The Chicago Bears fell victim to more Tim Tebow magic Sunday, and the result was a crushing 13-10 overtime loss,  a third straight defeat that dropped their record to 7-6 and further jeopardized their playoff hopes.

Broncos kicker Matt Prater, who sent the game into OT with a 59-yard field goal with three seconds left in regulation, boomed the game-winner from 51 yards out to give Denver (8-5) its sixth straight victory.

Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 2:08 left in the game to cut the Bears’ lead to 10-7.

Denver’s ensuing onsides kick was recovered by the Bears’ Nick Roach.

Robbie Gould kicked a franchise-record 57-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to boost the Bears’ lead to 10-0.

The Bears forced a Denver turnover with 9:02 left in the fourth quarter at the Bears’ 45. Safety Craig Steltz sacked Tebow, who fumbled after a 7-yard loss. The ball was recovered by Israel donije.

After a scoreless first half, the Bears finally broke through on a nine-yard touchdown run by Marion Barber for a 7-0 lead at the 5:26 mark of the third quarter. The six-play TD drive was set up by a Devin Hester 26-yard punt return to the Denver 42.

It was the Bears’ first touchdown in 101:52 minutes of play dating to the fourth quarter of their loss to the Oakland Raiders on Nov. 27.

The Broncos tried to take a 3-0 lead on a 28-yard field goal attempt by Matt Prater, but Idonije and Julius Peppers appeared to get hands on the blocked the kick with 7:27 left until halftime.

The Broncos drove into Bears territory in the first quarter when Tebow threw a pass that was deftly picked off by cornerback Charles Tillman along the sideline at the Bears’ 39. The pass was intended for Matthew Willis with 2:38 left in the period.

The new No. 2 quarterback for the Bears on Sunday was Josh McCown, as coach Lovie Smith decided to designate rookie Nathan Enderle inactive.

McCown, who was inactive for his first two games with the Bears, said Friday that he has been preparing by “just studying and getting ready to go. You know, just going through all the reads and the stuff mentally. You get all the work physically you can in practice and get up to speed throwing-wise. But then you just have to take mental reps by watching Caleb and those guys in practice, visualizing and all those things.”

The Bears entered with a 7-5 record and faced near desperation time regarding their NFC playoff hopes. Meanwhile, the Broncos (also 7-5) were riding an AFC West wave sustained by a staunch defense and relatively error-free offense.

The Bears entered the weekend as the fifth seed in the NFC, sharing the same record as the Falcons and Lions. But the Bears held the tiebreaker over Atlanta and Detroit.

The Bears entered the game with a 7-6 all-time series advantage over Denver. The Broncos won the previous two encounters in 2003 (19-10) and 2007 (37-34).

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A Hail Mary pass from Chiefs quarterback Tyler Palko to wide receiver Dexter McCluster let Kansas City take a 7-3 halftime lead.

The team never looked back and won 10-3.

Palko got yanked from the game – and possibly saved his job.

Palko shook off two miserable starts and threw for 157 yards and a touchdown even though he briefly got lifted for Kyle Orton, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat Chicago 10-3 Sunday on a day when the Bears lost Matt Forte to a right knee injury.

Orton came on to start the second quarter and immediately left the game after injuring a finger on his right hand. Reports were he dislocated a finger on his throwing hand.

Palko then came in and tossed a Hail Mary pass just before halftime. Palko connected with Dexter McCluster on the wild 38-yard pass to end the first half on a ball that got deflected by Brian Urlacher and Chris Conte, giving the Chiefs a 7-3 lead and their first touchdown in three games.

Kansas City (5-7) got a 21-yard field goal from Ryan Succop in the third quarter to make it a seven-point game, and Jon McGraw intercepted struggling backup Caleb Hanie in the end zone in the fourth.

The Chiefs also recorded seven sacks – three by Justin Houston – and intercepted Hanie three times while snapping a four-game losing streak.

The Bears dropped their second straight after winning five in a row, but the biggest loss Sunday came in the first quarter.

Forte took a hit to the right knee from Derrick Johnson on a run for no gain deep in Chicago territory, another big blow for a team contending in the NFC.

Quarterback Jay Cutler was already out indefinitely after breaking his right thumb against San Diego on Nov. 20, and now, they might have to make do without the league’s third-leading rusher.

In the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, Forte has been one of the Bears’ most valuable players. He has also been durable during his career, starting all 60 games since he entered the league in 2008, but that run could be in jeopardy.

Forte stayed on the ground while being tended to by medical personnel and walked to the sideline on his own power after that hit to the knee. He remained there for several minutes before heading to the locker room.

Orton, a former Bear, didn’t last long in this one.

On his first play since he was claimed off waivers from Denver, he was hit in the hand by Major Wright as he tossed an incomplete pass.

