The franchises first met in 1930 when the Lions were known as the Portsmouth Spartans and based in Portsmouth, Ohio. They moved to Detroit for the 1934 season. The Bears and Lions have been rivals within their division since 1933, facing each other twice each season since the inception of the Lions franchise, except the 1987 season. The two teams play in the two largest metropolitan areas in the Midwest. Chicago and Detroit's home stadiums, Soldier Field and Ford Field, are 280 miles apart and both are easily accessible from I-94. This rivalry is the longest-running annual series in the NFL as both teams have met at least once a season since 1930.[2][a]
The Bears dominated the rivalry in the early days from the 1930s to the 1950s, when they were a perennial powerhouse team under head coach George "Papa Bear" Halas. Through the 1965 season, the final season before the first Super Bowl was played, Chicago was 47–22–4 against Detroit. However, the series has been far more even since then, with Chicago going 58–57–1 since then. This is despite the Bears have been far more successful than the Lions since that season, reaching the NFC Divisional Playoffs twelve times (winning five of those playoff games, two NFC titles, and a Super Bowl). In comparison, the Lions have only reached the Divisional Playoffs four times, winning two of those games, and have not won an NFC title.
The Bears lead the overall series, 105–79–5. The two teams have not met in the playoffs.[1] The 1932 NFL Playoff Game, despite its name, is included in the final standings of the regular season.[3]
The 1932 regular season ended with the Spartans (6–1–4) and Bears (6–1–6) tied atop the NFL standings (at the time, ties were not considered in a team's win percentage). There were no playoffs at the time and the champion was simply the team with the better win percentage with head-to-head results serving as the only tiebreaker. As both teams had the same record and they tied both of their meetings during the season, the NFL staged its first ever playoff game. The teams were set to meet at Wrigley Field, but the game was instead moved to the indoor Chicago Stadium due to severe weather, and modified rules were used because the stadium was smaller than regulation size. The Bears won the game, 9–0, to claim the NFL title. The championship game proved to be popular, so the league split into two divisions beginning in 1933 and staged a championship game between the two division winners at the end of the season. To date, this is the two teams' only playoff meeting (although the game officially counted in the regular season standings).
The Lions, having just moved to Detroit, decided to schedule an annual game on Thanksgiving in an attempt to draw fans. This idea proved to work as the game was played in front of a sellout crowd. The Bears entered the game with a perfect 11–0 record, while the Lions were 10–1. The Lions built a 16–7 lead at halftime, but the Bears would score 12 unanswered points in the second half to come away with the 19–16 to clinch the NFL Western Division title. The Bears and Lions have met a total of 20 times on Thanksgiving, all in Detroit, with the Bears holding a 11–9 record in the Thanksgiving meetings.
With the Western Division on the line at Wrigley Field, the Lions jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the 2nd quarter (Thanks to Bill Bowman's 18 yard reception from backup quarterback, Harry Gilmer), following Bobby Layne's game ending injury. Then, the Bears scored 14 unanswered points (Rick Casares' 68 yard and J.C. Caroline's 9 yard rushing touchdowns) to put themselves up 17-7. With Leon Hart's 1 yard touchdown, the Lions would cut that lead, to 3. This was the closest they would ever get, as the Bears would tack on three more touchdowns (Harlon Hill's 44 yard reception, Bobby Watkins's 7 yard rush, and Joe Fortunato's 27 yard interception return). Although the Lions responded with a touchdown of their own in the 4th quarter (Dorne Dibble's 9 yard reception), the hole was too big for them to climb out of, as the Bears clinched the title. They would go on to lose in the 1956 NFL Championship Game.
Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes collapsed on the field and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He remains the only player in NFL history to have died on the field.
The Bears come back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Bears running back Dave Williams returned the opening kickoff of overtime 95 yards for a touchdown as the Bears left Detroit with a stunning 23–17 win. At the time, it was the shortest overtime in NFL history.
The Bears beat the Lions 30-10 in the teams only meeting that year, as the game in Detroit was cancelled during the NFL players strike. To date, this is the only season in which the Lions and Bears have not met twice in a season. Highlights of this game were later shown during the Max Headroom signal hijacking that took place across the city of Chicago that night.
The Lions entered Week 17 needing one final win over a last-place Bears team to clinch a playoff spot. Despite building a 10–0 lead in the first quarter, the Lions found themselves trailing 20–17 in the fourth. The Lions tied the game at 20 with under two minutes to go, but the Bears' rookie kicker Paul Edinger secured the win for Chicago with a 54-yard field goal with two seconds left, all but eliminating the Lions from playoff contention. This proved to be a franchise-altering moment for Detroit, who hired Matt Millen in the offseason to rebuild the team.[4]
It was a defensive slugfest for the first three quarters, with the score 13-3 in favor of Chicago. However, starting with a Shaun McDonald touchdown pass for Detroit in the early moments of the fourth quarter, the Lions' offense caught fire, scoring an additional 27 points in the fourth quarter, while still allowing two Bears touchdowns, to stun the Bears 37-27. The fourth quarter saw an NFL-record 48-points scored.[5]
Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson appeared to catch a touchdown pass late in the game that would have given the Lions the lead, but it was controversially ruled to not be a catch after Johnson was ruled to not have completed the process of catching the ball. Johnson had the ball in both hands, got both feet down, rolled over on his backside and put his hand with the ball in it on the ground. The call was reviewed on the instant replay review, but the "no catch" ruling was upheld. The rule for what defines a catch was updated in 2015, with this play (along with other similar plays) being a large reason for the change.
