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FINAL
|
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
4th
|
Final
| | Detroit | 0 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 20 | | Chicago | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 16 |
| | |
Scoring | | 1st Quarter | | CHI | TD | THOMAS JONES 2 YD RUN (PAUL EDINGER KICK), 7:22
Drive:
6 plays,
58 yards in
2:25
Key Plays:
Grossman 30 yard pass to Terrell on 3rd-and-11
Grossman 27 yard pass to Terrell to Detroit 2
CHICAGO 7-0
| | 2nd Quarter | | DET | FG | JASON HANSON 27 YD, 14:44
Drive:
10 plays,
71 yards in
4:09
Key Plays:
Pass interference penalty on R
McQuarters moves ball to Chi 1
K
Jones 1-yard touchdown run negated by holding penalty on C
Schlesinger
CHICAGO 7-3
| | 3rd Quarter | | DET | TD | BRACY WALKER 92 YD RETURN OF BLOCKED FIELD GOAL (JASON HANSON KICK), 2:43
DETROIT 10-7
| | DET | FG | JASON HANSON 21 YD, 7:23
Drive:
6 plays,
38 yards in
2:28
Key Plays:
Harrington pass to K
Jones for 34-yards on 2nd-and-9 to Chicago 6
DETROIT 13-7
| | 4th Quarter | | CHI | TD | THOMAS JONES 2 YD RUN (PAUL EDINGER KICK), 2:20
Drive:
11 plays,
64 yards in
5:28
Key Plays:
Grossman 8-yard pass to McKie on 3rd-and-2 plus 15-yard roughing the passer penalty on Lions' Littleton to Detroit 13
Grossman 10-yard pass to T Jones to Detroit 2
CHICAGO 14-13
| | DET | TD | AZ-ZAHIR HAKIM 4 YD PASS FROM JOEY HARRINGTON (JASON HANSON KICK), 5:09
Drive:
5 plays,
49 yards in
2:46
Key Plays:
Harrington 30-yard pass to Schlesinger to Chicago 4
DETROIT 20-14
| | CHI | SF | BALL THROUGH END ZONE, 13:06
DETROIT 20-16
|
|
Passing
| | Lions |
Att
|
Cmp
|
Yds
|
Td
|
Int
|
Lg
| | Harrington, Joey | 26 | 14 | 187 | 1 | 1 | 34 |
| | Bears |
Att
|
Cmp
|
Yds
|
Td
|
Int
|
Lg
| | Grossman, Rex | 35 | 16 | 227 | 0 | 2 | 35 |
|
|
Rushing
| | Lions |
Att
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | Jones, Kevin | 15 | 36 | 2.4 | 15 | 0 | | Pinner, Artose | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | 8 | 0 | | Bryson, Shawn | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 16 | 0 | | Harrington, Joey | 4 | 6 | 1.5 | 6 | 0 | | Schlesinger, Cory | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | | Williams, Roy | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | | Harris, Nick | 1 | -7 | -7.0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Bears |
Att
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | Jones, Thomas | 21 | 67 | 3.2 | 15 | 2 | | Grossman, Rex | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | 8 | 0 | | Terrell, David | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 20 | 0 | | Thomas, Anthony | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 6 | 0 | | Wade, Bobby | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | | Berrian, Bernard | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | | McKie, Jason | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
|
|
Receiving
| | Lions |
Rec
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | Williams, Roy | 4 | 69 | 17.3 | 27 | 0 | | Hakim, Az-Zahir | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 14 | 1 | | Alexander, Stephen | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 11 | 0 | | Jones, Kevin | 1 | 34 | 34.0 | 34 | 0 | | Schlesinger, Cory | 1 | 30 | 30.0 | 30 | 0 | | Pinner, Artose | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | | Fitzsimmons, Casey | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | | Streets, Tai | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
| | Bears |
Rec
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | Jones, Thomas | 6 | 38 | 6.3 | 10 | 0 | | Terrell, David | 5 | 126 | 25.2 | 35 | 0 | | Clark, Desmond | 1 | 28 | 28.0 | 28 | 0 | | Wade, Bobby | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 | | McKie, Jason | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | | Gage, Justin | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | | Johnson, Bryan | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 |
|
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Tackles-Solo-Assists Sacks-Yds (unofficial)
| | Lions |
T
|
S
|
A
|
Sk-Yd
