Grading the Chicago Bears against the Detroit Lions in Week 16

CHICAGO - Make it nine losses in a row for the Chicago Bears. 

After a thriller on Thanksgiving a month ago, the Detroit Lions left no doubt they were a higher class of team in the NFL on Sunday.

Here's how we graded the Chicago Bears in their home loss to the Detroit Lions.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams

Caleb Williams was a bright spot, again.

He set an NFL rookie record for consecutive passes without an interception. He also threw for over 300 yards and threw multiple touchdown passes. He's moving into range for some single-season passing records.

Still, it wasn't enough to lift the Bears' offense out of complete mediocrity.

Williams' final line: 26 of 40 passing for 334 yards and two touchdowns.

Grade: B

Bears offense

The Bears' offense did not get shut out in the first half. That's a good place to start.

They only got three more points in the rest of the game, though. 

The Bears moved the ball pretty well on offense Sunday. They have 380 yards on the afternoon. But, what sunk the team was 59 total rushing yards and 3.5 yards per carry.

Without that running attack, the Lions defense didn't have to be honest for most of the game. It wasn't enough to make Detroit sweat.

Grade: C

Bears defense

The Lions have the best offense in the NFL. That's a given. The Bears still didn't make anything easier on themselves.

The Lions eclipsed 400 yards of total offense by the end of the third quarter. They were running plays that hookwinked and bamboozled the Bears until the game was firmly out of each. 

It didn't help the Bears struggled to tackle and defend in space. There were third and longs that Detroit converted by getting their star players in space and letting them make plays. 

On a touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown, the Bears tried to go for the ball instead of just tackling him. St. Brown bounced off would-be tacklers and scored.

Jared Goff, who usually struggles in games at Soldier Field, looked like an MVP candidate. Jahmyr Gibbs was electric. St. Brown was a tough tackle.

The Bears had the talent to go up against the Lions' offense. They just struggled to make plays. 

Grade: D