The Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears played an exciting game on January 4, 2026. The Lions won by a score of 19 to 16 at Soldier Field in Chicago. This game was the last one of the regular season for both teams. The Bears had already won the NFC North division. The Lions were trying to finish their season with a winning record.
The game started slowly. The Lions built a 16-0 lead. But the Bears came back strong in the fourth quarter. They scored 16 points to tie the game. Then the Lions kicked a field goal as time ran out to win. This report breaks down the player stats from the game in a simple way.
The Final Score
The Lions scored first and kept the lead for most of the game. The final score was 19-16. The Lions improved to 9 wins and 8 losses. The Bears finished with 11 wins and 6 losses. They still got the number two seed in the playoffs.
The game was close even though the Lions led for a long time. The Bears showed they never give up. They tied the game in the fourth quarter. But the Lions made the last play to win.
Lions Quarterback Stats
Jared Goff played well for the Lions. He completed 27 of his 42 passes. This gave him 331 passing yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception. His passer rating was 86.5.
Goff was very good in the first half. He completed 19 of 28 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown. He led the team to score points on three of their first four possessions. He threw the ball to seven different receivers.
Goff made a big mistake late in the game. He threw an interception at the Bears’ 5-yard line. This gave the Bears a chance to win. But he also made the plays that won the game. He completed a 26-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown on the final drive. This set up the winning field goal.
Bears Quarterback Stats
Caleb Williams was the quarterback for the Bears. He completed 20 of 33 passes for 212 yards. He threw two touchdowns and one interception. His passer rating was 86.9.
Williams had a tough first half. He only completed 6 of 10 passes for 45 yards. The Lions defense stopped him well. But he played much better in the fourth quarter. He led two touchdown drives to tie the game.
Williams set a new Bears record this season. He finished with 3,942 passing yards. That is the most by any Bears quarterback in one season. He broke the old record of 3,838 yards set by Erik Kramer in 1995.
Williams threw a bad interception in the third quarter. He was aiming for D.J. Moore in the end zone. But the pass was off-target and Avonte Maddox caught it. This was only his seventh interception of the season.
Lions Rushing Stats
The Lions running game was steady. They ran for 122 total yards as a team. This was their best rushing game in a while.
Jahmyr Gibbs was the main runner. He had 19 carries for 80 yards. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry. His longest run was 14 yards. Gibbs also caught 3 passes for 33 yards and a touchdown.
David Montgomery also helped. He ran 8 times for 42 yards. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry. Montgomery also played in the wildcat package. This is a formation where a running back takes the snap.
Gibbs made a big play on the final drive. He cut back and ran for 9 yards. This started the drive that led to the winning field goal.
Bears Rushing Stats
The Bears running game was not strong. They only ran for 65 total yards. This was their lowest rushing total of the season. The Bears came into the game averaging 149.4 rushing yards per game. That was third best in the NFL.
D’Andre Swift led the team with 10 carries for 40 yards. Kyle Monangai added 14 yards on 6 carries. He also scored a two-point conversion.
The Lions defense did a great job stopping the run. They made sure the Bears could not control the clock with their running game.
Lions Receiving Stats
Amon-Ra St. Brown was the star receiver. He caught 11 passes for 139 yards. He was targeted 15 times. He caught passes of 10 or more yards seven times. His longest catch was 30 yards.
St. Brown made the most important catch of the game. On the final drive, Goff threw a 26-yard pass to him. St. Brown spun away from a tackler and gained extra yards. This put the Lions in position to kick the winning field goal.
Jameson Williams also had a good game. He caught 6 passes for 74 yards. He was targeted 8 times. He also dropped one pass that could have gone for a long gain.
Jahmyr Gibbs caught 3 passes for 33 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came on a 15-yard pass from Goff in the second quarter.
Kalif Raymond caught 3 passes for 52 yards. Isaac TeSlaa caught 1 pass for 18 yards. Anthony Firkser caught 2 passes for 2 yards.
Bears Receiving Stats
Colston Loveland was the top receiver for the Bears. He caught 10 passes for 91 yards and 1 touchdown. This was his best game of the season. He also caught a touchdown in the fourth quarter. This tied the game.
Loveland was a reliable target all game. He was targeted early and often. He had 4 catches for 37 yards in the first half. He has been very consistent. He had at least 3 catches in his last 12 games of the season.
Jahdae Walker caught 2 passes for 36 yards and 1 touchdown. His touchdown was a 25-yard catch in the fourth quarter. This was the Bears’ first score of the game.
Luther Burden had 2 catches for 23 yards. Cole Kmet caught the two-point conversion pass that tied the game.
Lions Defensive Stats
The Lions defense played very well for most of the game. They held the Bears scoreless through the first three quarters. This was the first time this season the Bears were shut out in the first half.
Avonte Maddox had a big interception. He picked off a pass from Williams in the end zone in the third quarter. This stopped the Bears from scoring.
Aidan Hutchinson had a sack and a quarterback hit. This was his 13.5th sack of the season. That is a career-high for him. He was selected for the Pro Bowl this year.
Derrick Barnes broke up a pass on fourth down in the second quarter. This stopped the Bears from scoring before halftime.
The Lions defense also forced the Bears to punt with just over two minutes left. This gave the Lions a chance to win. They held the Bears’ offense after the Goff interception.