Palko immediately came back in and wound up completing 17 of 30 passes without an interception. It was a big improvement for a quarterback who got picked off three times in each of his first two starts after Matt Cassel suffered a season-ending hand injury.

Hanie was 11 of 24 in his second start for Cutler. He had completed four straight passes to put the ball on the Chicago 13 after connecting on just one in the second half before that when Roy Williams juggled a throw. The ball hit off several defenders before a diving McGraw picked it off in the end zone with just over 4 minutes left.

The Chiefs got all the points they needed at the end of the first half.

With 2 seconds left, Palko heaved the ball to the end zone, and in one dramatic sequence, the Chiefs got their first touchdown since the third quarter against Denver on Nov. 13.

A leaping Urlacher got both hands on the ball, but Conte went up over the top of him and knocked it to McCluster, sending the Chiefs to the locker room with the lead.

Besides Forte, the Bears also lost safety Major Wright to a shoulder injury. Chiefs safety Kendrick Lewis injured a knee in the first half.

Neither Chiefs Coach Todd Haley nor Orton would discuss Orton’s injury after the game.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press and KCTV5. All rights reserved.

A Hail Mary pass from Chiefs quarterback Tyler Palko to wide receiver Dexter McCluster let Kansas City take a 7-3 halftime lead.

The team never looked back and won 10-3.

Palko got yanked from the game – and possibly saved his job.

Palko shook off two miserable starts and threw for 157 yards and a touchdown even though he briefly got lifted for Kyle Orton, and the Kansas City Chiefs beat Chicago 10-3 Sunday on a day when the Bears lost Matt Forte to a right knee injury.

Orton came on to start the second quarter and immediately left the game after injuring a finger on his right hand. Reports were he dislocated a finger on his throwing hand.

Palko then came in and tossed a Hail Mary pass just before halftime. Palko connected with Dexter McCluster on the wild 38-yard pass to end the first half on a ball that got deflected by Brian Urlacher and Chris Conte, giving the Chiefs a 7-3 lead and their first touchdown in three games.

Kansas City (5-7) got a 21-yard field goal from Ryan Succop in the third quarter to make it a seven-point game, and Jon McGraw intercepted struggling backup Caleb Hanie in the end zone in the fourth.

The Chiefs also recorded seven sacks – three by Justin Houston – and intercepted Hanie three times while snapping a four-game losing streak.

The Bears dropped their second straight after winning five in a row, but the biggest loss Sunday came in the first quarter.

Forte took a hit to the right knee from Derrick Johnson on a run for no gain deep in Chicago territory, another big blow for a team contending in the NFC.

Quarterback Jay Cutler was already out indefinitely after breaking his right thumb against San Diego on Nov. 20, and now, they might have to make do without the league’s third-leading rusher.

In the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, Forte has been one of the Bears’ most valuable players. He has also been durable during his career, starting all 60 games since he entered the league in 2008, but that run could be in jeopardy.

Forte stayed on the ground while being tended to by medical personnel and walked to the sideline on his own power after that hit to the knee. He remained there for several minutes before heading to the locker room.

Orton, a former Bear, didn’t last long in this one.

On his first play since he was claimed off waivers from Denver, he was hit in the hand by Major Wright as he tossed an incomplete pass.

Palko immediately came back in and wound up completing 17 of 30 passes without an interception. It was a big improvement for a quarterback who got picked off three times in each of his first two starts after Matt Cassel suffered a season-ending hand injury.

Hanie was 11 of 24 in his second start for Cutler. He had completed four straight passes to put the ball on the Chicago 13 after connecting on just one in the second half before that when Roy Williams juggled a throw. The ball hit off several defenders before a diving McGraw picked it off in the end zone with just over 4 minutes left.

The Chiefs got all the points they needed at the end of the first half.

With 2 seconds left, Palko heaved the ball to the end zone, and in one dramatic sequence, the Chiefs got their first touchdown since the third quarter against Denver on Nov. 13.

A leaping Urlacher got both hands on the ball, but Conte went up over the top of him and knocked it to McCluster, sending the Chiefs to the locker room with the lead.

Besides Forte, the Bears also lost safety Major Wright to a shoulder injury. Chiefs safety Kendrick Lewis injured a knee in the first half.

Neither Chiefs Coach Todd Haley nor Orton would discuss Orton’s injury after the game.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press and KCTV5. All rights reserved.

“It wasn’t clean and it wasn’t quiet,” Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said. “I know that. That’s just how it is.”

Either way, it was another big step for the Bears.

“We knew that we could do it,” cornerback D.J. Moore said. “We just have to keep winning.”

If they keep this up, Philip Rivers could be in for a long day when the San Diego Chargers visit Soldier Field next weekend.

Stafford certainly had a miserable time.

