Jared Goff stays hot vs. Bears, gives Lions outside shot at playoffs

DETROIT — Three takeaways from Sunday’s 41-10 loss to the Lions at Ford Field:

Goff deals

Lions quarterback Jared Goff finished with a 133.5 passer rating, the third-highest mark the Bears have allowed this season, by completing 21-of-29 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns. Goff has been one of the NFL’s steadiest quarterbacks the last five weeks; he had a 109.3 passer rating in December.

“He’s extremely hot and he’s playing at a very high level,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said.

He’s got the Lions inching closer to the playoffs. To make the postseason, the Lions need to win in Green Bay in Week 18 and have the Seahawks lose to the Rams.

Big game coming

After losing at the Packers, the Vikings will travel to Soldier Field next week with a chance to become the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs. They’ll need help — the 49ers will get the spot if either they beat the Cardinals or the Vikings lose to the Bears.

The Vikings can’t reach the first seed or the fourth seed. The No. 2 slot would earn them home playoff games through the first two rounds. The third seed is guaranteed one home game.

The Vikings, then, figure to play their starters against the Bears.

RB totals

Bears running back Khalil Herbert’s eight-yard run the first time he touched the ball Sunday gave him more yards than he totaled all last week. He finished with only five carries for 31 yards, though, while David Montgomery had six for 24. The Bears ran for 200 yards and need 79 on Sunday to break the franchise’s record of 2,974, set in 1984.

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