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The decades-old rivalry between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears was taken to a new level last season, as an altercation between Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and Bears defensive back D.J. Moore resulted in a bench-clearing brawl between several players. Now, both Stafford and Moore are talking about their run-in, and neither think it will have any impact on Monday night's game.
Last November's loss was the worst of the Lions' 2011 season, as Stafford threw four interceptions, in part due to a broken finger. In a moment of frustration, he grabbed Moore and threw him to the ground, starting the fight between teams. Speaking to mLive, Moore doesn't think there will be any bad blood carried into this week:
"I just think (Stafford) was frustrated. He did something, I did something, that was pretty much it. I don't really think of it as something that keeps going or whatever, but if it happens again, I wouldn't react differently than I did."
Despite throwing for over 300 yards, Stafford was noticeably off his game. He completed just over 50 percent of his passes, the lowest total of his season.
"It was definitely a tough one," Stafford said. "The way it started, dealing with elements, not feeling healthy and being able to throw it the way I want to throw it, it was tough."
This time, Matthew Stafford is healthy, but so is the Chicago Bears' defense, a unit allowing just 291 yards per game, all while generating a league-high 13 interceptions. Five of those picks have been returned for touchdowns. The players are talking cordially now, but make no mistake, no love is lost between these teams.