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2024 Chicago Bears–Detroit Lions Thanksgiving game
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The 2024 Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions Thanksgiving game was a National Football League (NFL) game played at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, on November 28, 2024, as part of the 2024 NFL season. The game saw the Detroit Lions secure a 23-20 victory over the Chicago Bears. The game was considered especially notable for the Bears' final drive that culminated in what was described by several media outlets, NFL figures, and sports fans as among the worst examples of clock management in league history. The game also marked one of four one-score last-moment losses by the Bears in the season, decided by a total of just ten points. These included the Madhouse in Maryland and losses to all three NFC North division rivals despite rookie quarterback Caleb Williams' performances allowing them the chance to win, with many deeming the Thanksgiving loss as the worst. The loss proved very consequential for Chicago, leading to the unprecedented mid-season dismissal of head coach Matt Eberflus the following day, the first such firing in the Bears' 105-year history. The game was also widely regarded as historic for improving Detroit's record to 11-1, marking their best start in franchise history while simultaneously ending their seven-game Thanksgiving losing streak. The win also tied a franchise record for consecutive victories, matching the ten-game winning streak of the 1934 Lions team, their first season in Detroit. Background Chicago Bears The prior month of the Chicago Bears was marked by a series of particularly difficult one-score losses, despite starting the season at 4-2. The Bears experienced three defeats decided on final plays, beginning with an October 27 loss to Washington on a last-second Hail Mary completion. The Bears lost two consecutive games against NFC North divisional rivals, including a blocked potential game-winning field goal against the Green Bay Packers, and a miraculous comeback to force overtime only to lose off of a sack and game-winning field goal by the Minnesota Vikings. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus had been cited by sports journalists and many Bears fans as one of, if not the primary source for the Bears' struggles. His tenure up to the game included a franchise-record 14-game losing streak spanning the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Despite showing improvement toward the end of the 2023 season and securing quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in 2024, the team's development did not meet expectations, falling to 4-7 prior to the game. The Lions honored the late John Madden with commemorative jersey patches, and the contest drew celebrity attendees including rapper Eminem, actor Tim Allen, and Olympic gymnast Simone Biles. Injured Lions Pro Bowl edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson observed the game from a suite. Saxophonist Mike Phillips played an instrumental version of the national anthem before the game, which was highly regarded among NFL fans. Game summary First half Detroit established control of the game in the first half with a 16-0 lead, though their red zone efficiency presented concerns. Despite multiple opportunities, the Lions were forced to settle for three field goals and recorded one red zone turnover. Chicago's offense struggled significantly, managing only 53 total yards and possessing the ball for just over seven minutes in the opening half. The Lions' defense proved particularly effective, preventing Chicago from recording a single first down without penalty assistance during the first half. The Detroit Lions initiated the scoring with an opening drive that concluded at 7:06 in the first quarter. Placekicker Jake Bates successfully converted a 30-yard field goal, completing a 15-play, 58-yard drive that consumed 7:54 of game time. The drive featured effective ball control, with running back David Montgomery and quarterback Jared Goff orchestrating several key plays. The Bears' offense struggled to establish rhythm in the beginning, with an early drive disrupted by a backfield tackle from defensive end Josh Paschal and complicated by an injury to DJ Moore following a deep pass attempt. Detroit expanded their lead later in the quarter through a 90-yard drive requiring 10 plays and consuming 5:33 of game clock. The sequence culminated in a 3-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to tight end Sam LaPorta at 14:55 of the second quarter, with Bates adding the extra point. The Lions continued their scoring momentum with two additional field goals in the second quarter. Jake Bates successfully converted a 36-yard attempt at 7:15, concluding an 11-play, 56-yard drive that took 5:26 off the clock. Bates later added a 48-yard field goal at 3:11, completing a 9-play, 39-yard drive that consumed 3:02 of game time. Second half Chicago finally broke through at 9:47 in the third quarter when quarterback Caleb Williams connected with wide receiver Keenan Allen on a 31-yard touchdown pass. Chicago kicker Cairo Santos successfully converted the extra point, finishing a 9-play, 74-yard drive that required 5:13 of game time. The Lions responded with a 78-yard scoring drive. The sequence concluded with Jared Goff finding Sam LaPorta for their second touchdown connection of the day, this time from 1 yard out at 2:43. Bates' successful extra point extended Detroit's lead to 23-7. This crucial drive consumed 7:04 of game clock over 11 plays. After Williams' costly sack on second down, Chicago faced a third-and-long situation from Detroit's 41-yard line with approximately 32 seconds remaining and one timeout available. In his post-game media conference, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus explained the rationale behind his decision-making process. He indicated the original strategy involved attempting to execute another play with approximately 18 seconds remaining, intending to advance into more favorable field goal position before utilizing the timeout. However, as the game clock reached 12 seconds, he elected to proceed with the play rather than stop the clock, claiming that the operational pace of the players on field fell short of the intended plan. Eberflus defended the final sequence of decisions, maintaining that the strategy was sound but the execution fell short. Questions regarding Eberflus' job security intensified following the loss. While maintaining that operations remained "normal," he disclosed meetings with general manager Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren, with additional discussions scheduled. When questioned about his status for the upcoming San Francisco game, Eberflus expressed confidence in his continued role while acknowledging ongoing organizational discussions. Several news articles and reporters noted that the response from Bears players following the game suggested deep distrust with team leadership. Veteran receiver Keenan Allen's post-game comment that the players "did enough to win the game" suggested friction between the locker room and coaching staff. Former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt highlighted this dynamic as particularly troubling, emphasizing that while coaches can survive losses, losing locker room support typically proves terminal for coaching tenure. His 5-17 record in one-score games ranked last among 221 NFL coaches who had managed 20 or more such contests, with a .227 winning percentage. Cited mistakes included defensive alignment decisions that enabled a Washington Commanders Hail Mary victory, conservative play-calling preceding a blocked field goal attempt against Green Bay, and the earlier timeout management in the Thanksgiving Day loss to Detroit. Former defensive lineman J.J. Watt, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, and sports writer Russell Dorsey each independently characterized the botched time management during the final drive as "coaching malpractice". NFL Network personality Kyle Brandt contextualized the loss within the Bears' broader pattern of devastating defeats in 2024, and described the 2024 Chicago Bears season on Twitter/X as "You can’t imagine it gets more brutal. And then it does. And then it does 3 more times," and compared the season to "watching a SAW movie." Particular ire and confusion was directed at Matt Eberflus for his role in the mismanagement, with several figures such as former safety Ryan Clark, Dan Wiederer, Rich Hofmann, Nick Wright, and Stephen A. Smith calling for his firing from the organization. Chicago Bears sports writer for the Chicago Sun-Times Jason Lieser defended Caleb William's clock mismanagement while organizing what would end up as the game's final play, and called Eberflus' implicit shifting of blame to Williams "inexcusable". Former head coach Bill Cowher described Eberflus as having "just froze" as the time ran out. Sports media personality Colin Cowherd sarcastically stated that the game had forced him to eliminate Eberflus from his "coach of the year consideration". Former quarterback and sports analyst Robert Griffin III called Eberflus's remaining final timeout at the end of the game "a Thanksgiving mistake he may never recover from". Broadcast reactions In the post-game show, CBS analyst and former quarterback Matt Ryan stated: Hall of Fame and Super Bowl winning former head coach Jimmy Johnson stated during the halftime show of the afternoon New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game that he had never seen such dysfunction "in 70 years of coaching at all three levels" to the point where a team would cost themselves a chance to win, and condemned Eberflus's refusal to call a timeout as soon as the intended plan became complicated. See Also
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