Game story
In Week 15 of the 2017 NFL season on 2017-12-16, the Detroit Lions took care of business against the Chicago Bears, pulling away with a 20–10 final that built a comfortable lead.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 13 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
M. Trubisky (Chicago Bears) paced the passing game, with -4.64 total EPA, and -4.1% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, M. Wheaton (Chicago Bears) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +5.08 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+13.9% win probability) landed in the second quarter when Detroit Lions changed the game: (8:20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass deep right to 11-M.Jones to CHI 12 for 58 yards (39-E.Jackson).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Detroit Lions | 3 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 M. Wheaton · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +5.08 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.27 EPA/play
- 2 M. Jones · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +4.39 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.88 EPA/play
- 3 J. Bellamy · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +3.83 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.55 EPA/play
- 4 M. Stafford · Detroit Lions · Passing · +3.44 total EPA · 42 snaps · +0.08 EPA/play
- 5 T. Jones · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +2.17 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.72 EPA/play
- 6 E. Ebron · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +2.00 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.29 EPA/play
- 7 M. Trubisky · Chicago Bears · Rushing · +1.92 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.96 EPA/play
- 8 B. Cunningham · Chicago Bears · Receiving · +1.92 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.38 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
M. Wheaton — CHI · Receiving
M. Wheaton posted the highest total EPA (+5.08) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Chicago Bears's efficiency. Across 4 counted snaps, they averaged +1.27 EPA per play.
The signature play (-5.68 EPA) came from Chicago Bears: (13:37) (Shotgun) 10-M.Trubisky pass short middle intended for 17-D.Inman INTERCEPTED by 28-Q.Diggs at DET -9. Touchback.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Detroit Lions — T. Jones (M. Stafford pass)
- Detroit Lions — E. Ebron (M. Stafford pass)
- Chicago Bears — B. Cunningham (M. Trubisky pass)
Field goals
- Detroit Lions — M. Prater
- Detroit Lions — M. Prater
- Chicago Bears — M. Nugent
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 3–0. Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the CHI 30 (Q1 57:03) — (12:03) 5-M.Prater 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin..
The second quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 10–3. Detroit Lions connected on a field goal from the CHI 13 (Q2 45:00) — (15:00) 5-M.Prater 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin.; Detroit Lions found the end zone from the CHI 3 (Q2 36:15) — (6:15) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 13-T.Jones for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions added 1 points from the CHI 15 (Q2 36:10) — 5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin.; Chicago Bears connected on a field goal from the DET 23 (Q2 30:07) — (:07) (No Huddle) 1-M.Nugent 41 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-A.DePaola, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell..
The third quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 7–0. Detroit Lions found the end zone from the CHI 8 (Q3 24:54) — (9:54) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short middle to 85-E.Ebron for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions added 1 points from the CHI 15 (Q3 24:48) — 5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin..
The fourth quarter: Chicago Bears won the period 7–0. Chicago Bears found the end zone from the DET 9 (Q4 2:39) — (2:39) (Shotgun) 10-M.Trubisky pass short right to 30-B.Cunningham for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Chicago Bears added 1 points from the DET 15 (Q4 2:32) — 1-M.Nugent extra point is GOOD, Center-49-A.DePaola, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell. DET-26-D.Carey was injured during the play..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Detroit Lions (Q2 38:20) — (8:20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass deep right to 11-M.Jones to CHI 12 for 58 yards (39-E.Jackson).
- Detroit Lions (Q1 58:47) — (13:47) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short left to 85-E.Ebron pushed ob at CHI 37 for 19 yards (43-C.Prosinski). CHI-43-C.Prosinski was injured during the play. He is Out.
- Detroit Lions (Q2 30:18) — (:18) (Shotgun) 25-T.Riddick up the middle to DET 27 for 12 yards (93-S.Acho). FUMBLES (93-S.Acho), RECOVERED by CHI-39-E.Jackson at DET 27. 39-E.Jackson to DET 27 for no gain (70-C.Robinson).
- Detroit Lions (Q1 57:08) — (12:08) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass incomplete short right to 85-E.Ebron (92-P.McPhee).
- Chicago Bears (Q2 43:29) — (13:29) 29-T.Cohen right end to CHI 33 for -3 yards (27-G.Quin).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Chicago Bears (Q4 13:37) — (13:37) (Shotgun) 10-M.Trubisky pass short middle intended for 17-D.Inman INTERCEPTED by 28-Q.Diggs at DET -9. Touchback.
- Detroit Lions (Q2 38:20) — (8:20) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass deep right to 11-M.Jones to CHI 12 for 58 yards (39-E.Jackson).
