Jared Goff threw five touchdown passes — three to Amon Ra St. Brown — and the host Detroit Lions rolled past the Chicago Bears, 52-21, on Sunday.
Goff hit 23 of 28 passes and racked up 334 passing yards for a nearly perfect 156.0 quarterback rating as the Lions (1-1) spoiled the return of Bears head coach Ben Johnson, their former offensive coordinator. St. Brown caught nine passes for 115 yards while Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown. Jameson Williams caught two passes for 108 yards and a score.
Caleb Williams passed for 207 yards and two touchdowns for the Bears (0-2). Rome Odunze caught both of Williams’ scoring passes and finished with seven catches and 128 yards. Former Lion D’Andre Swift rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Detroit led 28-14 at halftime.
The Lions scored five plays into the contest on Gibbs’ 6-yard run. Chicago responded on its first drive with Williams’ 28-yard scoring pass to Odunze on 3rd-and-9.
Detroit took a 14-7 lead later in the quarter on David Montgomery’s 1-yard plunge. Goff’s 32-yard pass to St. Brown set up that score.
The Lions defense stopped Williams on a fourth-and-1 from the Bears’ 37-yard line early in the second. Detroit failed to pick up a first down and Jake Bates missed a 55-yard field goal attempt.
Following a Kerby Joseph interception, the Lions increased their lead to double digits. Goff found Brock Wright on an 8-yard scoring pass.
Williams connected with Odunze three times on Chicago’s ensuing drive, including a 6-yard touchdown.
Isaac TeSlaa’s one-handed catch — a 29-yard reception — set up Goff’s 4-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown with two seconds remaining in the half.
Goff’s 64-yard completion to Williams led to a 34-yard Bates field goal and 31-14 Lions lead. The Goff-Williams combination struck again on Detroit’s next possession, this time a 44-yard touchdown hookup with 6:22 left in the quarter.
The Lions opened the fourth quarter with Goff’s 8-yard scoring pass to St. Brown to make it 45-14.
Swift scored on a 3-yard run with 11:45 remaining. Facing a fourth-and-goal, the Lions opted to go for it and Goff connected with St. Brown once more on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 7:58 left to make it 52-21.
Not long later, Lions coach Dan Campbell and Johnson met in the middle of the field for a postgame handshake noteworthy for its brevity.