The four interceptions matched his season total entering the game and helped knock the Lions (6-3) into a second-place tie with the Bears in the NFC North. Stafford was also involved in a skirmish that led to Moore’s ejection early in the fourth quarter.

By then, the Bears (6-3) had locked up their fourth straight win thanks to a dominant defense and another punt return for a touchdown by Devin Hester, who ran one back 82 yards. That extended his NFL record for punt-return TDs to 12 and combined kick-return touchdowns to 17.

Julius Peppers and Tim Jennings forced turnovers on Detroit’s first two possessions, leading to a touchdown and field goal by Chicago. Wright and Tillman returned interceptions for touchdowns on the Lions’ first two possessions of the second half to put game out of reach.

In between turnover binges, Hester caused his usual havoc before leaving with an undisclosed illness.

For a guy who was listed as questionable with a sprained left ankle, Hester sure looked good while he was in the game. He had already set up a field goal by Robbie Gould in the opening seconds of the second quarter with a 29-yard punt return before his long TD return along the left sideline, giving the Bears a 20-0 lead.

Coach Lovie Smith called it a “gutsy effort by him,” but it was an impressive performance all around.

The idea that the Bears would be tied with the Lions seemed far-fetched after their 24-13 Monday night loss at Ford Field last month, but the teams have gone in different directions since.

“We had a lot riding on this game,” Smith said. “NFC division game at home we just couldn’t afford another loss. We’ve gotten better and better each week.”

Detroit has dropped three of four after winning its first five, and this one was brutal — particularly for Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

Johnson had 81 yards on seven catches with Tillman locking him down.

Stafford, playing with a fractured finger in his right hand, completed 33 of 63 passes for 329 yards, and any shot the Lions had at a comeback ended when Wright and Tillman picked him off early in the third.

Wright returned his interception 24 yards and Tillman ran his back 44 yards for TDs that made it 34-6, sending the Lions to their first road loss after they won their first four away from Ford Field.

Stafford said the finger wasn’t really a factor, but the strong wind was.

Things really got chippy early in the fourth quarter after Stafford threw his third interception. Jennings picked him off and got shoved hard out of bounds by Nate Burleson. While that unfolded, Stafford grabbed Moore by the helmet and threw him to the ground, setting off a confrontation involving players from both teams that ultimately led to Moore’s ejection.

“When you are going after my livelihood, my neck, and you’re trying to hurt me, I just can’t let that go,” Moore said.

Stafford said he wasn’t trying to injure Moore.

“He kind of blocked me and I was just trying to get him off me best I knew how,” Stafford said. “And I guess he didn’t like the way I did it. He wanted to ask me about it.”

There was also some tension earlier in the game.

Cutler had his helmet ripped off by Ndamukong Suh after a run, and he got slammed to the ground by Nick Fairley on a late hit in the third quarter.

And a few plays before Jennings’ interception, Chicago’s Lance Briggs had a hard hit on Johnson.

Notes: Smith said LG Chris Williams was undergoing surgery Sunday after leaving the game with a wrist injury. … Tillman tied Mike Brown and Bennie McRae for the club record with his fourth career interception return for a touchdown. He has 28 interceptions and ranks fourth on the Bears’ all-time list. … Peppers had an 11-yard sack on third down at the six that forced Detroit to kick a field goal in the second quarter. … The Lions had won six straight road games dating back to last season.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CHICAGO (AP)—Even at their lowest point, the Chicago Bears kept insisting
they weren’t ready to fade away. If there were any doubts, this should erase
them.

Charles Tillman(notes) and Major Wright(notes) returned interceptions for touchdowns early
in the third quarter, and Chicago picked off Matthew Stafford(notes) four times to beat
the Detroit Lions 37-13 Sunday in a heated game.

“It wasn’t clean and it wasn’t quiet,” Bears quarterback Jay Cutler(notes) said.
“I know that. That’s just how it is.”

Either way, it was another big step for the Bears.

“We knew that we could do it,” cornerback D.J. Moore(notes) said. “We just have
to keep winning.”

If they keep this up, Philip Rivers(notes) could be in for a long day when the San
Diego Chargers visit Soldier Field next weekend.

Stafford certainly had a miserable time.

The four interceptions matched his season total entering the game and helped
knock the Lions (6-3) into a second-place tie with the Bears in the NFC North.
Stafford was also involved in a skirmish that led to Moore’s ejection early in
the fourth quarter.

By then, the Bears (6-3) had locked up their fourth straight win thanks to a
dominant defense and another punt return for a touchdown by Devin Hester(notes), who
ran one back 82 yards. That extended his NFL record for punt-return TDs to 12
and combined kick-return touchdowns to 17.