| | Bryant, Fernando | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0-0 | | Marion, Brock | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0-0 | | Hall, James | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1-6 | | Goodman, Andre | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0-0 | | Davis, James | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0-0 | | Holmes, Earl | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0-0 | | Rogers, Shaun | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1-3 | | Lehman, Teddy | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0-0 | | Walker, Bracy | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0-0 | | Edwards, Kalimba | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0-0 | | Redding, Cory | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | | Lewis, Alex | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | | Pritchett, Kelvin | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1-4 | | Wilkinson, Dan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0-0 | | Bly, Dre | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0-0 | | DeVries, Jared | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | | Bell, Marcus | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 |
| | Bears |
T
|
S
|
A
|
Sk-Yd
| | Urlacher, Brian | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0-0 | | Briggs, Lance | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0-0 | | Brown, Mike | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0-0 | | Harris, Tommie | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0-0 | | Green, Mike | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0-0 | | Tillman, Charles | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0-0 | | Haynes, Michael | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1-2 | | Ogunleye, Adewale | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0-0 | | Brown, Alex | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0-0 | | McQuarters, R.W. | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | | Gray, Bobby | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | | Boone, Alfonso | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0-0 | | Odom, Joe | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0-0 | | Worrell, Cameron | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0-0 |
|
|
Interceptions
| | Lions |
INT
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | Goodman, Andre | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | | Walker, Bracy | 1 | -12 | -12.0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Bears |
INT
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | Green, Mike | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
|
|
Punting
| | Lions |
No.
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
TB
|
In20
|
Lg
| | Harris, Nick | 8 | 307 | 38.4 | 0 | 3 | 53 |
| | Bears |
No.
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
TB
|
In20
|
Lg
| | Maynard, Brad | 7 | 322 | 46.0 | 1 | 4 | 57 |
|
|
Punt Returns
| | Lions |
No.
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | Drummond, Edward | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 |
| | Bears |
No.
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | McQuarters, R.W. | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 8 | 0 | | Berrian, Bernard | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 |
|
|
Kickoff Returns
| | Lions |
No.
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | Drummond, Edward | 3 | 74 | 24.7 | 41 | 0 |
| | Bears |
No.
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
Lg
|
Td
| | Jones, Daryl | 4 | 70 | 17.5 | 23 | 0 | | McQuarters, R.W. | 1 | 37 | 37.0 | 37 | 0 | | McKie, Jason | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 25 | 0 |
|
|
Kicking
| | Lions |
XP/XPA
|
FG/FGA
|
Dist(Made/Fail)
| | Hanson, Jason | 2/2 | 2/2 | 27 21 |
| | Bears |
XP/XPA
|
FG/FGA
|
Dist(Made/Fail)
| | Edinger, Paul | 2/2 | 0/0 | |
|
|
Fumbles
| | | | | |
Rec
| | Lions |
No.
|
Lost
|
Forced
|
O
|
D
| | Hall, James | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Lehman, Teddy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Curry, Donte' | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | | Rogers, Shaun | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | | | | |
Rec
| | Bears |
No.
