Lions 40, Bears 32
DETROIT -- Reggie Bush rushed for 139 yards, including 112 in the opening half, and scored on a 37-yard run as the Detroit Lions handed the Chicago Bears their first loss 40-32 at Ford Field on Sunday.
Matt Stafford passed for 242 yards and a touchdown and also scored by recovering his own fumble as the Lions (3-1) moved into a first-place tie with the Bears (3-1) in the NFC North. Detroit defensive tackle Nick Fairley added a 4-yard fumble return for a score and David Akers contributed four field goals.
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler passed for 317 yards and two touchdowns but committed four turnovers, three of them interceptions. Matt Forte rushed for 95 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
The Lions scored 24 unanswered points during the second quarter while storming to a 30-13 halftime lead.
Chicago took a short-lived 10-6 advantage when Forte took a pitch to the right side and raced untouched on his 53-yard score.
Akers' third field goal brought Detroit within one point. Micheal Spurlock's 57-yard punt return then set up the Lions' first touchdown, which involved a bit of good fortune. On first-and-goal from the 1, Stafford tried to leap over the pile but linebacker Lance Briggs knocked the ball loose. The ball floated in the air right into Stafford's arms as he fell into the end zone.
Stafford's 2-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Sunday, made it 23-10. Glover Quin's 41-yard interception return led to that score.
Bush, who had six runs of at least 10 yards during the half, extended the lead to 30-10 with his 37-yard run. Bell jumped over Major Wright's diving tackle attempt 10 yards down the field, then scooted down the right side for his first rushing touchdown this season.
A Stafford fumble after a Julius Peppers sack allowed the Bears to cut Detroit's lead to 17, as Robbie Gould made a 28-yard field goal on the last play of the half.
Detroit's defense put the game away late in the third. Ndamukong Suh sacked Cutler at the Chicago 10. Fairley picked up the loose ball at the 4 and scored to make it 37-16.
Cutler threw two scoring passes in the fourth but the Bears couldn't overcome the deficit.
NOTES: Cutler had only thrown one interception in eight previous games against Detroit. ... Center Dominic Raiola set a Lions franchise record for an offensive player by appearing in his 192nd career game. ... Chicago led the all-time series 96-65-5. ... Johnson's receiving touchdown was the 58th of his career, second only to Herman Moore's franchise record of 62. ... Detroit cornerback Rashean Mathis suffered a head injury in the first half and did not return.
