The Detroit Lions improved to 11-1 after a thrilling 23-20 Thanksgiving victory over the Chicago Bears.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 21 of 34 passes for 221 yards, throwing two touchdowns without an interception.
For the Bears, a late-game clock management misstep proved costly. With just 32 seconds left in regulation, their offense struggled to recognize the urgency. Quarterback Caleb Williams tried to rally his teammates, but precious seconds ticked away. By the time the ball was snapped, only a few seconds remained. A long downfield pass ran out the clock, ending the game.
Jared Goff Reflects on Lions’ Thanksgiving Win
Speaking to CBS after the game, Goff shared his thoughts on the victory, which marked his first Thanksgiving win as a Lion.
“It was awesome,” he said.
Goff called the win significant for the team, adding, “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.”
In a postgame press conference, Goff commented on the chaotic game conclusion:
“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 also praised Caleb Williams’ performance:
“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 traditional Thanksgiving food served after the game, 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.”
Dan Campbell Praises Sam LaPorta
Lions head coach Dan Campbell was all smiles after the game and had high praise for second-year tight end Sam LaPorta. Despite battling injuries throughout the season, LaPorta has been a reliable asset when healthy.
Against the Bears, he caught three passes for six yards, including two critical 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, but you forget all he does for us.”
Bears’ Matt Eberflus Explains Clock Management
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus addressed the controversial clock management at the end of the game during his postgame press conference.
“Our hope was, because it was third going into fourth, that we would re-rack that play at 18 seconds,” Eberflus explained. “Throw it in-bounds, get it into field-goal range and call timeout. That was our decision-making process on that.”
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