|
Lost
|
Forced
|
O
|
D
| | Clark, Desmond | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Grossman, Rex | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | McQuarters, R.W. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | McMillon, Todd | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
|
|
Officials
| |
Referee- Larry Nemmers,
Umpire- Undrey Wash,
Head linesman- Paul Weidner,
Line judge- Michael Spanier,
Field judge- Mike Weir,
Side judge- Cartlon Cheffers,
Back judge- Kirk Dornan |
|
Attendance - Time
| | 61,535
; 3:20 |
|
Team Statistics
| Lions | Bears | | First downs | 13 | 18 | | Rushing | 3 | 8 | | Passing | 8 | 8 | | Penalty | 2 | 2 | | 3rd-Down Efficiency | 2
-
14 | 6
-
16 | | 4th-Down Efficiency | 0
-
1 | 0
-
0 | | Total Net Yards | 262 | 342 | | Total Plays | 57 | 70 | | Average Gains | 4.6 | 4.9 | | Net Yards Rushing | 77 | 128 | | Rushes | 30 | 32 | | Average Per Rush | 2.6 | 4.0 | | Net Yards Passing | 185 | 214 | | Completed-Attempted | 14
-
26 | 16
-
35 | | Yards Per Pass | 6.9 | 5.6 | | Sacked-Yards Lost | 1
-
2 | 3
-
13 | | Had Intercepted | 1 | 2 | | Punts-Average | 8
-
38.4 | 7
-
46.0 | | Return Yardage | -10 | 80 | | Punts-Returns | 1
-
2 | 4
-
80 | | Kickoffs-Returns | 3
-
74 | 6
-
132 | | Interceptions-Returns | 2
-
-12 | 1
-
0 | | Penalties-Yards | 9
-
80 | 9
-
95 | | Fumbles-Lost | 0
-
0 | 3
-
2 | | Time Of Possession | 29:42 | 30:18 |
|
|
News: 9/13/04
Darkness had long since fallen on Soldier Field when a security worker wondered why a solitary writer remained in the press box. I explained to the gentleman that I was stricken with an unfamiliar form of writer's block.
The Lions had finally won on the road, and I was at a loss of venom.
That -- combined with intermittent lapses into unconsciousness and the lack of the letter "W" on my laptop keyboard --contributed to the difficulties.
"Y'all are gonna have to talk about something else now, aren't you?" said beaming defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. "We won. Streak? What streak? I don't know what you're talking about. All that stuff was a much bigger deal to you guys than it was to us."
It wasn't the media that dumped a bucket of Gatorade over Steve Mariucci's head when Joey Harrington executed that rarity of Lions calls -- the dropped knee to run out the fourth-quarter clock. And it wasn't the media that excitedly exchanged hugs and high-fives in that equally strange environment -- a victorious Lions locker room after a road game.
There's no shame in acknowledging unrestrained joy in bringing the worst road losing streak in NFL history -- and perhaps the most embarrassing skid ever in professional sports -- to a merciful halt.
A little excessive celebration after the first mile of a long endurance race is more easily forgivable because this was a big deal for the Lions. They had lost 24 straight on the road.
It was ugly (2-for-14 in third-down efficiency). It was costly. (Charles Rogers might be lost for the season with another broken clavicle, and Dré Bly might be out a month with a sprained knee.) It was anything but awe-inspiring.
But it was a road victory.
The Lions don't have to read about the streak or hear about it again. It found its final resting place off the shores of Lake Michigan.
And when you're trying to regain respect after three years of ineptitude, that bottom line matters above all else. Before the Lions can honestly convince anyone else they're capable of restoring the roar of the good ol' days of 8-8, they have to convince themselves they can overcome self-imposed limitations.
They did that Sunday against the Bears.
Try as they did in the final minutes to embrace a 25th straight road defeat, fate wouldn't have it, finally smiling kindly on them during a closing Bears drive that had Lions fans absolutely clutching their throats and catching their breath.
Chicago quarterback Rex Grossman forced a third-down throw into double coverage in the end zone instead of dumping it out of bounds to set up a final fourth-down chance.
Bracy Walker intercepted the pass.
And the Lions' officials seated in the press box erupted in joy.
Yeah, right, this wasn't a big deal for this franchise.
Walker fought through dehydration and needed intravenous fluids at one point, symbolizing the team's perseverance. His teammates awarded him a game ball, but Walker presented it to Shaun Rogers.
Rogers blocked the 27-yard field goal attempt that Walker picked up and returned 92 yards for a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
"That was a nice gesture," said Rogers, pointing to his prize, "but this is for everybody on this team because we didn't let the bad things happening get to us.
"When Charles and Dré both went down early, it was discouraging. But we knew we had to step up and make up for them not being there."
An impact playmaker is emerging on this team, and it's Rogers, a fourth-year behemoth out of Texas. The blocked field goal will get most of the attention, but his sack of Grossman on first down at the Lions' 12 with 40 seconds left was an equally big play because Chicago had no more time-outs. It forced Grossman to spike the ball on second down, costing him an additional shot at the end zone.
