DETROIT—This one was no easier than the season opener.Detroit led most of the way,but the Bears were able to hang in and get a fourth quarter seven yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler to Brandon Manumaleuna with 8:46 remaining and they escapes Ford Field with a 24-20 win over the Lions.The Bears started this final five game stretch with three road Division games sandwiched around two home contests against the top two AFC East clubs. The Bears won the coin toss but deferred and Detroit chose to receive the opening kickoff which Robbie Gould kicked to Stefan Logan who downed it five yards deep in the end zone for a touch back.A quick false start on Rob Simms moved the ball back to the 15.Jahvid Best was stopped for a yard gain by Lance Briggs.Drew Stanton,the Lions third string QB out of Michigan State gave the Bears defense early problems. He found Stephen Pettigrew on a screen pass for 14 and a first down.Two running plays left the Lions with a third and five at the 35.Stanton moved the chains with an 8 yard pass to Nate Burleson(who was wrong with prediction of a Lions win)at the Detroit 43.A five yard play was then called back due to a holding on Pettigrew making it first and 19.Mo Morris picked up 8 to the Lions 41.A Stanton pass intended for Calvin Johnson was knocked down by Peanut Tillman.Henry Melton was called for a neutral zone infraction,leaving it third and seven at the Detroit 46.After another incompletion that short hopped C.Johnson, Nick Harris punted top Devin Hester at his five and he returned it 7 yards to the 12.The Bears offense took the field for the first time with mediocre field position. Matt Forte went over the middle for three to the 15,then he was stuffed for no gain Julian Peterson.The Bears then got confused and had to burn a time out just 5:29 into the game.After that Jay Cutler was quickly sacked by Cliff Avril for an eight yard loss back to the 7 and Brad Maynard punted to Logan who returned it 19 yards to the Bears 38. Beast went around the left side for eight to the Bears 30.Next came pass that Burleson couldn’t handle.But on a broken play,Stanton escaped the pocket for six yards and a first down at the 24.After that, Stanton also did not like what he saw a took a time out.Stanton was then able to avoid the rush and hit Burleson for 15 yards to the Bears 9 and a first and goal.Morris broke through the line for 6 to the three.On second down, Stanton was forced from the pocket by Israel Idonije and threw it almost to Lansing.Stanton then caught the Bears defense flat footed and scrambled to the left,running into the end zone untouched to give Detroit first blood.Dave Rayner,filling in for injured Jason Hanson, kicked the PAT and it was 7-0 Lions with 6:36 left in the first period.Rayner kicked off to Daniel Manning who returned it 19 yards to his 24.Cutler hit Hester on a slant that worked for only one yard.Cutler,then under pressure,threw one into the ground.On third down,Cutler hit Earl Bennett who was able to stretch the ball forward for just enough yards for a first down at the 34.Forte on first down broke over right tackle for 17 and got to the Lions 49.Forte followed that up with five more after getting the hand off from Bennett who had taken the snap.The Bears then burned another time out.Chester Taylor took a pitch out around RE, and got six to the 38.Taylor went off left guard for two yards.Cutler went deep for Hester who was double covered in the end zone and it was off target.But on third down,Cutler hit an open Bennett for 14 at the 22. Forte crashed off right guard for two yards.Bennett then grabbed a quickie over the middle for 13 to the Lions 7. Forte got a yard to the six.A pass intended for Johnny Knox was incomplete, but pass interference gave the Bears a first and goal at the one, and Taylor rolled around left end without a hand being laid on him for the TD which tied the game with :03 left in the first quarter. Logan returned Gould’s kickoff from the end zone to the Detroit 29 as the period ended with a 7-7 tie. On first down Stanton hit Pettigrew for eight yards.Morris then broke two tackles for six and a first down at the Detroit 43.The Lions then pulled off an end around with Logan gaining 17 yards to the Bears 40.Morris then carried twice for a quick three,and then for just one yard.Stanton however found C.Johnson on a slant play for eight and a first down. Best went to the right and gained one yard.D.J.Moore then got Best for a one yard loss back to the 28. On third down, the Bears blitzed Stanton and he had to throw it away,and C.Johnson was called for offensive pass interference making it third and 20 at the Bears 38.After a six yard pass to Tony Scheffler, Rayner kicked a 50 yard field goal that had plenty to spare and with 9:31 remaining in the half, Detroit regained the lead 10-7. Rayner kicked off to Hester who only got to his own 17 before Bobby Carpenter tackled him.But the Bears were able to go 83 yards in eight plays. Taylor zig-zagged for six yards on first down to his 23.Cutler avoided a sack on second down,scrambled and tossed a shovel pass to Taylor for a first down at the thirty. Another pass to Taylor resulted in no gain.The Lions however had several jump off side to make it second and five.Cutler then found Taylor on the right flat and he picked up nine to the Bears 44 and moved the chains.Cutler,on a botched play threw in the direction of Devin Aromashodu but he never saw it and it fell incomplete.On a draw,Taylor broke two tackles and got to the Detroit 47.On third and one, Cutler hit Bennett in stride and he not only broke two tackles,but it took three Lions to bring him down after a 33 yard gain to the Detroit 14.Forte then busted around left end,and scored untouched,similar to the TD by Taylor and with 4:40 remaining in the half,the Bears took their first lead 14-7. Gould kicked it to Logan who got to the 19 as Zack Bown brought him down by the ankles.The Bears came on a blitz and Stanton beat it by hitting Best with a screen and he gained 32 yards to the Bears 49.Logan gained a yard after taking another pitch out. Stanton found Pettigrew for six to the Bears 42 and on third and three, Manning broke up a pass intended for Pettigrew. Harris punted out of bounds at the Bears 12. Cutler hit Knox who almost broke it,but still got twenty at his 32.Cutler,then under pressure hit Forte for sixteen to the Bears 48 at the two minute warning. On second and ten, Knox caught an eight yard pass at the Detroit 44,but Cutler’s third down pass was deflected to the ground by Ndamukong Suh. Maynard then punted the ball dead on the Lion nine yard line.But the Bears defense then had their worst stand of the season,allowing the Lions to go 91 yards in two plays.Best got the Lions in scoring range with a 45 yard run around the right side after breaking a tackle at the line.Stanton then hit Johnson who again broke tackles and got to the end zone with :34 left and put the Lions back in front 17-14. As one would expect,Lovie Smith had Cutler take a knee and Detroit took their 17-14 lead into the locker room.Manumaleuna for what would be the game winner.The Bears forced a Detroit punt from the 40 and the Lions never got the ball back.The Bears thus kept their one game lead over Green Bay in the NFC North.

The Lions took advantage of a sack of Cutler and his fumble which gave them the ball at the Bears nine to begin the third quarter,but the Bears held them to a 25 yard`Rayner field goal. That would be the last points that Detroit would score as they took a 20-14 lead.The Bears got those three points back when Gold kicked a career long 54 yard field goal and the Lions lead stood at 20-17 going into the fourth. It went back and fourth until the Bears came up with a stop at their own 40 by forcing Stanton to throw an incomplete pass on fourth down. The Bears then marched the needed 60 yards on just four plays with Cutler hitting Forte for twenty yards, and Bennett for twelve more.Cutler then scrambled for 8 and an unnecessary roughness penalty on Suh put the ball on the Lions seven,and Cutler hit

NOTES—Cutler was 21-26 for 234 yards, Forte rushed 13 times for 64 yards……Cutler was sacked four times, three times by Avril.

LES