In a season where the Detroit Lions have had some big victories, they also have had some big losses.
They had one of those big losses Sunday.
Penalties, breakdowns on offense and defense and an offense that failed to score a point in the second half left them with a 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
The Lions rallied in the second quarter with two touchdowns to take a 13-10 lead.
As quickly as the Lions took command of the game, they gave it up when the offense failed to gain a single first down in the third quarter.
The Bears took advantage of the Lions' miscues, outscoring them 18-0 in the second half.
Head coach Dan Campbell pointed out the problems in his postgame interview on 97.1.
"Honestly, it was the discipline," Campbell said.
This week's Monday Countdown looks at Campbell's assessment and where it might have hit hardest. There is also a look at a key play that hurt the Lions and a twist in the NFC North results that could make a impact in the standings.
There are also takeaways on offense, defense and special teams, what's trending and the bottom line.
We start with Campbell's assessment of what went wrong in Chicago.
1. Leaders: Campbell praised the Bears for doing what the Lions didn't do.
"They were much more disciplined than we were," Campbell said. "It wasn't the game plan ... scheme."
Campbell stresses not making mistakes, and that was where the Lions broke down.
"We got to do things right because any little mistake, man, it throws us off now," Campbell said. "That's just the type of team we are."
The Lions lost the penalty battle. They committed eight for 59 yards to four for 35 for the Bears.
2. Pivotal play: The Bears got a touchdown in the third quarter to take a 19-13 lead. Quarterback Justin Fields hit wide receiver D.J. Moore with a 38-yard pass on the play.
It was a fourth and 13 play, Lions defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson jumped offsides on the play, giving Fields freedom to go deep rather than look for a shorter target to get a first down.
Hutchinson played well otherwise, with a sack and two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss.
3. North control: The Lions dominated the NFC North in 2022, with a 5-1 record against division opponents.
They won't match that record this season. They've already split with the Packers and Bears for a 2-2 record in the division. They have two games left with the Vikings.
4. Takeaways, offense:
- Ball control: Quarterback Jared Goff didn't have it again vs. the Bears. He lost a fumble in the exchange with center Graham Glasgow and had two interceptions.
- Mirror images: The rushing stats for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. They both rushed for 66 yards. Gibbs had 11 carries. Montgomery had 10.
- Stats winner: It was the Bears with a 20-13 advantage in first downs and 336 to 267 in yards gained.
5. Takeaways, defense:
- Pressure: It was one of the Lions better performances of this season in terms of defensive stats. They had three sacks, five tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits.
- Leader: John Cominsky led the Lions' defensive linemen with seven tackles. He also had a sack, tackle for loss and two quarterback hits.
- Linebackers: They were busy. Jack Campbell and Alex Anzalone each had nine tackles, tying for the team lead.
6. Takeaways, special teams:
- Point lost: Riley Patterson missed the extra point after the Lions' first TD, but it appeared that Jack Fox had trouble spotting the ball. That could have affected the timing and caused Patterson to pull it wide left.
- Leg strength: Punting in a wind chill of 28 degrees did not seem to bother Fox. He averaged 51.8 yards on four punts.
7. What's trending:
- Up: Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. He seems to make something happen when he plays on defense.
- Down: Goff. Turnovers have continued.
- Even: Gibbs and Montgomery. The Lions' two running backs get their yards no matter what.
8. Bottom line: The Lions' 9-4 won-loss record looks good enough for them to win the North, but their recent performances make it less certain.
