After losing not only to the Buffalo Bills last week, but also three other starters to injury, the Detroit Lions are no longer the same team they were in Week 1. With over 20 players this season, the roster has changed dramatically. But even with that, the Lions were still 12-2 and in control of their fortunes entering Week 16. They were still in first place in the NFC but had no margin, meaning they will have to win or get help to become the top seed for the playoffs.

Compared to the Thanksgiving game a few weeks ago, the Lions defeated the Chicago Bears with relative ease. The Lions once again had a big lead over the Bears, and while Chicago made sure it was a close game, the Lions didn’t let them get too far back. Detroit held the Bears to just three points in the second half after allowing 14 points in the first and finished with a 34-17 victory. The win would be the Lions’ 13th, a franchise record for most wins in a season.

Check out my winners and losers in the win against the Bears

winner

Jameson Williams

With three games left in the regular season, wide receiver Jameson Williams was just over 250 yards away from reaching his season goal of 1,000 yards entering Week 16. Williams averaged just over 84 yards in the last three games. Against the Bears on Sunday, Williams nearly reached his one-catch goal for the week when he caught an 82-yard touchdown pass to give the Lions a 20-0 lead.

Williams did more later in the game, even catching and running on a reverse jet sweep play. Williams finished the game with five catches for 143 yards with the only touchdown and his only carry for 7 yards. Williams didn’t do much against the Bears on Thanksgiving, managing just 28 yards on five catches. This time Chicago had no answer for him.

Jahmyr Gibbs

Without starting running back David Montgomery, the workload would be shifted primarily to Jahmyr Gibbs. He had a few games last season where he was the primary running back and did an excellent job of taking advantage of the opportunity he was given. Against the Bears on Sunday, Gibbs was a key offensive point. Not only was he used on the ground, he was also a frequent throwing option for quarterback Jared Goff when no one else was open.

Gibbs showed his volatility whenever he had the ball. Whether he was spinning around defenders, giving them a jug, or simply using his speed to get away from them, he used all of his tricks. Gibbs had 23 carries for 109 yards with one touchdown and four catches for 45 yards.

With Montgomery potentially not returning until the divisional round of the playoffs, Gibbs will continue to be the workhorse backfield. A few other running back options, Jermar Jefferson, Craig Reynolds and Sione Vaki, provided him with relief. The Lions coaching staff knows they can’t just let him do all the heavy lifting, but like any good running back, it’s good to give them a break so they can continue to be great.

Jared Goff

The old talk that Goff can’t play in cold weather has been dead since last season, and Goff continues to prove the unbelievers wrong. Without Montgomery, Goff would get more throws to help Gibbs get a little rest. Goff didn’t have to play hard against the Bears, but he was asked to do more. Goff rose to the challenge and passed it with flying colors.

Goff had a few tough throws, but that was his only major problem. Goff finished the game 23-for-32 for 336 yards and three touchdowns and continues to play at a high level this season. He had a variety of throws, from dinking and dunking to running back safety valves to bombing deep to Williams, Goff did it all.

He even did some good acting work by pretending to fumble the football, which set up the pass to tight end Sam LaPorta. The play fooled the commentators and even myself when I laughed at how Goff can fail to hand off the football or take a play action and still find a way to succeed. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson deserves full credit for this play, but Goff (and Gibbs) executed it well.

Christian Mahogany

Detroit was without left defenseman Graham Glasgow on Sunday and was replaced by rookie defenseman Christian Mahogany. For the most part he was able to hold his own. He was able to help move bodies for the running game and protect Goff for the most part. He wasn’t flawless, as one of his pressure points forced Goff to rush and throw an incompletion, but that was the only problem I saw.

When the Lions drafted Mahogany, I hoped he would be a future starter at the position and a replacement for right guard Kevin Zeitler. Since Zeitler is on a one-year contract and is 34 years old, his future in the NFL is uncertain. He could certainly return to Detroit next season, or he could go somewhere else, or perhaps retire. It’s not known, but the Lions have a backup plan in Mahogany, and it’s a good one.

loser

Secondary

Without starting cornerback Carlton Davis III, the Lions cornerbacks were tested against the Bears trio of wide receivers. The team got safety Ifeatu Melifonwu back from IR, and he made his presence known early on a blitz. Although they had to force a fumble, it was one of the few highlights they had as a unit. Detroit’s defensive line came under pressure on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams but had trouble finishing (more on that in a minute), forcing the secondary to try to cover the assignment longer.

Even though the secondary wasn’t asked to cover their assignment for a long time, several players had difficulty covering. Safety Brian Branch and cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Amik Robertson had a tough time covering Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen, allowing nine catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. In total, the Lions allowed 334 yards and two touchdowns on 26 completions by Williams, with no interceptions. From here on out, the path gets harder, so they have to figure things out before it’s too late.

Defensive finish

In all four quarters, the Lions’ defensive line did a good job pressuring Williams as he dropped back to pass. Despite losing several starters on the defensive line, the pressure was there, but finishing with a sack was a big challenge. Williams was great at escaping any pressure he had and keeping games alive.

The Lions finally got to him in the fourth quarter when defensive lineman Al-Quadin Muhammad was the only defensive lineman to record a sack. The Bears have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL and allowed 58 sacks on Sunday. In that game, they lost two starters to the line and Detroit only got two sacks.