The numbers don't lie: Bears' defense hit rock bottom in loss to Lions

Sunday's 41-10 loss to the Lions was rock bottom for Matt Eberflus and the Bears. The defensive-minded head coach's defense just gave up more than 500 yards of offense.

The Bears dropped to 3-13 and could set the franchise record for losses next week. I imagine this season can't end soon enough for Bears fans.

Every week in the NFL is unique. Here's the weird and wacky stats that stood out this week.

500: The Bears defense had a historically bad afternoon. It allowed 504 total yards.

It marked the first time a Bears defense allowed 500 or more yards since 2018 and the first time it has happened in regulation since 2013. It was just the fourth time that the Bears allowed 500 or more yards in any game in the past decade.

Here are the previous five times the Bears allowed 500 total yards or more prior to Sunday:

Oct. 14, 2018: 541 yards at Miami (in OT)

Oct. 18, 2015: 546 yards at Detroit (in OT)

Oct. 22, 2013: 514 yards at Philadelphia

Oct. 2, 2011: 543 yards vs. Carolina

Nov. 29, 2009: 537 yards at Minnesota

Lions quarterback Jared Goff had the second-highest passer rating of his Lions tenure. With a 133.5 rating, it marked the highest since Dec. 19, 2021, in a game against Arizona. He had several other performances that were better when he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams.

Rushing attack: The Lions set a season high with 265 rushing yards in Sunday's game. Prior to Sunday, they hadn't run for more than 191 yards in a game this season.

Their 39 rushing attempts were also a season high. Running back Jamaal Williams led the way with 144 rushing yards.

As a team, the Lions totaled 98 rushing yards over expected, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Williams ran for 65 yards over expected, according to Next Gen Stats' models.

The 265 yards also marked a new low point for the Bears' defense. It topped an early October loss to the New York Giants by three yards (262 yards). The Bears have allowed 200 rushing yards in 5 different games this season.

The Bears hadn't allowed 265 rushing yards or more since the 2013 loss to the Eagles, the same game where they gave up 514 total yards.

Tackles leader: Here's a stat that says a lot about the current state of the Bears' defense. Linebacker Joe Thomas led the team with 12 tackles Sunday. The 31-year-old veteran moved into a starting role after the Bears traded Roquan Smith and after Jack Sanborn injured his ankle.

Thomas didn't even make the 53-man roster coming out of training camp. He signed with the practice squad and was elevated to the active roster in late September.

Fields' record chase: With another 132 rushing yards on Sunday, Justin Fields is just 63 yards shy of Lamar Jackson's single-season quarterback rushing record.

In 2019, Jackson rushed for 1,206 yards. Fields currently has 1,143 rushing yards this season. If Fields matches his season average of 76.2 rushing yards per game, he will set the record. Over his last 10 games, he has averaged 94.9 rushing yards per game.

With his performance Sunday, Fields moved ahead of Michael Vick for the second-highest single-season total ever by a quarterback. Vick rushed for 1,039 yards in 2006.

Fields became the fourth quarterback since at least 1970 to rush for more than 100 yards in at least 4 games. Russell Wilson has done it 4 times. Vick did it 10 times. Jackson has done it more than any other QB, with 12 such performances.

Amazing quarter: Fields finished Sunday's first quarter with 105 rushing yards. It's the most rushing yards by a Bears player in the first quarter of the game since at least 1991, according to the team.

The only other Bears player to top 100 yards in the first quarter since then was running back Matt Forte, who rushed for 101 yards in the first quarter of an Oct. 10, 2010, game against Carolina.

Fields become the second QB to rush for 100 yards in a quarter since 1991, joining Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts, who rushed for 103 yards in a quarter against Green Bay earlier this season.

According to Elias Sports, Fields' 105 rushing yards in the first quarter were the most by any QB in a single quarter in the last 45 seasons.

Weird play: On Fields' interception just before halftime, the Lions didn't send a single pass rusher. They dropped 11 defenders into coverage against the Bears' five pass catchers.

It was a weird play where the Bears receivers appeared to be running at half speed. Aidan Hutchinson grabbed an interception in front of receiver Byron Pringle. Per Next Gen Stats, Hutchinson was 11 yards from Pringle when Fields threw the football and closed the gap to 1.7 yards when he caught the ball.

Fields might not have even seen Hutchinson on the play because he lined up nearly out of bounds.

"The play wasn't executed that great," Eberflus said. "The Lions line up in a similar situation that we would. They put the defensive ends on the outside. They lined outside man-to-man. They had two guys deep and had a guy lurking in the middle, so it was a pretty good formation for them."