Bears Defensive Stats
The Bears defense also played well in some moments. Kevin Byard had an interception. He picked off a pass from Goff late in the game. This gave the Bears a chance to win.
Montez Sweat was a force on the line. He had half a sack and put pressure on Goff. He also had a tackle for loss.
But the Bears defense also had some problems. C.J. Gardner-Johnson struggled to cover St. Brown in the slot. St. Brown caught passes against him all game. Jaylon Johnson also did not look fully healthy. He was often behind the play.
Andrew Billings committed some penalties. These hurt the Bears defense at key moments. The defense allowed the Lions to drive down the field at the end of the game.
Lions Kicking Stats
Jake Bates was the hero of the game. He made 4 field goals. His kicks were from 34, 30, 25, and 42 yards. His last kick was the game-winner. He kicked it as time ran out.
Bates made all his kicks except one. He missed from 53 yards. But he made the most important one. The 42-yard field goal gave the Lions a 19-16 win.
Key Game Moments
The Fourth Quarter Comeback
The Bears were losing 16-0. It looked like the game was over. But then Caleb Williams and the offense came alive.
The first touchdown came with 14:16 left in the fourth quarter. Williams threw a 25-yard pass to Jahdae Walker. The Bears converted a two-point conversion. Kyle Monangai ran it in. The score was 16-8.
The second touchdown came with 5:25 left. Williams led a 12-play, 88-yard drive. He threw a 1-yard pass to Colston Loveland. The Bears converted another two-point conversion. Cole Kmet caught the pass. The score was 16-16.
The Bears had come all the way back. The game was tied.
The Interception
The Lions got the ball back. They started driving again. But then something bad happened.
Goff threw a pass over the middle. It was intended for St. Brown. But the pass was deflected and intercepted by Kevin Byard. The Bears got the ball at their own 26-yard line with 2:11 left.
It looked like the Bears might win. They only needed a field goal.
The Game-Winning Drive
The Bears could not do anything with the ball. The Lions defense stopped them on three plays. The Bears had to punt.
The Lions got the ball back at their own 37-yard line. They had 1 minute and 41 seconds left. Goff led the team down the field. He completed a key 26-yard pass to St. Brown. This put the Lions at the Bears’ 24-yard line.
Jake Bates then kicked the 42-yard field goal as time ran out. The Lions won 19-16.
The Turnover Battle
Both teams had one turnover each. Goff threw an interception for the Lions. Williams threw an interception for the Bears. The turnover battle was tied.
But the Lions made their interception count. It stopped a Bears scoring drive. The Bears could not do anything with their interception. They had to punt.
What The Stats Tell Us
The Passing Game
The passing game was the key to this game. Goff threw for 331 yards. Williams threw for 212 yards. The Lions had 311 net passing yards. The Bears had 205 net passing yards.
Goff spread the ball around. He threw to seven different receivers. St. Brown was his favorite target. He caught 11 passes.
Williams also found his receivers. Loveland was his favorite target. He caught 10 passes.
The Rushing Game
The running game was very different for the two teams. The Lions ran for 122 yards. The Bears only ran for 65 yards. The Bears came into the game as one of the best rushing teams. The Lions shut them down.
Gibbs had a good game for the Lions. He ran for 80 yards. The Bears could not get their running game going. This forced Williams to throw more.
The Red Zone Efficiency
The Lions scored one touchdown in the red zone. They scored on a 15-yard pass to Gibbs. They also kicked field goals. The Bears scored one touchdown in the red zone. They scored on a 1-yard pass to Loveland.
The Lions settled for field goals too often. They could have scored more touchdowns. But their kicker made those field goals.
The Third Down
The Lions converted 6 of 13 third downs. The Bears converted 4 of 11 third downs. The Lions were better on third down. This helped them control the game.
The Lions also had 26 first downs. The Bears had 16. The Lions had more plays and controlled the clock. They had the ball for 35 minutes and 45 seconds. The Bears only had it for 24 minutes and 15 seconds.
Final Thoughts
The Lions vs Bears game was full of action. The Lions won a close game thanks to good passing and special teams. Goff threw for over 300 yards. St. Brown had a big game receiving. Bates made the winning field goal.
The Bears showed fight by coming back in the fourth quarter. But they could not finish the job. They will now focus on the playoffs. They will host the Green Bay Packers in the wild card round.
This game showed that the Lions have a lot of fight in them. They did not give up even when the Bears tied the game. They found a way to win at the last second. The Bears also showed they can come back from big deficits. That will help them in the playoffs.
For anyone who loves football, this game had everything. It had big plays, a comeback, and a game-winning kick. The player stats show how both teams played. The numbers tell the story of a close and exciting game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Detroit Lions vs Chicago Bears game on January 4, 2026?
The Detroit Lions won the game 19-16. Jake Bates kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired to give the Lions the win. This was the last game of the regular season for both teams.
How many passing yards did Jared Goff and Caleb Williams have in the game?
Jared Goff threw for 331 yards. He completed 27 of 42 passes with one touchdown and one interception. Caleb Williams threw for 212 yards. He completed 20 of 33 passes with two touchdowns and one interception.
Who was the top receiver in the Lions vs Bears game?
Amon-Ra St. Brown was the top receiver for the Lions. He caught 11 passes for 139 yards. He was a key target for Goff all game. He made the big catch that set up the winning field goal. For the Bears, Colston Loveland was the top receiver. He caught 10 passes for 91 yards and one touchdown.
