The Detroit Lions are 11-1 following a win over the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving, closing things out 23-20.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff finished 21-for-34 passing for 221 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
On the Bears’ side, a late-game clock management problem pretty much cost them the game. With 32 seconds left in regulation, the Bears’ offense didn’t seem to get that they needed to rush. Quarterback Caleb Williams started telling the players to get going quickly, but by the time the ball was snapped, just a few seconds were left on the clock, and time ran out during a long downfield pass. Game over.
Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff Comments on Crazy Win Over Chicago
Speaking on CBS directly after the win, Goff talked about what it was like winning his first game on Thanksgiving, especially after the insane game ending. He’s only been a Lion for a few years, so he’s still new to this whole playing on Thanksgiving thing.
“It was awesome,” he said.
Goff added that the game had “a crazy ending there, and we fought hard. We fought until the end and got it done. My first win on Thanksgiving. All of our first wins on Thanksgiving. It was big.”
When asked in a postgame conference about the wild game ending, Goff told reporters after the game, “It’s hard, man. The end of the game stuff, it’s hard, it’s real-time decisions both sides are making. It’s a lot of reps, a lot of time spent on situational stuff, and we came out on top today.”
He added a nice compliment for Williams, stating, “I thought Caleb played really well, and I’m sure we’ll have our battles for a long time, but he’s a good player and did a good job.”
When asked about the Thanksgiving food on the field, which the winner traditionally digs into, Goff said, “It was actually pretty good. The stuffing was good. We were having a good time. It’s awesome. It’s a memory I’ll have forever.”
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Dan Campbell Praises Sam LaPorta
Following the game, a very happy Dan Campbell had some kind words for second-year tight end Sam LaPorta. The Lions tight end has been dealing with injuries on and off this season, but he’s proved a reliable piece of the offense when he’s healthy.
Against the Bears, LaPorta caught three passes for six yards, and two of those were touchdowns.
“I feel like this is the healthiest he’s been in a while during the season,” Campbell said. “He’s in good shape.” He added, “I don’t want to say you take it for granted, you forget all he does for us.”
On the other side, Bears coach Matt Eberflus tried to explain in a postgame conference why the Bears didn’t use their timeout to stop the clock at the end of the game.
“Our hope was, because it was third going into fourth, that we would re-rack that play at 18 seconds,” he said. “Throw it in-bounds, get it into field-goal range and call timeout. That was our decision-making progress on that.”
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Lions’ Jared Goff Sends 3-Word Message After Insane Bears Finale