Julius Peppers(notes) and Tim Jennings(notes) forced turnovers on Detroit’s first two
possessions, leading to a touchdown and field goal by Chicago. Wright and
Tillman returned interceptions for touchdowns on the Lions’ first two
possessions of the second half to put game out of reach.

In between turnover binges, Hester caused his usual havoc before leaving
with an undisclosed illness.

For a guy who was listed as questionable with a sprained left ankle, Hester
sure looked good while he was in the game. He had already set up a field goal by
Robbie Gould(notes) in the opening seconds of the second quarter with a 29-yard punt
return before his long TD return along the left sideline, giving the Bears a
20-0 lead.

Coach Lovie Smith called it a “gutsy effort by him,” but it was an
impressive performance all around.

The idea that the Bears would be tied with the Lions seemed far-fetched
after their 24-13 Monday night loss at Ford Field last month, but the teams have
gone in different directions since.

“We had a lot riding on this game,” Smith said. “NFC division game at
home we just couldn’t afford another loss. We’ve gotten better and better each
week.”

Detroit has dropped three of four after winning its first five, and this one
was brutal—particularly for Stafford and Calvin Johnson(notes).

Johnson had 81 yards on seven catches with Tillman locking him down.

Stafford, playing with a fractured finger in his right hand, completed 33 of
63 passes for 329 yards, and any shot the Lions had at a comeback ended when
Wright and Tillman picked him off early in the third.

Wright returned his interception 24 yards and Tillman ran his back 44 yards
for TDs that made it 34-6, sending the Lions to their first road loss after they
won their first four away from Ford Field.

Stafford said the finger wasn’t really a factor, but the strong wind was.

Things really got chippy early in the fourth quarter after Stafford threw
his third interception. Jennings picked him off and got shoved hard out of
bounds by Nate Burleson(notes). While that unfolded, Stafford grabbed Moore by the
helmet and threw him to the ground, setting off a confrontation involving
players from both teams that ultimately led to Moore’s ejection.

“When you are going after my livelihood, my neck, and you’re trying to hurt
me, I just can’t let that go,” Moore said.

Stafford said he wasn’t trying to injure Moore.

“He kind of blocked me and I was just trying to get him off me best I knew
how,” Stafford said. “And I guess he didn’t like the way I did it. He wanted
to ask me about it.”

There was also some tension earlier in the game.

Cutler had his helmet ripped off by Ndamukong Suh(notes) after a run, and he got
slammed to the ground by Nick Fairley(notes) on a late hit in the third quarter.

And a few plays before Jennings’ interception, Chicago’s Lance Briggs(notes) had a
hard hit on Johnson.

Notes: Smith said LG Chris Williams was undergoing surgery Sunday after
leaving the game with a wrist injury. … Tillman tied Mike Brown(notes) and Bennie
McRae for the club record with his fourth career interception return for a
touchdown. He has 28 interceptions and ranks fourth on the Bears’ all-time list.
… Peppers had an 11-yard sack on third down at the six that forced Detroit to
kick a field goal in the second quarter. … The Lions had won six straight road
games dating back to last season.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears understand where they were and can appreciate how far they’ve come.

Charles Tillman and Major Wright returned interceptions for touchdowns early in the third quarter, and Chicago picked off Matthew Stafford four times to beat the Detroit Lions 37-13 in a heated game on Sunday.

“We’re getting better,” Brian Urlacher said. “No doubt about that. We’re not done yet. We’ve still got a long way to go. But we’re going the right direction, that’s for sure.”

Beating Detroit was another big step.

The four interceptions by Stafford matched his season total entering the game and helped knock the Lions (6-3) into a second-place tie with the Bears in the NFC North. Stafford was also involved in a skirmish that led to an ejection of Chicago’s D.J. Moore early in the fourth quarter.

By then, the Bears (6-3) had locked up their fourth straight win thanks to a dominant defense and another punt return for a touchdown by Devin Hester, who ran one back 82 yards. That extended his NFL record for punt-return TDs to 12 and combined kick-return touchdowns to 17.

Julius Peppers and Tim Jennings forced turnovers on Detroit’s first two possessions, leading to a touchdown and field goal by Chicago. Wright and Tillman returned interceptions for touchdowns on the Lions’ first two possessions of the second half to put game out of reach.

In between turnover binges, Hester caused his usual havoc before leaving with an undisclosed illness.

For a guy who was listed as questionable with a sprained left ankle, Hester sure looked good while he was in the game. He had already set up a field goal by Robbie Gould in the opening seconds of the second quarter with a 29-yard punt return before his long TD return along the left sideline, giving the Bears a 20-0 lead.

The idea that the Bears would be tied with the Lions seemed far-fetched after their 24-13 Monday night loss at Ford Field last month, but the teams have gone in different directions since.

“We had a lot riding on this game,” Smith said. “NFC division game at home we just couldn’t afford another loss. We’ve gotten better and better each week.”

