CHICAGO – Aidan Hutchinson is a foundational player for the Detroit Lions as they try to break a long streak of losing football, but he made a very costly mistake during the loss to the Bears.
With the game tied and under 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Bears faced a 4th and 13 from Detroit’s 38-yard line.
Justin Fields and the offense tried to use a hard count to draw the Lions offside. At first, the Lions showed discipline, and it became clear to everyone in the stadium and beyond that Chicago wasn’t going to snap the ball.
But Fields gave the hard count one last try, and Hutchinson fell for it. He jumped across the line, which is exactly what the Bears wanted.
Fields took the snap -- it was a free play, after all -- and tossed an easy 38-yard touchdown pass to a wide open D.J. Moore. It looked like Jerry Jacobs got a late break -- probably because he didn’t expect the ball would be snapped.
That was the turning point in the game.
Detroit had fought hard to stay tied despite a dismal third-quarter performance. The offense had gone three-and-out on each of their first three drives of the half, but still, the defense found a way to keep the score tied.
Even when the Bears started back-to-back drives at midfield, the Lions got a pair of critical stops -- at least, they would have if not for that dreaded 4th and 13.
Instead of getting the ball back in a tied game heading into the fourth quarter, the Lions fell behind by six, and they never recovered. Jared Goff fumbled the second snap of the ensuing drive, and the Bears put the game away with another touchdown.
Just like that, a game the Lions led at halftime was over.
The Lions had an opportunity to move into a tie for the best record in the league, but instead, they saw their NFC North lead fall to two games over the Vikings. The Packers have a chance to claw within two games on Monday night.
It was a disappointing outcome, and one that might have been avoided if not for that critical mental mistake. The Lions need to bounce back against a tough remaining schedule, or that moment could be remembered for costing them much more than just one game.