NFL News & Analysis

Refocused: Detroit Lions 27, Chicago Bears 24

Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah (21) celebrates with quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions marched into Soldier Field and came out with a win over the Chicago Bears, 27-24, after kicking the game winning field goal with under a minute and a half left.

QB Matthew Stafford was efficient on the day, throwing for 299 yards on just 31 attempts and collecting two touchdowns as well. He needed his efficiency, as the Detroit rushing attack was held to a paltry 65 yards on 24 carries.

QB Mitchell Trubisky wasn't equal to his opposite number, throwing for only 179 yards and one touchdown. RB Jordan Howard put forth a great statistical day, running for 125 yards on 15 carries.

The Chicago offense was good enough on the day to attempt a game tying field goal, but Connor Barth failed to connect on his field goal attempt. With that, we give you our PFF exclusive takeaways from the contest for each team.

Top 5 Grades:

CB Darius Slay, 82.3 overall grade

WR Marvin Jones Jr., 79.2 overall grade

S Glover Quin, 78.5 overall grade

TE Eric Ebron, 75.6 overall grade

WR Golden Tate, 74.5 overall grade

Performances of Note:

QB Matthew Stafford, 63.7 overall grade

Stafford had success moving the ball, especially when given time to throw, but what the box score doesn't show are the couple of balls he was fortunate didn't get picked off. On throws that came without pressure in his face, Stafford went 18-of-24 for 263 yards and a touchdown; he completed 3-of-7 throws when pressured. Stafford spread the ball around the field quite a bit in this one, attempting multiple passes to every quadrant of the field except the deep middle, where he still had one attempt.

WR Marvin Jones Jr., 79.2 overall grade

Jones hauled in four of seven targets, with 12 of his 85 yards coming after the catch to go with a touchdown. Matt Stafford had a 139.9 passer rating when targeting the veteran receiver in Week 11. All four of Jones' catches came against different defenders, and all four resulted in either a Lions first down or touchdown.

CB Darius Slay, 82.3 overall grade

Darius Slay was the best player on the field for the Lions’ defense on Sunday. Slay was targeted six times, only allowing two receptions for 28 yards on 35 snaps in coverage. Slay also added two pass defenses and finished with a 81.4 coverage grade.

Glover Quin78.5 overall grade

It was a tough day for the Lions’ front seven, but the secondary picked them up. Another one of those contributors on the back end for the Lions was Glover Quinn. Quinn was not targeted once in coverage on 35 snaps. He also had four tackles, two of which resulted in stops.

Top 5 Grades:

G Josh Sitton, 86.8 overall grade

TE Adam Shaheen, 85.1 overall grade

C Cody Whitehair, 82.4 overall grade

DI Mitch Unrein, 81.0 overall grade

T Charles Leno Jr., 80.6 overall grade

Performances of Note:

G Josh Sitton, 86.8 overall grade

On a day where the Bears offensive line had a great day, Sitton was the star of the unit with the highest grade of all the linemen. Sitton did not allow a pressure all day on 35 snaps in pass protection, good for a 85.1 pass-blocking grade. Sitton was effective in the run game as well, earning an 86.0 run blocking grade

TE Adam Shaheen, 85.1 overall grade

Adam Shaheen provided a reliable target for rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky against the Lions. Shaheen caught all four of his targets for 41 yards and had the Bears’ only receiving touchdown. Shaheen was also a factor on the edge when run blocking, posting a 77.8 run-blocking grade.

DI Mitch Unrein81.0 overall grade

Unrein was especially effective in run defense, finishing the afternoon with an 84.4 grade in that department. Unrein tallied three run stops on 11 run-defense snaps, giving him a 27.3 run-stop percentage which ranks among the top for interior defenders playing in the early games. He now owns a 12.2 run-stop percentage this season, good for seventh best among 120 qualified interior defenders.

Edge Leonard Floyd, 79.9 overall grade

Floyd was getting it done in all facets prior to departing the game in the second half with an injury. The second-year pro tallied four total pressures (two hurries and two hits) on 26 pass-rush snaps to go with two stops and a team high 85.2 run-defense grade.

PFF Game Ball: Darius Slay, CB

Darius Slay, cornerback, Detroit Lions

*Grades are subject to change upon review

Subscriptions

Unlock the 2023 Fantasy Draft Kit, with League Sync, Live Draft Assistant, PFF Grades & Data Platform that powers all 32 Pro Teams

$31 Draft Kit Fee + $8.99/mo
OR
$89.88/yr + FREE Draft Kit