After Disaster, Lions Do Not Look Like Super Bowl Contender

National reaction to Detroit's loss to Chicago.

Here is a sample of the national reaction to the Detroit Lions' 28-13 loss to.the Chicago Bears in Week 14. 

ESPN

"Detroit has trailed at the end of the first quarter in three of its past four games. This time, the Lions couldn't overcome it, even after leading 13-10 at halftime. A victory would have given Detroit its first 10-win season since 2014. Instead, the loss served as another reminder that the road to a division title won't be easy if the Lions don't come out ready to go."

NFL.com

"Detroit stumbled out of the gate but regained traction in the second quarter to take a 13-10 halftime lead. Then, the Lions went into hibernation. Detroit went three-and-out on its first three second-half drives, fumbled a snap, turned the ball over on downs twice, and threw a pick. The Lions didn't earn their first first down of the second half until under nine minutes remaining in the game. Jared Goff missed a host of throws, threw two interceptions, and was generally ineffective on the road. With the big plays on the ground stymied in the second half, Goff couldn't puncture the Bears' secondary. He finished 20-of-35 passing for 161 yards, a TD, and two INTs, getting outplayed by his counterpart. Detroit can't succeed when the offense plays like it did at Soldier Field. The loss pushes Detroit to 9-4 with four games left, giving life to the Packers and Vikings in the division."

The Athletic

"That was a disaster of a game for the Lions. Their high-powered offense fell flat against the Bears, turning it over three times and twice more on downs. There was no offensive flow or rhythm, as the Lions didn’t score a point in the second half and totaled just 13 for the game. A reeling and shorthanded defense struggled to overcome turnovers and couldn’t always get off the field when it needed to. But if this is what we can come to expect from Detroit’s offense, the Lions are in trouble.

The Lions are not playing their best football in December. That much is clear at the moment. They’ve lost two out of three, and it would’ve been three out of four if not for a miraculous comeback against these same Bears last month. They weren’t as lucky this afternoon. This effort is not good enough. Not for the playoffs, and not for the regular season either, apparently."

Jared Goff Is Big Part of Lions' Struggles

Bleacher Report

"The Lions will likely make the playoffs, but they're not a team that will make a deep postseason run. Since their Week 9 bye, they've gone into a bit of a funk.

Over the past month, the Lions defense has deteriorated, allowing sub-.500 teams to keep the score close or pull off upsets. In its last three outings, Detroit has lost 29-22 to the Green Bay Packers at home, nearly squandered a 21-point first-quarter lead to the New Orleans Saints and lost 28-13 to the Chicago Bears.

At 9-4, the Lions aren't even a lock to win the NFC North with games against the Minnesota Vikings (two), Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys left on the schedule."

CBS Sports

"For the second time in three weeks, the Lions got beat up for three quarters by the Bears, but this time, there was no magical fourth quarter comeback. For the Lions, this game fell apart during a third quarter where they couldn't get out of their own way. Not only did they total just 21 yards in the quarter, but Jared Goff lost a fumble on a snap that set Chicago up with the ball on Detroit's 29-yard line. The Bears ended up scoring five plays later, and from there, it was all but over. Goff's turnovers are starting to become a problem while the defense is losing some of its bite. This marked the fifth straight game that the Lions defense has surrendered at least 330 yards. This team has now lost two of its past three games and they're no longer looking like a serious Super Bowl contender."