Backup’s career day lifts Bears over Lions

DETRO IT Chase Daniel made the most of his chance to fill in for Mitchell Trubisky, having the best day of his journeyman career.

Daniel set career highs with 230 yards passing and two touchdowns to keep the Chicago Bears rolling with a 23-16 win Thursday over the Detroit Lions.

The NFC North-leading Bears (8-3) sealed their fifth straight victory with Kyle Fuller’s interception in the end zone with a little more than a minute left.

Detroit (4-7) has lost four of five, plummeting to last place in the division.

Chicago broke a 16-16 tie on Eddie Jackson’s 41-yard pick-six with six minutes remaining.

The Lions drove to the Bears’ 11-yard line on the ensuing drive, but couldn’t score because Matthew Stafford’s pass to Michael Roberts was picked off by Fuller, whose interception was the 20th of the season for the Bears.

The 32-year-old Daniel made his third career start and his first in nearly four years, replacing Trubisky, who was out with a shoulder injury.

“He’s a little bit of a different player obviously, but he’s still athletic,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “He can still scramble.”

He finished 27 of 37 for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Daniel had a 10-yard touchdown pass to Taquan Mizzell in the second quarter and a 14-yard scoring toss to Tarik Cohen in the fourth. And unlike Stafford, who was 28-for-38 for 236 yards with two interceptions, he didn’t make any costly mistakes.