The Lions need to get Rogers' name on a contract extension immediately. He's a free agent at season's end and is developing into a major force at the point of attack. It's neither premature nor outrageous to suggest that Rogers is poised to become the younger generation's Warren Sapp, colorful on and off the field.
"This is a fresh start," Rogers said as he hobbled around his locker room cubicle. "Now, I know we've said that before. But I think this really is the fresh start to something positive."
A road victory is definitely fresh. It was downright mind-numbing.
But also mind-numbing was how the Lions could lose Charles Rogers for the second straight year to the same freakish injury on the first pass thrown his way. Is the second NFL player drafted two years ago destined to become a high-priced, injury-riddled bust?
More than enough ammunition remains for those who think the Lions won't avoid double-digit losses for the fourth consecutive year, but we'll leave reality for another day.
Sunday was a day for appreciating history and the willingness of those determined to change it.
RECAP:
Bracy Walker helped the Detroit Lions end
over three years of frustration on the road.
Walker returned a blocked field goal 92 yards for a touchdown
and intercepted Rex Grossman in the end zone with eight seconds
remaining as the Lions held on a for a 20-16 victory over the
Chicago Bears.
Walker's huge return after the Shaun Rogers' blocked field goal
came in the third quarter, giving the Lions a 13-7 lead.
"The ball happened to roll my way and my first instinct was to
just run," Walker said. "I was so tired, I thought about
pitching it to Andre' Goodman, but he was running so fast it
would have been a forward lateral. Thank the good Lord for
carrying me in because I didn't have any legs left."
After Thomas Jones scored on a two-yard run early in the fourth
to give the Bears a 14-13 lead, Joey Harrington tossed a
four-yard TD pass to Az-Zahir Hakim with 10 minutes to go,
giving the Lions the lead for good.
The Bears pulled within 20-16 with a safety with two minutes
left and drove to the Detroit 9 in the waning seconds. But on a
3rd-and-12 play, Rex Grossman threw into double coverage and
Walker came up with an interception of the pass that was
intended for David Terrell.
"I thought about running and then I didn't really want to run,"
said Grossman, who went 16-of-35 for 227 yards and two
interceptions. "I thought about throwing it away. Then I thought
I'd give David a shot for it. Obviously you know what
happened."
"I thought he was going to try and run," Walker said. "But it so
happened that he threw the ball and it just fell into my
hands."
The big game by Walker helped the Lions end the longest road
losing streak in NFL history at 24 games. Detroit won on the
road for the first time since a 10-7 victory over the New York
Jets on December 7, 2000.
"What I told the guys is that it's important to end the streak
for all the obvious reasons, but the main thing is, we won a
game on the road against a divisional opponent," Lions coach
Steve Mariucci said.
Jones rushed for 67 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears, who
lost in Lovie Smith's first game as coach.
The victory came at a cost as Lions receiver Charles Rogers
suffered a fractured clavicle in the first half. He was limited
to five games last season with the same injury.
"It was the same collarbone, but a different spot," Mariucci
said. "It's going to be long term. Also, cornerback Dre' Bly
left the game with an MCL injury. He will get an MRI tomorrow.
Hopefully, it's not serious."
Harrington went 14-of-26 for 187 yards, one touchdown and an
interception. Rookie Kevin Jones carried 15 times for 36 yards.
Scott's Game Commentary: The 24 game losing streak has finally concluded, although it comes at a terrible price. For the first time since December 17, 2000, the Lions found a way to win a game away from home! And there was no better place to be Sunday than in the Windy City screaming my head off and celebrating with all the honolulu blue and silver followers that made the trip! All the Bears fans could say after the game was: Detroit sucks. All I had to say in return was: who just lost to the Lions? :-) Bracey Walker, who returned a block field goal 92 yards for a touchdown, sealed the game with by picking off Chicago QB Rex Grossman with only a few seconds left in the game
Needless to say, it was one massive burden off the entire organizations back.
