Detroit Lions run right through Chicago Bears in 41-10 win to keep playoff hopes alive

Justin Fields ran all over the Detroit Lions in the first quarter.

But then, the Lions finally contained him.

A game with the potential for a shootout turned lopsided early in the second half. The Lions, from the second quarter on, shut down Fields and dominated the Chicago Bears in all facets Sunday, winning 41-10 in the finale at Ford Field and keeping their playoff hopes alive.

To make the playoffs, the Lions (8-8) — winners in seven of their past nine games — need to beat the Green Bay Packers in next week's showdown at Lambeau Field. They also need one loss from the Seattle Seahawks.

Fields, who thrashed the Lions' defense in Week 10, ran for 105 yards in the first quarter. At the time, the dynamic quarterback was on pace for a whopping 420 rushing yards. He looked completely in control of the tempo.

But Fields finished with 10 carries for 132 yards on the ground. His arm, the weak link of his skills, failed to help him adjust. He completed 7 of 21 passes for 75 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Lions sacked him seven times.

Linebacker James Houston carried the defense with three sacks and one forced fumble. Defensive end Aidan Hutchison recorded a half-sack, one fumble recovery and one interception.

Hutchinson became the first rookie defensive linemen in NFL history with three interceptions in a season. (The last NFL player to do so was Hall of Famer Richard Dent in 1990.)

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Fields entered the blue medical tent twice in the first half, including once to get checked for a brain injury, as the Lions pressured him relentlessly in the second quarter. (He has been dealing with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder recently.)

A pair of big runs from Fields on Chicago's first two drives led to points. He scampered for 31 yards on the first drive, which ended in a 12-yard passing touchdown to tight end Cole Kmet, then escaped the pocket and scrambled for 60 yards on the second drive, which resulted in a 23-yard field goal from Cairo Santos.

Between those drives, Lions quarterback Jared Goff benefitted from a defensive pass interference on fourth-and-4. The flag, charged to Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon, put the Lions at the 1-yard line, and two plays later, tight end Brock Wright caught a 2-yard pass for a touchdown.

The Lions trailed, 10-7, after the first quarter but rolled the Bears in the final three quarters, finishing with more than 500 yards of total offense.

Detroit's offense scored 31 straight points — for a 38-10 advantage entering the fourth quarter — on touchdowns from Wright (again), running back D'Andre Swift (twice) and running back Jamaal Williams, plus a 23-yard field goal from Michael Badgley before halftime.

Swift, in particular, looked electric for the first time in a long time. He ran 11 times for 78 yards and one touchdown. Williams, though, handled the bulk of the workload, taking 22 touches for 144 yards and one touchdown.

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Rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams added 40 yards on an end-around play to set up Jamaal Williams' touchdown for a 31-10 lead with 11:48 left in the third quarter. On the next drive, Goff and Swift linked up for a catch-and-run 21-yard touchdown to make it 38-10 with 6:44 to go in the third.

Goff, who hasn't thrown an interception in eight games, managed the offense to perfection and took care of the ball. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns.

The offensive line allowed two sacks.

Detroit's defense, though, deserves credit for shifting the momentum. On the Bears' second drive of the second quarter, Josh Paschal sacked Fields for a loss of 12 yards. After a 16-yard pass, Houston sacked Fields for a loss of 8 yards to force a three-and-out punt.

The Bears' offense never picked up again. On the next drive, Houston tackled Fields from behind on the third play and forced a fumble. Hutchinson, who recovered the fumble, intercepted Fields to end the fist half.

After taking a 38-10 lead, the Lions managed the clock in the fourth quarter.

Badgley added a 41-yard field goal with 2:40 left in the game.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions run right through Bears to keep playoff hopes alive