Detroit has dropped three of four after winning its first five, and this one was brutal — particularly for Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

Johnson had 81 yards on seven catches with Tillman locking him down.

Stafford, playing with a fractured finger in his right hand, completed 33 of 63 passes for 329 yards, and any shot the Lions had at a comeback ended when Wright and Tillman picked him off early in the third.

Wright returned his interception 24 yards and Tillman ran his back 44 yards for TDs that made it 34-6, sending the Lions to their first road loss after they won their first four away from Ford Field.

Stafford said the finger wasn’t really a factor, but the strong wind was.

“Wind was blowing the ball around, and they had a tough time throwing it and we had a tough time throwing it,” he said.

Things really got chippy early in the fourth quarter after Stafford threw his third interception. Jennings picked him off and got shoved hard out of bounds by Nate Burleson. While that unfolded, Stafford grabbed Moore by the helmet and threw him to the ground, setting off a confrontation involving players from both teams that ultimately led to Moore’s ejection.

“When you are going after my livelihood, my neck, and you’re trying to hurt me, I just can’t let that go,” Moore said.

Stafford said he wasn’t trying to injure Moore.

“He kind of blocked me and I was just trying to get him off me best I knew how,” Stafford said. “And I guess he didn’t like the way I did it. He wanted to ask me about it.”

There was also some tension earlier in the game.

Jay Cutler had his helmet ripped off by Ndamukong Suh after a run, and he got slammed to the ground by Nick Fairley on a late hit in the third quarter.

And a few plays before Jennings’ interception, Chicago’s Lance Briggs had a hard hit on Johnson.

“It wasn’t clean and it wasn’t quiet,” Cutler said. “I know that. That’s just how it is.”

Those incidents aside, there was little drama in this one.

The Bears pulled out an easy win even though Matt Forte and Cutler did not have big games.

Forte scored the game’s first touchdown on a 6-yard run but finished with 64 yards — 40 of them on one run.

Cutler was consistently under pressure while throwing for 123 yards, but for one game it didn’t matter.

Notes: Smith said LG Chris Williams was undergoing surgery Sunday after leaving the game with a wrist injury. … Tillman tied Mike Brown and Bennie McRae for the club record with his fourth career interception return for a touchdown. He has 28 interceptions and ranks fourth on the Bears’ all-time list. … Peppers had an 11-yard sack on third down at the six that forced Detroit to kick a field goal in the second quarter. … The Lions had won six straight road games dating back to last season.

CHICAGO The Chicago Bears were all over Matthew Stafford, and now, they’re tied with the Detroit Lions.

Charles Tillman and Major Wright returned interceptions for touchdowns early in the third quarter, and Chicago picked off Stafford four times to beat Detroit 37-13 in a heated game on Sunday.

The four interceptions by Stafford matched his season total entering the game and helped knock the Lions (6-3) into a second-place tie with the Bears in the NFC North. Stafford was also involved in a skirmish that led to an ejection of Chicago’s D.J. Moore early in the fourth quarter.

By then, the Bears (6-3) had locked up their fourth straight win thanks to a dominant defence and another punt return for a touchdown by Devin Hester, who ran one back 82 yards. That extended his NFL record to 12.

Julius Peppers and Tim Jennings forced turnovers on Detroit’s first two possessions, leading to a touchdown and field goal by Chicago. Wright and Tillman returned interceptions for touchdowns on the Lions’ first two possessions of the second half to put game out of reach.

In between turnover binges, Hester caused his usual havoc before leaving with an undisclosed illness.

For a guy who was listed as questionable with a sprained left ankle, Hester sure looked good at least while he was in the game. He had already set up a field goal by Robbie Gould in the opening seconds of the second quarter with a 29-yard punt return before his long TD return along the left sideline, giving the Bears (6-3) a 20-0 lead.

The idea that the Bears would be tied with the Lions seemed far-fetched after their 24-13 Monday night loss at Ford Field last month, but the teams have gone in different directions since.

Detroit has dropped three of four after winning its first five, and this one was brutal — particularly for Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

Johnson had 81 yards on seven catches with Tillman locking him down.

Stafford completed 33 of 63 passes for 329 yards, and any shot the Lions had at a comeback ended when Wright and Tillman picked him off early in the third.

Wright returned his interception 24 yards and Tillman ran his back 44 yards for TDs that made it 34-6, sending the Lions to their first road loss after they won their first four away from Ford Field.

Things really got chippy early in the fourth quarter after Stafford threw his third interception. Jennings picked him off and got shoved hard out of bounds by Nate Burleson. While that unfolded, Stafford grabbed D.J. Moore by the helmet and threw him to the ground, setting off a confrontation that led to Moore’s ejection.

There was also some tension earlier in the game.

