Chicago Bears: Big Plays, Mental Mistakes Stall Bears' Engines in Motor City

Those who felt the Detroit Lions were nothing but smoke and mirrors because they had a couple of fortunate come-from-behind wins just swallowed their words Monday night.

The Lions (5-0) executed very well on the ground, caused pressure and forced penalties as Detroit cruised to a 24-13 victory over the Chicago Bears.

Chicago (2-3) struggled to keep an offensive series alive all night long. Despite a nice statistical day from quarterback Jay Cutler (28-38, 249 yards, TD, 98.6 rating) and Matt Forte (22 rushes, 106 yards), the Bears were an ugly 4-of-13 on third down.

Yellow handkerchiefs played a huge role in the game for both squads. The difference is that Detroit's big-play capability bailed the Lions out on a few occasions. The Bears lack such a weapon.

Chicago was flagged 14 times for 104 yards. The offensive line struggled with the snap count. The Bears had nine false starts and now lead the NFL with 17 such illegal procedures. The Lions had 12 penalty markers thrown for 94 yards.

Field position was another crucial factor in the outcome of the game. Chicago began eight of its nine offensive possessions at or inside its own 20-yard line.

One possession in particular displayed a serious mental lapse from wide receiver and kick returner Devin Hester. The kickoff following Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew's 18-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter was destined to bounce out of bounds. Hester attempted to return the kick and his momentum carried him out of bounds at the Chicago 6-yard line. Had he let the ball bounce, Chicago would have started from its own 40.

Hester made many other poor plays on the night. He tried to make too much out of a wide receiver screen on the Bears' first drive of the second half, which resulted in an eight-yard loss. He also dropped what could have been a huge catch deep in the red zone, if not a touchdown.

Chicago's secondary was shaky. Big plays were the Achilles tendon for the Bears on the evening. Detroit running back Jahvid Best rattled off an 88-yard touchdown run and Calvin Johnson hauled in a 73-yard touchdown catch. Surrendering those large plays really was the nail in the coffin.

It wasn't a perfect game, but it was a winnable game. This team has a short week now to prepare for the Minnesota Vikings at home next Sunday night. Between the false starts, pass protection and defensive line woes, Chicago has plenty to work on this week.

Brett Lyons is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official interview materials.

Follow Brett Lyons on Twitter  @BrettLyons670.