Mitchell Trubisky, Bears Hold off David Blough, Lions to Win on Thanksgiving Day

The Chicago Bears finished their season sweep of the Detroit Lions with a 24-20 victory at Ford Field on Thursday. 

Mitchell Trubisky led the way for the Bears by throwing for 338 yards and three touchdowns.

Undrafted rookie free agent David Blough made his first career NFL start for the Lions in place of the injured Matthew Stafford (back) and Jeff Driskel (hamstring). He threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort.

It marks Detroit's fifth consecutive loss and the eighth in its last nine games. The Lions have also now lost three consecutive Thanksgiving Day games, including two straight to the Bears.

Notable Performances

Chicago

QB Mitchell Trubisky: 29/38, 338 yards, three touchdowns, one interception

RB David Montgomery: 16 carries, 75 yards; two catches, 12 yards, one touchdown

WR Allen Robinson II: eight receptions, 86 yards, one touchdown

WR Anthony Miller: nine receptions, 140 yards

Detroit

QB David Blough: 22/38, 280 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

RB Bo Scarbrough: 21 carries, 83 yards

WR Kenny Golladay: four catches, 158 yards, one touchdown

WR Marvin Jones Jr.: three catches, 40 yards, one touchdown

Trubisky Rallies Bears Late to Pull Out Crucial Victory

With his job security coming into question recently, Trubisky stepped into the Thanksgiving Day spotlight and found a way to get the job done.

Aided by a 57-yard kickoff return by Cordarrelle Patterson, Trubisky led the Bears to an opening-drive touchdown:

From that point on, though, Trubisky and Co. found themselves unable to keep pace with the Lions' third-string quarterback.

Chicago followed the touchdown up with a pair of three-and-outs and a turnover on downs. It wasn't until the closing minute of the second quarter that Chicago was finally able to crack the scoreboard again, this time via a field goal.

Trubisky opened the second half with an interception on the first drive. The memory of that turnover did not linger, though, as the third-year quarterback responded with a game-tying touchdown on the following drive:

Then came what could be one of the defining moments of the Bears' season.

Trailing 20-17 with 6:40 to play, Trubisky led Chicago 90 yards in just over four minutes to take the lead for the first time since the opening stages of the game:

It marked the first time since Oct. 20 that Chicago had scored more than 20 points in a game; it failed to eclipse that mark in any of its last five outings.

It wasn't the prettiest of victories, but in the NFL, style points don't matter. The Bears have clawed back to .500 to remain in the NFC playoff picture. Chicago sits two games back in the win column of the Minnesota Vikings (8-3) for the second wild-card spot.

Lions Offense Goes Quiet Following Blough's Strong Start

A total of 254 players were selected in the 2019 NFL draft—but Blough was not one of them. He ultimately signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent before being traded to Detroit in August.

That deal nearly paid off for the Lions on Thanksgiving Day.

A relatively unknown commodity, Blough wasted little time introducing himself to the football world, leading his team to touchdowns on each of his first two drives:

With the help of a 75-yard touchdown, the 24-year-old got off to a very efficient start:

Chicago's defense eventually settled in and held Blough and the Detroit offense to just a pair of field goals over the final three quarters. Blough almost led the Lions on a last-minute drive to win the game, but the Bears defense was able to come through in the clutch, with Eddie Jackson coming up with an interception on 4th-and-long to seal the victory.

What's Next

Chicago (6-6) will return home to take on the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football on Dec. 5. Detroit (3-8-1) will be off until Sunday, Dec. 8, when it hits the road for a battle with Minnesota.