Jay Cutler had his helmet ripped off by Ndamukong Suh after a run, and he got slammed to the ground by Nick Fairley on a late hit in the third quarter.

And a few plays before Jennings’ interception, Chicago’s Lance Briggs had a hard hit on Johnson.

Those incidents aside, there was little drama in this one.

The Bears pulled out an easy win even though Matt Forte and Cutler were rather quiet.

Forte scored the game’s first touchdown on a six-yard run but finished with 64 yards — 40 of them on one run.

Cutler was consistently under pressure while throwing for just 123 yards, but for one game, anyway, it didn’t matter.

The Associated Press

LAKE FOREST — The Chicago Bears seem to be a little extra motivated for this weekend’s game. It’s no wonder after they were embarrassed by their NFC North division rivals in Detroit the last time the two teams met.

“It was a tough loss up there early in the season. They beat us pretty good,” Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said. “But we’re playing a little better right now.”

Not only was it the last time Chicago lost, but the Oct. 10 road game included a franchise-record nine false-start penalties, 14 total penalties and the Lions outscored the Bears 17-3 in the second half. Since that debacle, the Bears have really straightened up.

“Not just that game, that whole first quarter was a wake-up call,” added linebacker Lance Briggs. “The last three games have been … well … we’re making progress.”

The Lions lost two straight following the win over Chicago, but they whipped the Broncos 45-10 last weekend as they appeared to get back on track. That doesn’t matter to the Bears, who feel they are back on track as well.

“We’re ready for them this time,” defensive back D.J. Moore said.

The numbers agree. Chicago surrendered 181 rushing yards to Detroit, but have given up 202 total in three games since. The Bears’ offense had one touchdown and was 4-for-13 on third-down conversions against the Lions, but has averaged 30 points and has gone 15-for-38 on third downs since.

The defense insists its gap presence has been better, thus opponent’s big plays have stopped. On offense, the biggest improvement has been on the line.

“I think that we’re playing better as a unit right now, better than we played in Detroit,” offensive line coach Mike Tice said. “That just comes with the guys playing together.”

The Bears expect to start the same offensive line for the fourth game in a row Sunday, and they hope to avenge their ugly loss to the Lions with their fourth win in a row.

“We respect them, and they got after us pretty good up there in Detroit,” tight end Matt Spaeth said. “And now we have to try and do the same to them right here.”

This doesn’t surprise the Lions.

“They’re just playing really good football. They played good against us except for a couple big plays and that was the difference in the game,” Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “But it’s still the same old Bears defense. These guys are playing at a very high level, stopping the run, getting after the passer.

“They’re playing at a high level right now; but so are we.”

Note: Rookie tackle Gabe Carimi underwent arthroscopic surgery Friday to further repair his injured knee. There is no timetable on his return, though he has been ruled out for Sunday; return man and wide receiver Devin Hester is questionable.

Bears reporter Jay Taft can be reached at 815-987-1384 or jtaft@rrstar.com.

Philadelphia • Matt Forte was standing on the sideline after losing two fumbles and Chicago faced a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter.

No problem for Jay Cutler and these resilient Bears.

Cutler threw a go-ahead 5-yard TD pass to Earl Bennett, Forte ran for 133 yards and the Bears rallied to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 30-24 on Monday night.

“We cannot afford to fall behind against anyone in this league, so we needed a good start,” Forte said. “We had that, and even with that fast start, we still fell behind against that team. But we stayed focused and recovered. We tried not to worry about the past, and just focus on the next play. For us, that is the key.”

It was a crushing loss for Michael Vick and the Eagles (3-5), who blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fourth time this season. Jeremy Maclin fell down and was tackled at the Chicago 30 after a 9-yard catch on fourth-and-10 with just under two minutes left, and the Bears ran out the clock.

The defending NFC East champions trail the New York Giants (6-2) by three games.

“We need to keep getting better,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “We have to continue to work hard and learn from our mistakes.”

Chicago (5-3) won its third straight game, but remains third in the NFC North behind Green Bay (8-0) and Detroit (6-2). The Bears entered as an 8-point underdog despite coming off a bye.

Story continues below

After LeSean McCoy’s 33-yard touchdown run following Forte’s second fumble gave the Eagles a 24-17 lead in the third quarter, the Bears answered with 13 straight points.

Robbie Gould kicked a 38-yard field goal to cut it to 24-20, and then Chicago’s defense forced a punt after three plays.

The Bears drove 51 yards for the go-ahead score, with Cutler tossing a 5-yard TD pass to Bennett over Asante Samuel for a 27-24 lead.

“All you ever hear is DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and all of the plays that they can make,” Bennett said of Philadelphia’s standout receivers. “So, we just wanted to go out there, make some plays, and prove the critics wrong.”

