The Sports Xchange

DETROIT — The Matthew Stafford-to-Calvin Johnson long-distance connection finally returned for the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Not coincidentally, the Lions won for the first time this season.

Stafford, who was benched during the Lions’ 42-17 loss to Arizona the previous Sunday, passed for 405 yards and four touchdowns in a 37-34 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears at Ford Field. He connected with his favorite receiver, Johnson, on a 57-yard pass to set up Matt Prater’s game-winning 27-yard field goal with 3:54 remaining in overtime

“Stafford’s been doing it his whole career, especially in situations where not only him but we’ve got our backs against the wall. He comes out with fire,” said Johnson, who caught six passes for 166 yards. “That’s all he did today. He kept his composure all week and didn’t worry about what happened in the past.”

Johnson’s longest reception this season entering the game was 28 yards, but he had catches of 39 and 43 yards on Sunday to go along with his pivotal overtime grab.

Wide receiver Lance Moore had five receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown for Detroit (1-5), which was the league’s only winless team entering Sunday’s action.

The teams traded scores in the final 21 seconds to send the game into overtime. Stafford hit Johnson with a 6-yard pass to put the Lions on top 34-31. The Bears tied it as time expired on Robbie Gould’s fourth field goal, a 29-yarder, after they worked into position thanks to a pair of defensive pass interference penalties.

Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler passed for 353 yards and a touchdown. Running back Matt Forte rushed for 69 yards and a touchdown for the Bears (2-4). Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who sat out the previous four games with a hamstring injury, had eight receptions for 147 yards and a score.

The Bears defense gave up 546 total yards, preventing them from winning their third straight.

“We scored 34 points,” Bears coach John Fox said. “In this league, that’s usually enough. Today, it wasn’t.”

What we learned about the Bears:

1. The offense looks much more dangerous with a healthy Alshon Jeffery in it. Jeffery, a wide receiver, returned on Sunday after missing four games with a hamstring injury and lit up Detroit’s secondary for 147 yards on eight receptions. He also made a leaping grab for a fourth-quarter touchdown. “Both Eddie Royal and Alshon Jeffery did spark our offensive team,” coach John Fox said. “It would be good to get them back in there consistently.”

2. The secondary has some major issues with the deep ball. The Lions had not been able to throw the ball deep against anyone this season but embattled Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford carved up the Bears’ secondary for 405 yards and four touchdowns. Cornerback Kyle Fuller was burned on several stretch plays and backup cornerback Harold Jones-Quartey was beaten on a 57-yard pass play in overtime, setting up the Lions’ game-winning field goal.

3. Chicago is fortunate to have a reliable veteran like Robbie Gould as its place-kicker. While several teams have changed kickers in the early going, the Bears have Mr. Automatic when they line up for a field goal. Gould has been perfect on 15 attempts this season, including four more on Sunday. It’s a major bounce-back season for Gould, who made only nine field goals a year ago on 12 attempts and missed four games due to injury.

Etc.:

–RB Matt Forte was held in check most of the way on Sunday but still scored a touchdown and hauled in a two-point conversion pass. Forte averaged just 2.9 yards while rushing for 69 yards and only gained another 20 yards on three receptions. The rushing output was his second-lowest of the season, and he has averaged less than 4.0 yards a carry in four consecutive games. “We had some breakdowns in a lot of areas across the board,” he said. “It’s just frustrating and I’m (ticked) about it.”

–LB Jonathan Anderson showed some playmaking ability in his first opportunity. With Shea McClellin sidelined by a knee injury, the undrafted free-agent rookie had the defense’s only takeaway (special teams recovered two fumbles) as he intercepted a Matthew Stafford shovel pass. Anderson nearly made an end zone interception earlier in the game, but it was overruled on replay as Detroit wide receiver Golden Tate crossed the plane before losing the ball.

–NG Jeremiah Ratliff left the game on Sunday with a neck injury and did not return. That forced rookie Eddie Goldman to take his spot on an already depleted defensive line. Defensive end Ego Ferguson was placed on the Reserve/Injured list with a knee injury prior to the game. Ratliff, who was credited with three tackles, was questionable to play with an ankle injury. The Bears may have to make a roster move if Ratliff cannot return for their first game after their bye on Sunday.