PRO FOOTBALL : Tomczak Passes Test as Bears Beat Detroit

Chicago quarterback Mike Tomczak silenced some critics and impressed his coach Sunday in leading the Bears to a 47-27 victory against Detroit.

Tomczak, who had completed only 40% of his passes this season, hit 17 of 25 for a career-high 302 yards to help the Bears improve to 3-0.

The Bears finished with 542 total yards while holding the Lions to 305.

“Mike came out firing,” Chicago Coach Mike Ditka said. “He gunned the ball and the receivers caught it.”

Tomczak is 19-3 as a starter for the Bears, 18-3 in regular-season games.

In leading Chicago over Detroit for the 10th straight time, Tomczak frequently victimized cornerback Jerry Holmes.

“I had a great day passing-wise,” Tomczak said. “It seemed like we were scoring on every possession out there. We knew we had to put some points on the board because they can be so explosive.

“It wasn’t anything we ad-libbed. We sent one guy long on almost every pass play. They got behind the defense and I was fortunate enough to get the ball to them.”

Jim Harbaugh replaced Tomczak for the last five minutes and got the Bears’ final score on a one-yard keeper.

Chicago’s Neal Anderson carried 16 times for 116 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown run, and Kevin Butler kicked four field goals.

Detroit’s Barry Sanders, the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner, carried 18 times for 126 yards and a touchdown before leaving with a hip pointer early in the third quarter. Quarterback Bob Gagliano ran for two touchdowns and Eddie Murray kicked two field goals for the Lions (0-3).

Gagliano completed nine of 19 passes for 126 yards with three interceptions.