Rookie D’Andre Swift dropped a potential game-winning touchdown, as the Detroit Lions lose 27-23 to the Chicago Bears in their season opener.
With an unprecedented offseason in the rearview mirror, the Detroit Lions finally took the field to kick off the 2020 NFL season. Still, closing out opponents remains a painful threshold that they just can’t seem to cross.
Lions rookie running back D’Andre Swift dropped a sure touchdown toss in the final seconds that would’ve put his team ahead, and the Chicago Bears erased a 17-point second-half deficit in a 27-23 win on Sunday at Ford Field.
The Lions have lost five straight to their divisional rivals and still can’t shake the lead-holding woes that cost them several wins in 2019.
After a missed 55-yard field goal attempt by Lions kicker Matt Prater late in the fourth quarter, Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky found tight end Javon Wims for a short touchdown pass to cut the lead to 23-20 with under three minutes to go.
Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was picked off by cornerback Kyle Fuller on the next drive, which led to a 27-yard touchdown reception by Bears wideout Anthony Miller with just two minutes remaining.
Stafford, in his first game since November 3rd of 2019, led the Lions into the red zone in the waning moments, but his pass to a wide-open Swift was bobbled and dropped in the endzone, and his next pass fell incomplete as time expired.
Stafford finished 24/42 for 297 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Each squad scuffled inside the 20-yard line to open the game until the Lions scored their first touchdown of the year on a 1-yard rush by Swift just before halftime. They took a 13-6 lead into the break.
The Bears finally got in the endzone early in the fourth quarter with a 2-yard touchdown grab by tight end Jimmy Graham, cutting the lead to 23-13.
In his first game as a Lion, tailback Adrian Peterson collected 114 total yards, including 93 on the ground.
Trubisky threw for 242 yards and three scores for Chicago.
As with most NFL stadiums, no fans were in attendance due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, virtual fans were installed in the Ford Field stands.
In a bizarre second-quarter incident, Lions linebacker Jamie Collins inadvertently headbutted referee Alex Kemp while trying to show him what happened on the previous play. Collins was immediately disqualified from the game for making contact with an official.
Cornerbacks Justin Coleman and Desmond Trufant both left the game with leg injuries for Detroit and did not return.
The Detroit Lions hit the road for the first time next Sunday, September 20th, when they face the Green Bay Packers at 1:00 p.m. EDT.