- Chicago Bears (Q3 29:17) — (14:17) (Shotgun) 10-M.Trubisky pass deep left intended for 13-K.Wright INTERCEPTED by 23-D.Slay at CHI 41. 23-D.Slay ran ob at CHI 41 for no gain.
- Chicago Bears (Q3 17:17) — (2:17) (Shotgun) 10-M.Trubisky pass deep left to 12-M.Wheaton to DET 39 for 22 yards (59-T.Whitehead; 24-N.Lawson) [69-A.Zettel].
Quarterback report card
M.Trubisky led all passers in efficiency for Chicago Bears, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- M.Trubisky (Chicago Bears) · 52 dropbacks · 59.6% completion · -4.1% CPOE · -0.09 EPA/play · -4.64 total EPA
- M.Stafford (Detroit Lions) · 42 dropbacks · 59.5% completion · +3.9% CPOE · +0.08 EPA/play · +3.44 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Chicago Bears | Detroit Lions |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.133 | +0.002 |
| Offensive success rate | 38.4% | 38.7% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.089 | +0.082 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.148 | -0.163 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.002 | +0.133 |
| Defensive success rate | 61.3% | 61.6% |
By the numbers
Detroit Lions held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.00 vs -0.13), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Chicago Bears: 10 drives, -11.47 total EPA, 2 scoring drives
- Detroit Lions: 11 drives, +0.16 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Detroit Lions leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- M. Wheaton (Chicago Bears) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- M. Trubisky (CHI) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
- M. Stafford (DET) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q1 57:03 · CHI 30 · Score 0-3
(12:03) 5-M.Prater 48 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin. - Detroit Lions FG (+3) — Q2 45:00 · CHI 13 · Score 0-6
(15:00) 5-M.Prater 31 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin. - Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q2 36:15 · CHI 3 · Score 0-12
(6:15) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short right to 13-T.Jones for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q2 36:10 · CHI 15 · Score 0-13
5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin. - Chicago Bears FG (+3) — Q2 30:07 · DET 23 · Score 3-13
(:07) (No Huddle) 1-M.Nugent 41 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-49-A.DePaola, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell. - Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q3 24:54 · CHI 8 · Score 3-19
(9:54) (Shotgun) 9-M.Stafford pass short middle to 85-E.Ebron for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q3 24:48 · CHI 15 · Score 3-20
5-M.Prater extra point is GOOD, Center-48-D.Muhlbach, Holder-6-S.Martin. - Chicago Bears TD (+6) — Q4 2:39 · DET 9 · Score 9-20
(2:39) (Shotgun) 10-M.Trubisky pass short right to 30-B.Cunningham for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Chicago Bears XP (+1) — Q4 2:32 · DET 15 · Score 10-20
1-M.Nugent extra point is GOOD, Center-49-A.DePaola, Holder-16-P.O'Donnell. DET-26-D.Carey was injured during the play.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions?
The Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears 20-10 in Week 15, 2017 on 2017-12-16.
What was the final score of Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions?
The final score was Chicago Bears 10, Detroit Lions 20 (CHI 10-20 DET) in Week 15, 2017 on 2017-12-16.
What was the score by quarter in Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions?
Q1: Chicago Bears 0, Detroit Lions 3; Q2: Chicago Bears 3, Detroit Lions 10; Q3: Chicago Bears 0, Detroit Lions 7; Q4: Chicago Bears 7, Detroit Lions 0; Final: Chicago Bears 10, Detroit Lions 20.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions?
Detroit Lions touchdown — T. Jones (M. Stafford pass) (Q2 36:15) Detroit Lions touchdown — E. Ebron (M. Stafford pass) (Q3 24:54) Chicago Bears touchdown — B. Cunningham (M. Trubisky pass) (Q4 2:39) Detroit Lions field goal — M. Prater (Q1 57:03, 3 pts) Detroit Lions field goal — M. Prater (Q2 45:00, 3 pts) Chicago Bears field goal — M. Nugent (Q2 30:07, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions?
M. Trubisky (Chicago Bears), 59.6% completion, -4.1% CPOE, -0.09 EPA per dropback, -4.64 total passing EPA. M. Stafford (Detroit Lions), 59.5% completion, +3.9% CPOE, +0.08 EPA per dropback, +3.44 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions?
M. Wheaton (Chicago Bears) led the game in total EPA with +5.08 on receiving plays. across 4 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-5.68 EPA): (13:37) (Shotgun) 10-M.Trubisky pass short middle intended for 17-D.Inman INTERCEPTED by 28-Q.Diggs at DET -9. Touchback.. The biggest win-probability swing was +13.9%.
Season records after this game
Chicago Bears
Entered 4-9 Now 4-10 L
Detroit Lions
Entered 7-6 Now 8-6 W
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