After struggling to a 2-3 start to the season, this Chicago Bears team didn't seem like a group that was capable of repeating the success they had last season. However, the Bears have solved some of the problems that plagued them early in the season, and after a 37-13 victory over the Detroit Lions, have now won four consecutive games. The victory also pulls the Bears into a tie for second place in the NFC North with the Lions.
While a brawl that broke out in the fourth quarter will steal most of the headlines from this game, the reality is that the Bears used a stifling defensive performance to stroll to a fairly easy victory. After jumping out to an early 10-0 lead courtesy of a TD from Matt Forte and a FG from Robbie Gould, the Bears defense began to assert its dominance. Despite two drives deep into Chicago territory, the defense limited the Lions to just two field goals. With the defense keeping the Lions out of the endzone, the Bears held a comfortable halftime lead after a punt return TD by Devin Hester.
This competitive game turned into a blowout early in the third quarter, when both Charles Tillman and Major Wright returned interceptions for TD's. The Bears defense harassed Matthew Stafford throughout the game, forcing him into four interceptions and numerous poor throws.
The game turned chippy in the fourth quarter following a personal foul penalty on Nick Fairley for a late hit on Jay Cutler. However, it was a scuffle between DJ Moore and Stafford that led to a brawl. During an interception return by Tim Jennings, Stafford grabbed Moore by his helmet and threw him to the ground. Moore retaliated with a huge hit on Stafford, which led to a melee involving both teams. Moore was ejected for his hit, while Stafford remained in the game.
Chicago begins a stretch of four consecutive games against the AFC West when it hosts San Diego on Sunday. Detroit will hope to bounce back from this loss when it hosts Carolina on Sunday.
Be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron, SB Nation's Chicago Bears blog, as well as Pride of Detroit, SB Nation's Detroit Lions blog, for all the latest information from this key game.