Lions Lose Their Way in Defeat : Pro football: Chicago Bears continue resurgence with 10-6 victory. Knee injury sidelines Sanders 3-5 weeks.

The Detroit Lions lost Barry Sanders, the game, and most of their lead in the NFC Central.

The resurgent Chicago Bears, led by defensive end Trace Armstrong, had five sacks and forced four turnovers in a 10-6 victory over the Lions on Thursday.

“It was a poor effort and I want to apologize to the fans,” Coach Wayne Fontes of the Lions said. “It definitely ruined my holiday. I thought we were ready to play.”

It was the Bears’ third consecutive road victory. Chicago (6-5) has staged comebacks in successive games at San Diego, Kansas City and Detroit. The Lions (7-4) have lost their last two games and will fall into a tie with Green Bay if the Packers defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

“We’re going to have to do it the hard way, now,” Lions’ linebacker Chris Spielman said. “Barry’s down now, too. But I better never, ever hear that as an excuse. The situation dictates that other people have to step up.”

Sanders, the NFL’s leading rusher, sprained his left knee midway through the third quarter. He is expected to miss three to five weeks with a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament. The sprain will not require surgery, said David Collon, a team physician.

“Barry has been so durable,” Lions’ quarterback Rodney Peete said. “We have only played one game without him since he’s been here. It will be interesting to see how this team plays without Barry Sanders.”

But Sanders was not a factor Thursday, gaining 63 yards in 16 carries.

The Lions finished with 230 yards, five more than the Bears. The difference was the turnovers.

“The key was that we mixed it up a lot,” Bears’ Coach Dave Wannstedt said. “They never knew what was coming next.”