The win came at a costly price. Second year WR Charles Rogers, who missed most of the first season with a broken collarbone, broke it in another spot and could miss the entire year. After I received a text message from a friend that Rogers was going to the lockeroom and would not return with a shoulder injury, a lady in a road Charles Rogers jersey approached my brother and I and wanted to know what happened to Rogers. Little did I discover, it was Charles Rogers mother! She did not know that her son was taken to the lockeroom and what had happened. It was very hard to break the news to her, but she did quickly get to the lockeroom and security came up later in the game to escort two other family members to the lockeroom. The look on her face said it all: Not Again! Later on in the first half, cornerback Dre Bly left the game and might be out 2-4 weeks.
The players that needed to step up when Rogers and Bly went out did their job. Rookie WR Roy Williams had a dazzling one handed catch that helped setup a field goal late in the 1st half. CB Andre Goodman did a good job in the secondary in place of Bly.
Although the Lions came out with a victory, it sure was not pretty. The defense did their job creating three turnovers although at the end of the game it appeared they were ready to collapse. Unlike in years past, the Defense held strong at the end when every Lions fan watching the game was just waiting for them to self destruct. When Bracey Walker picked off the ball, it was just priceless going crazy and watching thousands of Bears fans stare you down.
Grades:
Offense: --- C-. The Offense that was suppose to carry the team this year got off to a rocky start. Joey Harrington had a sub par game with one interception, but made the key throws in the game winning drive. Losing Rogers meant rookie Roy Williams had his chance to shine in the spot light. He had 4 catches for 69 yards, but made some great catches in his first NFL game. Hakim had the game winning touchdown catch but once again had two big drops that killed two drives. Rookie RB Kevin Jones looked like a rookie in his first game as he had 36 yards on 15 carries. He had a touchdown taken away from him before the half when Corey Schlesinger was called for holding. Twice the Offense got the ball within the 10 yard line and had to settle for field goals. All in all, it was a mediocre performance against a bad Bears defense. Time will tell if they are going to be as good as they should be, even without Rogers.
Defense: --- A-. Koodles to the Defense for stepping up and playing a big part in the win. The Defense only gave up two touchdowns and had three turnovers that played a big role in the game. The secondary held up strong for most of the game, although Bears WR David Terrell had 126 yards receiving. Late in the game, the Bears were marching down the field and it appeared the Defense was ready to collapse. Fortunately for the honolulu blue and silver, the Bears have a second year QB that made a bad decision that resulted in a Bracy Walker interception. All in all, the Defense did their job when everyone expected them to be the reason the Lions would struggle this year.
Special Teams: --- B+. Nick Harris is no John Jett. It is quite apparent the Lions need to find a new punter down the road as Harris lacks a strong leg. Jason Hanson got two chip shot field goals and Eddie Drummond had a kickoff return after the Bears took the lead that led to a Lions game winning touchdown. The biggest play of the game definitely came early in the 3rd quarter when the Bears were attempting a field goal. Shaun Rogers blocked the kick and Bracy Walker huffed and puffed his way down the field for a touchdown: a 10 point swing!
Coaching: --- C. I thought Maricucci did a lousy job play calling against the Bears. Some of his decisions after penalities were mind boggling. Given the choice of 1st and 10 or 2nd and 7, Mooch decided to take 2nd and 7. Mooch also declined a penalty that would of backed the Bears up that just left me shaking my head. The play calling was at times way too predictable. How many times have we seen run, run, incomplete pass and punt. Sorry Mooch, please mix it up a little more. Still, having the team ready to go in the road opener facing the longest road losing streak in NFL history deserves some props.
Overall: --- A+. During the 24 game road losing streak the Lions were in a few games that they blew in the final minute. Not against the Bears and with a 1-0 record heading home to play Houston, it looks very possible to see the honolulu blue and silver start off the year 2-0. Still, lets not get too excited as the Bears are definitely one of the worst teams in the NFL and the Houston Texans are only in their third year of existance. But, the schedule maker did the Lions a great favor and it would be the best being 2-0 heading to play the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the best teams in the NFL.
For the first time that I can ever remember, I will be missing the Lions home opener since I will be at the Ryder Cup. It makes no sense how the NFL could schedule the Lions home opener the same day as the most prestigious golf tournament in the world.
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