Three days after rallying to beat the Chiefs 18-17 in Kansas City, the Bears return to the practice field Wednesday to prepare for Sunday's road game against the Lions.
Quarterback Jay Cutler has passed for 2,669 yards with 17 touchdowns in 12 career games against the Lions.
The Bears (2-3) will look to record three straight victories for the first time since they won five consecutive games bridging the 2012 and 2013 seasons. It's the Bears' second of six games against NFC North opponents and first since their Week 1 loss to the Packers.
After an 0-3 start, the Bears have rallied to win back-to-back games in the final minute for the first time since 1962. They beat the Raiders 22-20 on Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal with :02 to play and erased a 17-6 deficit against the Chiefs as Jay Cutler threw two TD passes in the final 3:05.
The Lions (0-5) are the NFL's only winless team and have already matched their loss total from last season when they earned a wildcard berth with an 11-5 record in Jim Caldwell's first year as coach.
Last Sunday the Lions took a 7-0 lead against the Cardinals before allowing 35 unanswered points in a 42-17 loss at Ford Field. Detroit set an NFL record by attempting 70 passes. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was benched after throwing three interceptions, but he's expected to start against the Bears.
In 12 career games against the Lions, Cutler has passed for 2,669 yards with 17 touchdowns, seven interceptions and an 89.9 passer rating. In 14 contests, Kyle Long has rushed for 1,066 yards and six TDs and caught four touchdown passes—his most in all three categories versus any NFL opponent.
The Bears lead the all-time series 96-69-5 over the Lions, but they've lost four straight for the first time since they dropped five in a row from 1971-73. Detroit won the last meeting 20-14 last Dec. 21 at Soldier Field. Making his only start of the season, Jimmy Clausen threw two TD passes to stake the Bears to a 14-10 lead. But the Lions rallied with 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to sweep the season series for the first time since 2007.
After Week 5, the Bears rank 27th in offense (16th rushing and tied for 27th passing) and 4th in defense (24th against the run and 3rd versus the pass). The Lions rank 26th in offense (32nd rushing and 9th passing) and 22nd in defense (27th versus the run and 17th versus the pass).
ChicagoBears.com will provide all the latest news throughout the week from Halas Hall. Coach John Fox will address the media Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers will be available Wednesday, while Cutler and offensive coordinator Adam Gase will speak Thursday.