The Eagles reached the Bears 42 on their next drive. On fourth-and-6, punter Chas Henry bounced a pass to a wide-open Colt Anderson and Chicago took over.

Henry, recruited as a quarterback at Florida, spent a lot of time throwing passes to long snapper Jon Dorenbos on the sideline in the second quarter, presumably warming up for the fake punt. He got his chance and badly underthrew the pass.

“Pretty seldom do we have a guy completely uncovered and have a chance to make a big play. We didn’t execute,” Reid said.

The Bears took advantage. A pass interference penalty on Nnamdi Asomugha at the Eagles 7 prolonged the drive. The defense stiffened and Gould hit a 22-yarder to extend the lead to 30-24.

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NFL

PHILADELPHIA — Matt Forte bounced back from two costly turnovers and Jay Cutler rallied the resilient Chicago Bears to a 30-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Cutler threw a go-ahead 5-yard TD pass to Earl Bennett in the fourth quarter, Forte ran for 133 yards and the Bears (5-3) won their third straight game.

It was a crushing loss for Michael Vick and the Eagles (3-5), who blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fourth time this season. Jeremy Maclin fell down and was tackled at the Bears 30 after a 9-yard catch on fourth-and-10 with just under two minutes left.

The defending NFC East champions trail the New York Giants (6-2) by three games.

Chicago is third in the NFC North behind Green Bay (8-0) and Detroit (6-2).

In developments

Munchak stays optimistic: Mike Munchak and the Tennessee Titans are choosing to be optimistic midway through the season, seeing the eight remaining games as a chance to go streaking toward the playoffs.

First, they better figure out how to stop the rollercoaster ride of the first eight games.

The Titans (4-4) have lost three of four, wasting a three-game homestand with a 24-17 loss to Cincinnati in which they blew a 10-point halftime lead. Now it only gets tougher with five of their final games on the road starting Sunday with a visit to Carolina (2-6).

Munchak said Monday they’re not happy about losing games at home and that the Titans face a lot of work ahead. He says the Titans have seen what they’re capable of in flashes and just need consistency.

Injury updates: Tampa Bay defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and St. Louis wide receiver Greg Salas are done for the season.

McCoy, chosen third in the 2010 draft, tore his right biceps Sunday during the opening quarter of a 27-16 defeat to New Orleans. McCoy had just returned to the lineup after sitting out the previous two games because of an ankle sprain.

It’s the second straight year his season ended prematurely because of an arm injury. McCoy missed the final three games of his rookie year with a torn left biceps.

Salas will undergo surgery for a broken right leg. The rookie leads the team with 27 receptions. He was injured when a tackler rolled on him after a 5-yard catch in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s overtime loss at Arizona.

49ers running back Frank Gore injured his left ankle Sunday and had X-rays, which were negative. He was clearly sore and needed help getting off the postgame podium in Washington.

Gore, who has five straight 100-yard games, said he expects to practice this week and play against the New York Giants.

“I’ll be all right. I’m cool. Just checking up some things on my body. Yeah, I’ll be all right,” Gore said.

Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin left in the second quarter against Seattle with a right hamstring injury and didn’t return. Austin is expected to be out for as long as a month.

Haley gets vote of confidence: Coach Todd Haley will be moving into the final year of his contract next year, and while general manager Scott Pioli wouldn’t say whether the Chiefs would extend his contract, his comments seemed to indicate they would.

Pioli praised Haley on Monday in an interview with The Kansas City Star.

“I think he’s doing a good job of growing into the job,” Pioli said. “He’s adjusted well to changes in personnel, changes in roster. He’s adjusted well to staff changes. This team has continued to evolve and continued to develop. Players have developed well. That’s Todd and the whole coaching staff.”

Bills looking for kicker: Injuries are piling up for the Buffalo Bills, who are searching for a kicker and face the possibility of losing starting defensive tackle Kyle Williams for the rest of the season.

Coach Chan Gailey on Monday described the injury to kicker Rian Lindell’s right shoulder as “not good.” Without being definitive, Gailey said Lindell either broke something or nearly had his shoulder pop out a day earlier in a 27-11 loss to the New York Jets.

The Chicago Bears, in their long and storied history, have had several last-minute victories. In no particular order, here are my five top game-winning plays:

October 28, 2001 – Bears vs San Francisco 49ers

In the third quarter, the Bears were down 28-9 but mounted a furious comeback to tie the game just before the end of regulation. In overtime, the 49ers won the toss, but on the first play Brian Urlacher(notes) smashed Terrell Owens(notes) right as he was making a catch. The ball popped loose and was caught by Bears safety Mike Brown, who ran it back for the winning touchdown.

