NEWS: Bears Comeback Keeps Detroit Winless

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CHICAGO – The Bears stumbled but the Detroit Lions couldn’t take advantage in a 27-23 win Sunday at Soldier Field.

The Lions took a 23-12 halftime lead. More importantly, Bears quarterback Kyle Orton was injured on a sideline hit on Chicago’s final possession of the half. Rex Grossman subbed and pulled off the recovery.

Chicago maintains first place in the NFC North at 5-3. Detroit has lost all eight tries.

An important miss came early when Detroit place kicker Jason Hanson slipped on the turf and muffed an extra point. That made the difference four at the end when Detroit had possession and they couldn’t just angle for a tying field goal.

In the third, Grossman pulled the Bears close with a six-yard TF pass to Rashied Davis. It was a five-play, 49-yard sequence. He had five catches for 64 yards to lead Chicago.

Rookie Matt Forte returned to form with 126 yards (101 in the second half) on 26 carries. On the game-winning drive, he supplied 50 of the 58 yards. Grossman slipped in from the 1 for the score with 5:06 to go.

A turning point was avoided in the third quarter when Chicago defender Craig Steltz grabbed an end zone interception and ran it out. Grossman gave the ball back when tackle Dewayne White took the ball at the 28. It is Detroit’s only interception of the season.

When Grossman went three-and-out after a defensive stop, the boos began from the home fans.

But all that mattered at the end was the defensive shutout by the Bears in the second half. They had 28 blitzes for the game. Brian Urlacher ended one fourth-quarter Detroit possession with a bullrush that forced an intentional grounding on third down.

And linebacker Lance Briggs smashed into a defender, forcing a fumble which he recovered with two minutes to go. Briggs had 10 tackles to lead the Bears.

Early on, it was all Bears. They forged a 10-0 first-quarter advantage when Robbie Gould hit a 36-yard field goal after a Mike Brown interception and Orton tran it in from the 5 to complete a 58-yard drive.

But the Lions were lurking. Kevin Smith ran it in from the one early in the second quarter. Devin Hester muffed a kick return and Calvin Johnson caught a 17-yard pass frm Dan Orlovsky on the first play. Orlovsky hit Shaun McDonald from 14yards out to complete a 55-yard drive. Gould and Json Hanson matched field goals to end the half.
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