The Bears–Lions rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions.
The franchises first met in 1930 when the Lions were known as the Portsmouth Spartans and based in Portsmouth, Ohio. They moved to Detroit for the 1934 season. The Bears and Lions have been rivals within their division since 1933, facing each other twice each season since the inception of the Lions franchise, except the 1987 season. The two teams play in the two largest metropolitan areas in the Midwest. Chicago and Detroit's home stadiums, Soldier Field and Ford Field, are 280 miles apart and both are easily accessible from I-94. This rivalry is the longest-running annual series in the NFL as both teams have met at least once a season since 1930.[2][a]
The Bears dominated the rivalry in the early days from the 1930s to the 1950s, when they were a perennial powerhouse team under head coach George "Papa Bear" Halas. Through the 1965 season, the final season before the first Super Bowl was played, Chicago was 47–22–4 against Detroit. However, the series has been far more even since then, tied 58–58–1 since then. This is despite the Bears have been far more successful than the Lions since that season, reaching the NFC Divisional Playoffs twelve times (winning five of those playoff games, two NFC titles, and a Super Bowl). In comparison, the Lions have only reached the Divisional Playoffs four times, winning two of those games, and have not won an NFC title.
The Bears lead the overall series, 105–80–5. The two teams have not met in the playoffs.[1] The 1932 NFL Playoff Game, despite its name, is included in the final standings of the regular season.[3]