Three-and-out: Jordan Howard, Dontrelle Inman don’t do much in Detroit

Three quick notes from the Bears’ 20-10 loss to the Lions in Detroit on Saturday:

1. Stuck in place

Leading the NFL in rushing might be a goal that running back Jordan Howard needs to rethink. His 37 yards on 10 carries Saturday in the Bears’ 20-10 loss to the Lions was far from inspiring.

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Howard didn’t have much to say after the game. But his production was disappointing, considering what happened in the Bears’ first meeting with the Lions. He ran for 125 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in a 27-24 loss in Week 11.

What was the difference in Detroit?

“They did a lot of run blitzes and stuff like that, a lot of stuff to counter our runs,” Howard said.

2. Fill-in failures

The Bears’ offensive line turned into a hodgepodge of players, including reserves Bradley Sowell and Hroniss Grasu, because of injuries. And the offense suffered right off the bat.

Sowell replaced right guard Tom Compton — who was in the concussion protocol and already was playing for injured starter Kyle Long — late in the third quarter and was immediately beaten by defensive tackle Akeem Spence for a sack.

Grasu took the field in the fourth quarter after left guard Josh Sitton left with an ankle injury. He was called for holding on his first play, negating a 17-yard catch by Howard.

3. Inman now out

Wide receiver Dontrelle Inman no longer seems to be a threat in the Bears’ offense. He had one reception for five yards on two targets against Detroit. That’s an improvement from last week, when he wasn’t targeted against the Bengals.

— Adam L. Jahns