DETROIT – Running back David Montgomery shined while seeking revenge against his former team down the stretch of the game as he helped his Detroit Lions stun the Chicago Bears 31-26 to improve to 8-2 on the season.
The Lions offense struggled early and often on Sunday (Nov. 19) inside Ford Field, but Montgomery kept chugging along until the game started waning.
Recommended Videos
Montgomery, who toted the rock 12 times for 76 yards, understood the assignment as the Lions trailed Chicago by 12 with four minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
He got one carry for four yards during the second-to-last drive until Jared Goff, who was jeered by the home fans, hit wide receiver Jameson Williams down the sideline for a 32-yard touchdown to bring Detroit to within five points.
The Lions defense on the next drive forced Justin Fields and the Bears offense to gain one yard on three plays in just 15 seconds, waking the crowd and the rejuvenated high-powered offense who had the chance to milk the clock and win the game.
On the final drive, Montgomery caught two passes for 22 yards while also scoring the game-winning touchdown to put his former team away.
“I know this game meant a little extra to him, and he showed up,” said Goff. “Getting that touchdown at the end was kind of poetic, but he played well all day. If we could’ve sustained drives a little more, then I think it could’ve been a big day for him, but he did a good job.”
The rushing score was Montgomery’s eighth through seven games, marking the most through a player’s first seven games in franchise history.
“It was Ja (Jahmyr Gibbs) who gave me the ability to go in and gave me the confidence to score, but I couldn’t do it without my offensive line as it was really an opened hole, and it’s been like that since I’ve been here and I appreciate those guys for that,” said Montgomery. “I knew It had to happen as we were able to come down with a touchdown, and we were able to get the win, too.”
Montgomery spent four years with the Bears before signing last offseason with the Lions on a three-year $18 million deal.
The 26-year-old said he thought signing with Detroit would lead to more wins as the Bears went 3-14 in 2022. But now that he has helped his team to have the second-best record in the NFC, he’s hungry for more.
“It feels good to be 8-2, but we’re not satisfied,” Montgomery said. “We didn’t play the best today as we got lucky with that one. We want to go 9-2, and we’re going to figure out what to do to get better.”
Detroit has started 8-2 for the first time since 1962. The victory was also their seventh consecutive divisional win, which hasn’t been done since the NFL and the AFL merger in 1970.
The Lions will look to keep the good times rolling as they’ll play host to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving at 12:30 p.m.
