DETROIT (670 The Score) -- Inside the cramped visiting locker room of Ford Field, the Bears celebrated their 24-20 victory over the Lions on Thursday like so many times before.
Coach Matt Nagy felt the 'Club Dub' felt "authentic," reminding him of the Bears' rise a year ago. It wasn't a statement of contention for this team, now 6-6 on the season, but the Bears lived to fight another game.
Here are the takeaways from the Bears' win in Detroit:
Fourth quarter
One more loss would mark the end for the Bears' bleak playoff hopes. For now, they can look to each of these remaining four games as an opportunity.
While the Bears face a great challenge with their four games left -- starting with the Cowboys (6-6) next Thursday at Soldier Field -- they are all winnable contests.
The Bears kept themselves on those In The Hunt graphics for the time being after beating the Giants (2-9) and Lions (3-8-1) in unconvincing fashion. They failed to inspire hope of being a better team but at least bought another opportunity to change the script of this season.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky carved up the Lions' man coverage once again, going 29-of-38 for 338 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He led the Bears back from behind and threw the go-ahead touchdown pass with 2:17 remaining. Though it was just one game against a Detroit defense Trubisky has owned, it was a confidence booster for the Bears' inconsistent leader.
"That's what I think the kid deserves," Matt Nagy said.
The Bears' hopes to win out these final four games begin with Trubisky building on this performance and sustaining it.
It's unlikely the Bears will win out -- and even more unlikely for a turnaround in their still lacking play.
But the Bears have ensured their next game will matter.
Take a bow, Blough
Some 48 hours before the Bears and Lions kicked off inside Ford Field, defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said his team was preparing for Jeff Driskel to be Detroit's quarterback.
It was clear early on the Bears weren't prepared to face David Blough, the Lions' third-string quarterback who instead got the start as Driskel managed a hamstring issue. The rookie Blough showed great poise in his first regular-season action as he dicated the Bears' defensive front and picked apart breakdowns in the secondary.
Blough's first NFL pass bounced short of his intended target, then one play later he found Kenny Golladay wide open for a 75-yard touchdown after he blew past Prince Amukamara, who appeared to be expecting help from a safety.
Blough finished the game 22-of-38 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and an interception -- that coming on a desperation heave on his final play -- but the Bears adjusted well at halftime and held him in check. Blough was 15-of-23 for just 101 yards in the second half.
After Blough lit the Bears up in the first quarter, they finished with a game-sealing interception.
One to remember
Back in May when Jesper Horsted signed with the Bears, it seemed very unlikely he would ever score a touchdown or even play a game.
Teams set their rosters to 90 men looking to give each player an earnest chance at making an impression, though it often doesn't matter. Position battles are typically decided before training camp even begins.
Horsted hauled in his first career touchdown during the Bears' win at Ford Field, and he found himself appreciating the opportunity to the end zone. He missed most of training camp in Bourbonnais due to an injury and played in just the final two preseason games, catching a touchdown in each.
The Bears brought Horsted on to their practice squad and developed the former Princeton receiver into an NFL tight end. On Thursday, he was the top 'U' tight end in Nagy's offense and got his chance.
"There were many days the last six months where I thought I might've caught my last pass, or certainly my last touchdown," Horsted said. "But you just kind of keep moving forward and try to improve yourself as best as you can."
Unsteady Eddy?
Last Sunday, the Bears set the kicking distance limit for Eddy Pineiro under 48 yards, as special-teams coordinator Chris Tabor later revealed. That was kicking with a slight wind at Soldier Field.
Do the Bears have any faith left in Pineiro? It seemed the answer is no after they passed up a 50-yard kick inside Ford Field to instead go for it on fourth-and-6. Nagy downplayed the decision as it relates to Pineiro.
"I just felt that at that point in time, staying a little bit aggressive," Nagy said.
But after the Bears elected to go for a fourth-and-9 two weeks ago in Los Angeles, this was not an isolated decision.
If the Bears believe they're best suited going for a fourth-and-6 instead of kicking a 50-yard kick indoors, Pineiro probably shouldn't be their kicker.
Extra Points
-- For all the struggles the Bears have had starting games, it doesn't hurt when Cordarrelle Patterson can take a kickoff return to midfield. Trubisky led the offense on a six-play, 50-yard touchdown drive, marking the Bears' second time this season scoring on their opening drive.
-- Credit Kyle Fuller with the play of the game. On a key third-and-1 from the Bears' 5-yard line late in the game, he was left on an island between running back J.D. McKissic and the end zone. He stuck McKissic short of the first-down marker and saved a touchdown that would've won the game for Detroit.
-- Allen Robinson has been targeted 108 times this season, so it was important that the Bears have established Anthony Miller as a second option for Trubisky. Miller marked career highs with eight receptions and 140 yards, including two key catches on the Bears' go-ahead drive late in the game.
-- It was another stellar performance from Roquan Smith, who had a career-best 15 tackles to go with two sacks.
-- Head referee Jerome Boger and his crew had a rough day, which included a rare dueling pass interference called on both Golladay and Buster Skrine.
-- The Bears and Lions were playing what seemed to be a tribute to so many Bears-Lions games of the past, then Trubisky took charge and won the game for Chicago.
-- After a power outage delayed the halftime show, Brothers Osborne should've opened with "It Ain't My Fault" as the first song. Still, a tremendous performance, even if time constraints cut out "21 Summer."
-- The Cowboys are a ticking timebomb arriving at Soldier Field next Thursday night. Their impending explosion could help the Bears back to a winning record.
-- The most important game for the Bears is the next one.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
