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 Lions:

1. Quarterback Matthew Stafford may be one of the more unpopular athletes around Detroit these days but he does have some moxie. After getting benched during the third quarter the previous week, Stafford responded with 405 passing yards and four touchdowns on Sunday. His only glaring mistake was an ill-advised shovel pass that got picked off deep in Detroit territory. “For us to win, I’ve got to play better,” Stafford said of his bounce-back effort. “By no means did I play perfect but I played well enough to win.”

2. There’s nothing wrong with wide receiver Calvin Johnson. There was concern whether Johnson had the same explosion and ability to stretch the field as he did in the past following pedestrian performances in the first five games. Johnson didn’t have a catch longer than 28 yards in those games, but he made three long grabs on Sunday, including a 57-yarder that set up the game-winning field goal. “I think every guy that we have that can catch or carry the ball is capable but he’s a special guy,” coach Jim Caldwell said.

3. The defense will suffer without playmaking linebacker DeAndre Levy, but it has a capable replacement in Josh Bynes. A starter for the first time in his four-year career, Bynes spearheaded the defense with 10 total tackles, including two for loss. The Lions will need Bynes to play that way the rest of the season, as Levy, who has only appeared in one game, underwent hip surgery last week and is probably lost for the season.

Etc.:

–RB Ameer Abdullah committed another fumble on Sunday but he wasn’t benched for the second straight week, according to coach Jim Caldwell. The rookie had a shoulder stinger and played sparingly in the second half. Abdullah fumbled twice against Arizona the previous week before he recovered his own fumble on Sunday. With Joique Bell inactive, Abdullah rushed for 48 yards on 14 carries. The Lions essentially abandoned the run once Abdullah was injured.

–RB Zach Zenner suffered a chest injury during the first half and did not return. It was a lost opportunity for the rookie with Joique Bell out with ankle injury and Ameer Abdullah struggling to hold onto the ball. Zenner, who earned a roster spot with a dazzling preseason, had three carries for 15 yards. Coach Jim Caldwell did not have an update on Zenner’s status afterward.

–WR Lance Moore had his biggest game in a Lions uniform, catching five passes for 106 yards and a touchdown. He scored the game’s first touchdown on a 20-yard reception over the middle, beating single coverage. The former Saints receiver also made a 26-yard catch on Detroit’s final scoring drive in regulation. Moore has firmly established himself as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver.