Studs and duds from Bears' disappointing loss vs. Lions in Week 18

It took far too long for the Chicago Bears to be competitive in their Week 18 regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions, and it was not a game that will give any confidence to the team or the fanbase.

Chicago was down 16-0 entering the fourth quarter, but they put together two scoring drives to storm all the way back and tie the game. Detroit would get the ball late in the fourth quarter, throw an interception that Chicago was unable to capitalize on, and gave the Lions their momentum back.

Advertisement

In the end, Jake Bates kicked the game-winning field for Detroit, sweeping the season series against the Bears, and seeing Chicago end their regular season with an 11-6 record but ultimately claiming the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

In what was an emotional roller coaster of a game, especially in the fourth quarter, the Bears had more disappointing performances than positive ones, leaving much to be desired ahead of next week's wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. Here are the studs and duds from the Week 18 loss to the Lions.

Stud: QB Caleb Williams

Despite a very poor first half, Williams bounced back strong, especially in the fourth quarter, which has become his identity for this team. Williams threw a bad interception in the third quarter, going for a touchdown pass to D.J. Moore, that would ultimately give the ball back to Detroit. In the end, the second-year Bears quarterback finished the day 20-of-33, with 212 passing yards, two touchdowns, and 1 interception, setting a new franchise record for single-season passing yards in the losing effort.

Stud: TE Colston Loveland

The one and only consistent player on the offense in Week 18, Colston Loveland had himself a game against the Lions defense. Loveland ending the game with 10 receptions for 91 receiving yards, and one touchdown, the one that would give Chicago the tying score before ultimately coming up short. Over the pass month, Loveland has become one of the most productive and consistent players in the offense, and he ended the regular season on a high note.

Advertisement

Dud: C.J. Gardner-Johnson

For as much as CJ Gardner-Johnson was a revelation for the Bears defense when he came in to replace Kyler Gordon, he was the biggest liability for Chicago's defense in Week 18. Superstar wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best at his position in the league, and throughout the first half, he did whatever he wanted against the Gardner-Johnson and the Bears defense. Gardner-Johnson was exposed for his lack of success in man coverage, bringing a big reason for concern moving forward.

Dud: Jaylon Johnson

Simply put, Jaylon Johnson doesn't look completely healthy still. While he wasn't gashed on several big plays, he was consistently behind the play-making wide receiver or burned in the process while the Lions offense made a play. Johnson has not been the elite cover corner he has made himself to be throughout his career in Chicago, but he's also struggled with injuries all season which suggests he's still not where he should be health wise.

Dud: Andrew Billings

Physically, Andrew Billings is a force to be reckoned with for how he presents on the defensive line, but he committed multiple penalties in the game that were absolute back breakers for the Bears defense. Billings has not been on the field for a lot of crucial downs, but when given the opportunities on Sunday, he came up short when his defense absolutely had to have it.

Advertisement

Dud: Theo Benedet

It was a game-day surprise to see that rookie left tackle Ozzy Trapilo was ruled out for the game before kickoff, leaving backup Theo Benedet to start for the regular season finale. Although Caleb Williams was only sacked once in the game, the Lions defense repeatedly broke into the Chicago backfield and disrupted play after play, making it a brutal nightmare for the second-year left tackle.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Lions: Studs and duds from Chicago's disappointing loss