October 6, 2006 Bears vs Arizona Cardinals

This is the infamous “they are who we thought they were” game on Monday Night Football. The Bears fell behind 23-3 by the start of the fourth quarter before mounting a furious comeback behind their defense and special teams. Devin Hester(notes), late in the fourth quarter, returned a punt 83 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. The Bears won 24-23.

November 7, 1999 – Bears vs Green Bay Packers

The Bears managed to to take a 14-13 lead late into the fourth quarter, but Brett Favre(notes) then drove the Packers into field goal range. With seven seconds to go, the Packers lined up for a simple game-winning 28-yard kick, but it was blocked by defensive end Bryan Robinson(notes) to win the game for the Bears (first victory against Packers since 2003).

October 3, 1999 – Bears vs New Orleans Saints

For the first 55 minutes of the game, former Bears coach Mike Ditka, behind Ricky Williams(notes), controlled the game and mounted a 10-0 lead. However, quarterback Shane Matthews managed to throw two touchdown passes to Curtis Conway in the span of 1:48 to win the game very late in the fourth quarter.

September 6, 1992 – Bears vs Detroit Lions

Detroit scored a touchdown with just under a minute left to go ahead 24-20. The Bears drove the length of the field in less than a minute behind quarterback Jim Harbaugh who threw a touchdown pass to Tom Waddle with one second remaining to win the game.

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Marion Barber of the Chicago Bears scores a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL match at Wembley. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images

The Glazer family suffered a second sporting defeat of the day as a late rally from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell short against the Chicago Bears at Wembley.

The Glazers had taken a helicopter south to London after seeing Manchester United crushed 6-1 at home by Manchester City but it turned out that United’s Rio Ferdinand, scheduled to join them as an honorary captain for Tampa Bay, had it right by choosing to stay at home.

The Bears’ fabled defence swamped Tampa Bay, who struggled with injuries to their running backs and failed to find any rhythm for most of the game.

Chicago’s backfield, in contrast, is blessed with Matt Forte, who thrilled the London crowd with some explosive bursts, scoring the opening touchdown as he danced into the end zone from 32 yards out late in the first quarter.

Tampa Bay could not get anything going in return, even blowing an easy chance set up by Tanard Jackson’s interception, as Josh Freeman threw the ball straight back to Chicago, nine yards from the end zone.

Chicago added a second touchdown, Jay Cutler throwing 25 yards to Roy Williams in the second quarter, and when Tampa Bay settled for a field goal on their only promising drive of the first half there was a sense it was already over.

That notion seemed to be confirmed early in the second half, when Marion Barber burst through to add a third Bears touchdown.

It took a defensive play to get Tampa Bay in position for their first touchdown, as Corey Lynch’s interception set up a short touchdown pass to Kellen Winslow early in the fourth quarter. With a two-point conversion attempt missed, the gap was still at 10 and the game was in Chicago’s hands.

But when Freeman found Dezmon Briscoe with a 24-yard pass with 7:25 still on the clock it was game on. Chicago responded with a thrilling drive but, despite a huge penalty call against Aqib Talib, they could manage only a field goal and it was down to the defence to hold on.

Arian Foster ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns as the Houston Texans reclaimed the lead in the AFC South from Tennessee by beating the Titans 41-7.

Matt Schaub threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns as the Texans improved their record to 4-3. Tennessee (3-3) have now lost two straight with the fans turning on Chris Johnson, who finished with 18 yards on 10 carries.

The Denver Broncos staged a stunning late rally to extend the Miami Dolphins’ losing streak to six games at the start of the NFL season.

Having been kept scoreless for 54 minutes, the Broncos (2-4) and quarterback Tim Tebow in particular hit back in remarkable fashion. Tebow threw two touchdown passes in the final 2:44 of the fourth quarter to force overtime and Matt Prater’s 52-yard field goal gave them an improbable 18-15 victory.

With Miami having also lost their last three games of last season, the pressure is sure to mount further on their coach, Tony Sparano.

The wide receiver Plaxico Burress caught three touchdown passes as the New York Jets beat the San Diego Chargers 27-21.

The Jets (4-3) were trailing 21-17 when a drive initiated by a Darrelle Revis interception resulted in Mark Sanchez picking out Burress for a three-yard touchdown and the decisive score. Nick Folk’s 30-yard field goal with 1:36 left increased the advantage to 27-21 and killed off the Chargers (4-2).

Cam Newton threw for 256 yards and ran for 59 more to guide the Carolina Panthers to a 33-20 defeat of the Washington Redskins.

Washington’s John Beck threw for 279 yards and scored on a short keeper in his first start in four years for Washington (3-3).

Phil Dawson converted two field goals over 50 yards as Cleveland (3-3) beat Seattle (2-4) 6-3 in a dour encounter, while Matt Ryan ran and threw for touchdowns to inspire the Atlanta Falcons (4-3) to a 23-16 victory against the Detroit Lions (5-2).