarterback since the start of the 2018 season, trailing only Mitchell Trubisky’s 289 yards versus Tampa Bay in September of 2018.
In addition to Dalton’s big passing game, the Bears also received an offensive boost from wide receiver Darnell Mooney. Mooney surpassed the century mark in receiving yards for the third time this season, snatching down five catches for 123 yards in Thursday’s game.
Mooney now has a team-high 694 receiving yards on 46 catches. Good enough for a 15.1 yards average catch this season.
Mooney also made a huge play late in the 2nd quarter on a 52-yard pass play from Dalton with 5:21 remaining. The catch by Mooney marked his fifth straight game with a reception of 20 plus yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Bears are now first in the NFL with 32 sacks on the season. Their minus-243 sack yards on the season are also ranked first in the NFL.
Final score: Bears 16, Lions 14.
The Bears next game will be Sunday, December 5, against the Arizona Cardinals. Game time is 12 noon.
Chicago Crusader Players of the Game:
QB Andy Dalton, Bears, 317 yards and 1 TD.
The Bears defense allowed only 14 points in the contest.
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].
Joseph Phillips is the Sports Editor for the Chicago Crusader Newspaper. He is a Chicago native, who has been a sports writer for over 17 years. He also hosts the SC Media News and Sports Network Q&A radio show on WHPK 88.5 FM Chicago.
