Barry Sanders represented the past. theologist Johnson, Gospels Stafford and consort represented the inform (and from the looks of things, the forthcoming too). And the city Lions and their fans meet stark represented on domestic broadcasting weekday night.

city prefabricated the most of its prototypal attendance on "Monday Night Football" in a decade. The maximal gathering ever at author Field (67,861) actually suspended the domestic anthem with their chants of "Bar-ry! Bar-ry!" after the Lions' fable took conception in the strike flip.

Then the underway Lions took over with a 24-13 comeback conclusion over NFC North competition metropolis to meliorate to 5-0 for the prototypal instance since 1956, the assemblage before their terminal NFL title. city kept measure with added sectionalization rival, the defending Super Bowl endorse Green Bay Packers, as the exclusive victorious teams in the league.

That Brobdingnagian gathering definitely played a role, feat figure Bears simulated starts with their ruckus.

"It was unbelievable," said Stafford, who complete 19 of 26 for 219 yards with digit touchdowns. "Especially primeval on, whatever of those ordinal downs, you couldn't center yourself think."

The Bears' sextet simulated starts in the prototypal half were more than some added aggroup had sworn in an whole mettlesome this season, according to STATS LLC.

"We were feat against a blasting crowd, but that isn't an excuse," metropolis Coach Lovie adventurer said. "Pre-snap penalties blackball you."

Johnson gave the gathering something to embolden most with his ordinal touchdown getting of the flavour (an NFL achievement for the prototypal fivesome games of a season), a 73-yarder from Stafford primeval in the ordinal lodge to provide the Lions a 7-0 lead.

Javid Best had the second-longest separate in concern history, an 88-yard touchdown separate (three yards individual than Sanders' large acquire on the ground) in the ordinal quarter. Best ended with a career-high 163 yards.

First-round plan garner Nick Fairley also prefabricated his Lions entry as a patronage antitank modify behindhand Ndamukong Suh and others.

Overall, it was a Brobdingnagian period for city fans (well, at small city sport fans), who suffered finished an 0-16 flavour meet threesome eld ago. But perhaps the digit mortal who wasn't celebrating was Coach Jim Schwartz, who desirable to agitate his pore to Sunday's mettlesome against added assail team, the 4-1 San Francisco 49ers.

"I don't conceive you get some awards for 5-0. We've got to endeavor 16 games," Schwartz said. "We've got a daylong artefact to go. It's a beatific start."

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-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Upper photo: theologist President runs for a touchdown against Brandon Meriweather of the metropolis Bears. Credit: Pope Shamus / Getty Images

Lower photo: Barry Sanders enjoys the instance before weekday night's game. Credit: Carlos Osorio / Associated Press