The Detroit Lions hadn’t won a Thanksgiving game since 2016. Lions fans unexpectedly had to work up a sweat to break this streak.

They have the Chicago Bears game management fiasco to thank.

The Bears, who still had a timeout, let the clock run down to the final seconds after a sack and were trailing by three points. It went too far downfield and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw an incomplete throw on the final play.

In the end the Lions won 23:20. A questionable defensive pass interference penalty downfield on a fourth-and-14 desperation pass gave the Bears a first down well within field goal range. But the drive stalled and then the Bears mismanaged the clock like you’ll see in the NFL.

It’s hard to be sharp about every single half of an NFL season, and the Lions have been very good for most of this season. The Lions’ second half wasn’t impressive, but at least they didn’t suffer another Thanksgiving loss. After their dominance in the first half, that would have been a bitter disappointment. As it stands, another win and an 11-1 record are fine as they’re in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

It’s going to be a long week for Chicago head coach Matt Eberflus, who is in the hottest seat possible after the Bears botched the end of the game.

The Lions dominate the first half

The Bears have played better in recent weeks. They defeated the Green Bay Packers with a blocked field goal and took the Minnesota Vikings to overtime. The Bears came into the game 4-7 but had not been inept lately.

The Lions made the Bears look like a college team in the first half.

In the first quarter, the Lions outscored the Bears 214-11 and had 15 first downs (a ridiculous number in a football quarter) to zero for the Bears. Detroit scored on the first play of the second quarter with a touchdown pass from Jared Goff to tight end Sam LaPorta to take a 10-0 lead.

The Lions offense has been fantastic all season and the defense has made great strides to match. The Bears’ first three possessions all ended in threes. They only managed a first down with 51 seconds left in the first half. The Bears have had some terrible offensive games this season, but Thursday’s first half seemed more about the Lions’ defense dominating them. The Bears had 53 yards rushing in the first half. The Lions had 279. It seemed like Detroit was going to overwhelm them.

But give the bears credit. In the second half the game was significantly different.

The Bears stay in the game

The Lions were clearly dominant in the first half, but some trouble in the red zone and a fumble by Jahmyr Gibbs deep in Bears territory left Chicago with a manageable 16-0 halftime score. Just after halftime, Caleb Williams hit Keenan Allen for a touchdown and the Bears cut their deficit to 16-7. The Lions came right back. Aided by a questionable horse-collar penalty on a third-down stop, the Lions went offside and LaPorta got his second touchdown.

But the Bears continued to persevere. Williams calmed down and made plays. The Lions didn’t move up and down the field easily, and a missed field goal by Detroit in the fourth quarter kept the door open for a comeback. Williams had a nice pass to DJ Moore for a 31-yard touchdown with 5:36 left, and despite a miserable first half, the Bears were within three points.

The Bears forced a punt, but Detroit had good coverage and hit it at the 1-yard line. Williams kept the Bears’ hopes alive with a 25-yard pass to Moore on third down. Chicago moved it to midfield after the two-minute warning. A sack set back the Bears’ drive and they faced a fourth-and-4 just outside field goal range at the Detroit 44-yard line. There was an offensive pass interference call that negated a Moore catch for a first down, and then Williams threw it deep on fourth-and-14. Lions cornerback Kindle Vildor scuffled with Moore and officials called the penalty. That kept the bears alive.

After that, the drive stalled, with a sack and a penalty pushing Chicago back. Williams was sacked with 30 seconds left and it took too long for him to make the play. Williams looked like a rookie trying to organize the team. The snap came with about six seconds left and he held it too long before throwing it downfield.

It was a win for the Lions. It felt more like the Bears blew it in the end.