Jake Bates drilled a 42-yard field goal as the clock hit zero, giving Detroit a 19-16 win over Chicago at Soldier Field on January 4, 2026. The Lions squandered a 16-0 fourth-quarter advantage before Jared Goff engineered the decisive 10-play drive, capped by Bates’ walk-off kick.
Caleb Williams broke the Bears’ franchise single-season passing record with 3,942 yards, surpassing Erik Kramer’s 1995 mark of 3,838. The second-year quarterback threw two fourth-quarter touchdowns to erase the deficit, but Chicago’s final possession stalled, giving Detroit one last chance. Despite the loss, the Bears secured the NFC’s second seed after Washington defeated Philadelphia.
Table of Contents
Game Information
Final Score: Detroit Lions 19, Chicago Bears 16
Quarter
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Final
Lions
3
10
3
3
19
Bears
0
0
0
16
16
Date: January 4, 2026 Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL Attendance: 57,036
Passing Statistics
Lions Passing
Player
C/ATT
YDS
TD
INT
SACKS
RTG
Jared Goff
27/42
331
1
1
2-15
86.5
David Montgomery
0/0
0
0
0
1-5
0.0
Bears Passing
Player
C/ATT
YDS
TD
INT
SACKS
RTG
Caleb Williams
20/33
212
2
1
1-7
86.9
Rushing Statistics
Lions Rushing
Player
CAR
YDS
AVG
LONG
TD
Jahmyr Gibbs
19
80
4.2
14
0
David Montgomery
8
42
5.3
9
0
Team
27
122
4.5
14
0
Bears Rushing
Player
CAR
YDS
AVG
LONG
TD
D’Andre Swift
10
40
4.0
10
0
Kyle Monangai
6
14
2.3
6
0
Luther Burden III
1
10
10.0
10
0
Caleb Williams
1
1
1.0
1
0
Team
18
65
3.6
10
0
Receiving Statistics
Lions Receiving
Player
REC
YDS
AVG
LONG
TD
TGTS
Amon-Ra St. Brown
11
139
12.6
30
0
15
Jameson Williams
6
74
12.3
23
0
8
Kalif Raymond
3
52
17.3
24
0
3
Jahmyr Gibbs
3
33
11.0
15
1
5
Isaac TeSlaa
1
18
18.0
18
0
1
David Montgomery
1
13
13.0
13
0
1
Anthony Firkser
2
2
1.0
6
0
3
Bears Receiving
Player
REC
YDS
AVG
LONG
TD
TGTS
Colston Loveland
10
91
9.1
27
1
13
Jahdae Walker
2
36
18.0
25
1
3
Luther Burden III
3
35
11.7
13
0
4
Cole Kmet
2
16
8.0
19
0
3
Kyle Monangai
1
15
15.0
15
0
1
DJ Moore
1
11
11.0
11
0
3
D’Andre Swift
1
8
8.0
8
0
2
Defensive Statistics
Lions Defense
Player
Total
Solo
Sacks
TFL
PD
QB Hits
Jack Campbell
11
4
0.0
0
1
0
Daniel Thomas
7
2
0.0
0
0
0
Aidan Hutchinson
6
4
1.0
1
0
2
Malcolm Rodriguez
4
4
0.0
1
0
0
Avonte Maddox
4
3
0.0
0
1
0
Rock Ya-Sin
4
2
0.0
0
1
2
Derrick Barnes
3
3
0.0
0
1
0
Bears Defense
Player
Total
Solo
Sacks
TFL
PD
QB Hits
Tremaine Edmunds
8
7
0.0
0
0
0
Jaquan Brisker
8
5
0.0
0
2
0
Kevin Byard III
8
2
0.0
0
1
0
C.J. Gardner-Johnson
6
5
0.0
0
0
0
Nahshon Wright
6
5
0.0
0
0
0
Jaylon Johnson
5
5
0.0
0
0
0
Andrew Billings
4
3
1.0
1
0
2
Gervon Dexter Sr.
4
2
1.0
1
0
3
T.J. Edwards
4
2
0.0
0
1
0
Montez Sweat
4
2
0.5
0
0
2
Grady Jarrett
3
2
0.5
0
1
1
Turnovers
Interceptions
Team
Player
INT
Return Yards
Lions
Avonte Maddox
1
0
Bears
Kevin Byard III
1
21
Fumbles
Team
Player
Fumbles
Lost
Bears
Caleb Williams
1
0
Special Teams
Kicking
Team
Player
FG Made/Att
Long
XP Made/Att
Points
Lions
Jake Bates
4/5
42
1/1
13
Punting
Team
Player
Punts
Yards
Average
Inside 20
Long
Lions
Jack Fox
2
93
46.5
1
59
Bears
Tory Taylor
4
178
44.5
0
54
Returns
Kick Returns
Team
Player
Returns
Yards
Average
Long
Lions
Tom Kennedy
2
40
20.0
23
Bears
Devin Duvernay
3
76
25.3
27
Bears
Josh Blackwell
1
30
30.0
30
Punt Returns
Team
Player
Returns
Yards
Average
Long
Lions
Kalif Raymond
3
33
11.0
14
Bears
Devin Duvernay
1
15
15.0
15
Team Comparison
Category
Lions
Bears
First Downs
26
16
Total Yards
433
270
Passing Yards
311
205
Rushing Yards
122
65
Yards Per Play
6.0
5.2
3rd Down Conversions
6-13
4-11
4th Down Conversions
0-0
1-2
Red Zone Efficiency
1-4
1-1
Penalties
6-35
4-25
Turnovers
1
1
Possession Time
35:45
24:15
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
3-0 Lions – Jake Bates 34-yard FG (8:35)
Second Quarter
6-0 Lions – Jake Bates 30-yard FG (11:28)
13-0 Lions – Jahmyr Gibbs 15-yard pass from Jared Goff, Bates XP (4:40)
16-16 Tie – Colston Loveland 1-yard pass from Caleb Williams, Cole Kmet 2-pt reception (9:17)
19-16 Lions – Jake Bates 42-yard FG (0:00)
Detroit finished 9-8 in Dan Campbell’s disappointing season, missing the playoffs after entering with championship aspirations. The victory marked the franchise’s fourth consecutive winning season, the first such streak since 1969-72. Chicago stumbled into the postseason with consecutive losses but claimed the NFC North title and will host Green Bay in the wild-card round. Williams’ record-breaking campaign gives the Bears their first franchise quarterback capable of reaching 4,000 yards, though that milestone remains unfulfilled as Chicago enters its first playoff appearance since 2020.
Cornelia Lindqvist is a Swedish-American sports journalist with 4 years of experience covering professional athletics. She previously worked at Sports Illustrated before joining Newzire. Cornelia reports on the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, international football, and cricket, covering game results, roster moves, trade deals, playoff standings, and player statistics. Her sports analysis background helps readers understand the strategies and numbers behind wins and losses.
