Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears: Complete Game Grades for Detroit

The Detroit Lions weren't supposed to have trouble with the Chicago Bears. That wasn't the case, as Detroit eked out a crucial 20-14 win only by scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The first half was possibly the worst of the season. The Lions made a few plays that should have allowed for a nice lead. Instead, Detroit entered the locker room tied at seven. 

Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News pinpointed everyone's thoughts perfectly:

"

Sorry to announce, leading SOLogists have spotted SOL clouds in the Chicago area. This is an SOL watch, not a warning. Don't take cover yet

— Bob Wojnowski (@bobwojnowski) December 21, 2014"

All told, the Lions moved to 11-4 thanks to a punishing ground game and a defense that has refused to lose all year. This one won't be looked to as the week Detroit put everything together.

To see the real tale of the tape, let's dissect each positional unit's performance while handing out grades.

Quarterback

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

This was not a game that Matthew Stafford will look back on fondly. All that matters is the win will be the mantra, but this performance smacked of 2013.

"

Stafford is forcing it. Flatfoot, all arm throw there.

— Justin Simon (@justincsimon) December 21, 2014"

He hit six of his first eight throws and even dropped a few lasers in there. But you could see something was off between him and his receivers when Calvin Johnson had a slight step on Kyle Fuller along the sideline and Stafford threw a short, back-shoulder throw while Johnson continued to streak down the field.

His red-zone performance was particularly abysmal. Of his pair of interceptions, the first was a floater that didn't need to be thrown.

"

Stafford just threw that one up. He's avoided a lot of those bad throws this year. Not a good choice there. 1st INT since NE. #DETvsCHI

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) December 21, 2014"

Stafford gets a little leeway because he rarely was given a chance to plant and throw. The pressure was constant, resulting in hurried throws that missed the mark.

Unfortunately, even when he had time, he wasn't making decisions quickly, and his throws were often inaccurate. He finished 22-of-39 for 243 yards and two picks for a passer rating of 53.7.

Grade: C-

Running Back

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

For whatever reason, Joique Bell wasn't included in the first-half plan (Update: Bell was suspended for the first quarter due to violation of team rules). Reggie Bush was, and things surprisingly went well.

"

Reggie got that ball and attacked. About damn time we see that from Bush instead of dancing and dodging.

— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) December 21, 2014"

Risdon hit the nail on the head. Bush was much more decisive, pounding out 64 yards on seven carries. He also grabbed six passes for 44 yards.

But the show was turned over to Bell late in the game. It was a smart decision.

"

Joique Bell with another dazzling run. He's really turned a corner in the past month. When he's, you know, actually playing.

— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) December 21, 2014"

Bell showed patience by waiting for the blocks to unfold on his 17-yard touchdown run where he cut it out and bullied his way to the end zone. He showed grit, running hard to help Detroit grind the clock before its final field goal.

Bell ended up with 74 yards on just 13 carries to pair with two catches for 13 yards. This was the type of one-two punch the Lions have been waiting for all season.

Grade: A

Wide Receiver and Tight End

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

As usual, Detroit's air attack was a two-man game.

The Bears opted to let Kyle Fuller single cover Calvin Johnson again. Johnson tuned him up by grabbing six catches for 103 yards. 

"

It's amazing Calvin Johnson can get so wide open. Bears look like they're playing with 10 guys on defense.

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) December 21, 2014"

The damage would have been magnified had he seen a few more accurate balls. 

Golden Tate got in on the action as well, grabbing five catches for 62 yards. However, the fact that both receivers only caught half of their targets is indicative that not everything went according to plan.

"

Golden Tate with a rare drop. Wasn't ready for the ball on third down.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) December 21, 2014"

The only other receiver to grab a pass was Jeremy Ross, who tacked on 11 yards. The tight ends didn't see a single target.

Grade: B

Offensive Line

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

It's easy to point to Detroit's 5.3 yards per carry and say the offensive line had a good day. There were plenty of second-level blocks that allowed running backs lanes, something that has been missing all year.

But that would be excusing the absolutely putrid pass protection.

"

Stafford has been running for his life all game. Nice play there to find Megatron for a first down.

— Pride Of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) December 21, 2014"

Detroit gave up four sacks as well as seven quarterback hits. Those are the immediately quantifiable stats, but when the hurries are tacked on, the real story will come out. This was an absolutely brutal pass-protection performance.

Making matters worse was everyone's favorite villain, Dominic Raiola. He appeared to purposely stomp on a Bears defender's ankle, and he could very well receive a suspension for the Green Bay game.

The running game went well. It just isn't enough to erase how little time Stafford had on a regular basis.

Grade: C

Defensive Line

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Much like the rest of the team, the defensive line took plenty of plays off, including the entire first half.

C.J. Mosley blew up a screen before Jimmy Clausen could even throw it by knocking Matt Forte to the ground. Ndamukong Suh ended a drive by himself with a sack and a batted pass.

Otherwise, the defensive front was nonexistent, much like the pressure on Clausen.

"

When Clausen hits his back foot, he's surveying the field. When Stafford is hitting his, he's getting pushed off his spot #DETvsCHI

— Justin Simon (@justincsimon) December 21, 2014"

The second half didn't bring much more from the defensive line, except for Suh continuing to make plays that only he can make:

"

Matt Forte just held Suh. Suh sacked Clausen anyway.

— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) December 21, 2014"

Suh was the only one who will probably come away with a positive grade. He posted four tackles, including two for a loss, two sacks, three quarterback hits and the crazy pass defensed when he hit Clausen's arm on a two-step drop.

Jason Jones and Ezekiel Ansah both had a pair of tackles, while Ansah added an unnecessary late-hit penalty when he dove at Clausen's head after he slid. 

This grade would be much worse if it weren't for Suh.

Grade: B-

Linebacker

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

As always, we lead off with DeAndre Levy. The man continues to lead the team in tackles, as he had eight on the day including one for a loss, and is so dominant in the screen game that Chicago had to fake them to one side and go the other way to have a chance at success.

"

DeAndre Levy is special. Instincts at linebacker just so impressive.

— Kyle Bogenschutz (@KyleBogie) December 21, 2014"

Josh Bynes was the next most impressive linebacker, but he wasn't anywhere near Levy's level. He chipped in with three tackles, including one for a loss.

Otherwise, it was an extremely quiet day for this group. Kyle Van Noy often looked lost again, overshooting ball-carriers and reacting slowly. 

Tahir Whitehead rounds out the stat sheet with three tackles.

Grade: B-

Secondary

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

If DeAndre Levy gets to lead the linebackers slide, then it's only right that Glover Quin kicks things off here. Anything else would be offensive to the league's leader in interceptions.

"

With moves like that, #Lions safety Glover Quin will be recruited by Cirque Du Soleil when he's done playing in the #NFL.

— Jennifer Hammond (@HammerFox2) December 21, 2014"

Quin ended the game with an incredibly athletic grab along the sideline, somehow tapping both feet before flying out of bounds. He tacked on two tackles as well.

Darius Slay had an up-and-down day. He posted four tackles and two passes defensed, but he also narrowly avoided getting flagged for a costly pass interference. 

"

Lucky Lions dodge a penalty. Darius Slay was giving Alshon Jeffery a piggyback ride on that deep shot.

— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) December 21, 2014"

James Ihedigbo racked up an impressive seven tackles, including two for a loss, while Don Carey chipped in with a pair of stops. 

Clausen only put up 181 yards, which is a credit to the secondary and a demerit to his receivers, who continuously dropped balls that hit their hands. The two touchdowns won't be forgotten soon, as he dropped one in over Slay's head. 

The secondary's performance was a microcosm of the team's in general. You'd prefer it played better, but it made enough plays to escape with the win.

Grade: B-

Special Teams

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

One special teamer didn't disappoint: Sam Martin. He only punted once and pinned it inside the 20. And his kickoffs in the gusty Chicago atmosphere were beautiful, as he routinely hit the ball long and low toward the side of the end zone.

As for everyone else, Justin Simon of Pride of Detroit summed it up well:

"

The Lions realize special teams is...important, right? This is embarrassing.

— Justin Simon (@justincsimon) December 21, 2014"

Matt Prater did knock in two field goals that were the difference in this game. But he slipped on one of his three tries, and Chicago was able to make an easy block.

The big gaffes belonged to Jeremy Ross and Julian Stanford (again).

Ross waved for a fair catch with just over 30 seconds left in the half, misjudged the trajectory of the ball and then let the ball hit the ground. The problem was he was one yard away. It bounced off of his chest and the Bears turned that mistake into seven points.

The other Bears touchdown was created by Stanford's roughing-the-punter penalty. He came in out of control and barreled into the punter after the ball was gone.

Grade: C+

Coaching

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

I've hammered it home already, but the Lions committed multiple unforced errors. That's a product of the coaching staff not keeping the team focused in the wake of clinching a playoff spot. 

One could point to the mental fortitude it took to keep pounding away to get the win. However, slow starts have plagued this team all season, and the problem should be rectified by now.

The defensive failures were a mixture of poor execution in spots and a confusing scheme. Considering Jimmy Clausen had thrown nine passes since 2010, it was surprising that defensive coordinator Teryl Austin didn't dial up creative blitzes to shake him up.

Regardless, the unit wouldn't have given up any points if not for a couple of mental errors. Again, that's on the coaches. 

The offensive play-calling wasn't terrible. If more throws had hit their intended targets, points wouldn't have been so difficult to come by.

Justin Rogers of MLive.com pointed out the only oddity:

"

Lions should probably stop running play-action. Pass rush is coming too quickly, they can't afford to lose that quarter second.

— Justin Rogers (@Justin_Rogers) December 21, 2014"

The offensive line clearly couldn't keep Stafford upright. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi's insistence on going back to a dry well was confounding at best.

Grade: C+

Final Grades

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

QB: C+

RB: A

WR/TE: B

OL: C

DL: B-

LB: B-

Secondary: B-

ST: C+

Coaching: C+

Cumulative Grade: C+

As has often been the case, we end by saying that a win is a win. And Detroit has been able to grab 11 of them in 15 opportunities.

But this game was seen as a tuneup headed into a showdown with the Packers. Instead, it was a trap game that barely escaped being a catastrophe. 

The sloppy mistakes have to be cleaned up this week, or Detroit will be forced to hit the road as a wild-card team. For now, fans can take solace in the 11-4 record with a chance to clinch a first-round bye at Lambeau Field.