In both teams' first game of the season, the Lions led the Bears 23–6 in the fourth quarter. The Bears rallied back scoring 21 unanswered points and took a 27–23 lead with 1:54 left in the game. The Lions, however, still had a chance to win. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford drove his team from their own 25 yard line all the way to the Bears' 16 yard line with 11 seconds left. The Lions attempted to go to the endzone but Stafford's pass was dropped in the endzone by Lions rookie running back D'Andre Swift which would've won the game for the Lions. On the next and last play of the game, Stafford's pass to the endzone was broken up by Bears rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson to seal the Bears' 27–23 come-from-behind victory.
The Bears were beating the Lions 26–14 with around 3 minutes left in the game when the Lions scored on a touchdown catch from Jameson Williams to cut the lead to 26–21. The Bears went three-and-out on their next possession that lasted only 15 seconds before they punted it back to the Lions. The Lions drove down the field from their own 27 yard line and would score a go-ahead touchdown with only 29 seconds left in the game on a 1-yard run by former Bears running back David Montgomery to take a one point lead. The Lions went for two points and succeeded to take a three point lead with 29 seconds left. The Bears started on their own 25 yard line with 29 seconds left and was hoping to get to field goal range and potentially tie the game. But on the first snap, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson sacked Bears quarterback Justin Fields that caused Fields to fumble before the ball was kicked out of the endzone by Bears tackle Darnell Wright for a safety and preserve the Lions comeback win 31–26.[6]
In this edition of the Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field, the Lions jumped out to a 23–7 lead and appeared to be cruising to victory. However, the Bears managed to cut the lead to 23–20 and were driving in the fourth quarter to tie the game or even pull off the upset. That bid would fall short in the final minute of regulation when Chicago rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked and the Bears did not use their remaining timeout. With the clock running out, Williams threw a hail mary to the end zone which fell incomplete, preserving Detroit's first Thanksgiving win since 2016.[7] Meanwhile, it was the Bears' sixth consecutive loss, prompting management to fire Matt Eberflus the next day. It was the first time a head coach had been released during the season in franchise history.[8]
Season-by-season results
Chicago Bears vs. Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions Season-by-Season Results[1]
Portsmouth Spartans join the National Football League (NFL) as an expansion team. Spartans won their first meeting against the Bears to take their only overall series lead in the rivalry.
Both teams finished with 6 wins and 1 loss and split the season series, setting up a tiebreaker game. The 1932 NFL Playoff Game was moved indoors to Chicago Stadium due to bad weather and saw the Bears winning 9–0 to be named NFL Champions. Despite its name, the game was officially included in the final standings, leading to the Bears finishing with a 7–1–6 record and the Spartans finishing with a 6–2–4 record, behind the second-place Green Bay Packers. The success and popularity of the game led to future NFL playoff games.
Due to the popularity and success of the 1932 NFL Playoff Game, the league divided its teams into two divisions, with the Bears and Spartans placed in the NFL Western Division, becoming divisional rivals. Last season Spartans played as a Portsmouth-based team and under the name "Spartans". Bears win 1933 NFL Championship.
Lions move to Tiger Stadium. In Chicago, Bears record their largest victory against the Lions with a 49–point differential, score their most points in a game against the Lions, and set a franchise record for their largest victory overall (broken in 1943). Bears win 1941 NFL Championship.
As a result of expansion, the two eight-team divisions became two eight-team conferences split into two divisions, with the Bears and Lions placed in the NFL Central division.
In Detroit, Lions set a franchise record for their largest victory overall (broken in 1983) and record their largest victory against the Bears with a 42–point differential. Lions first season series sweep against the Bears since the 1953 season.
Game in Detroit was played on Thanksgiving, which ended with Bears' RB Dave Williams returning the opening kickoff in overtime 95 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
Lions open Ford Field. Due to renovations being made to Soldier Field, Bears' home game was played at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. In Chicago, Lions won the coin toss in overtime but chose to take the wind instead of opting for possession, resulting in the Bears scoring and winning and the Lions never getting possession back.
In Detroit, Bears led 13–3 at the end of the third quarter before both teams exploded for a combined 48 points in the fourth quarter, setting an NFL record for most points scored in the fourth quarter.
Bears record their 100th win in the rivalry, becoming the third team to record 100 wins over a single opponent. Meanwhile, the Lions became the first team to record 100 losses to two different opponents. Game in Detroit was played on Thanksgiving .
In Detroit, Bears overcame a 23–6 deficit in the fourth quarter. In Chicago, Lions overcame a 30–20 deficit with three minutes left. Road team splits the season series for the first time since the 2000 season.
Game in Detroit was played on Thanksgiving. Following their loss, Bears fire HC Matt Eberflus, becoming the first Bears' head coach to be fired mid-season.
