DETROIT — Matthew Stafford had a notion that the Detroit Lions’ offense would make a dramatic turnaround.

The Lions had not scored a touchdown in their previous two games, but Stafford, the team’s quarterback, liked their body language prior to their annual Thanksgiving Day game.

“I knew in warmups, the way we were going about the game, I knew we were going to have a good game on offense,” he said. “I could feel it.”

Getting the ball to his best receiver consistently made that premonition come true. Calvin Johnson caught two touchdown passes during a record-setting afternoon, leading the Lions to a 34-17 victory over the Chicago Bears at Ford Field.

Johnson, the team’s perennial All-Pro wide receiver, caught a season-high 11 passes for 146 yards. Stafford passed for a season-high 390 yards.

The Lions (8-4) didn’t use a no-huddle offense, but they tried to play at a faster pace after managing just five field goals in losses to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots. They finally scored a touchdown early in the second quarter and tacked on two more before halftime.

“Hopefully, this game gives us some confidence and a little bit of momentum,” Stafford said. “We played fast. Guys ran out of the huddle, that tempo was great. We were good on first down, giving us manageable third downs for the most part, so all that’s a positive for us.”

Running back Joique Bell rushed for 91 yards and scored twice for the Lions, who moved within a half-game of the Green Bay Packers (8-3) for the NFC North lead.

Bothered by an ankle sprain much of the season, Johnson scored just one touchdown since opening night prior to Thursday. He surpassed the 10,000-yard career receiving mark in his 115th career game, setting the NFL record for fewest games played to hit that milestone. Torry Holt held the previous record at 116 games.

“Whoever makes the big plays on offense, it just breeds confidence for the rest of the team,” Johnson said. “It just gets us going, especially if we do it early.”

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery caught two first-quarter touchdown passes from quarterback Jay Cutler for Chicago (5-7), which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Cutler completed 31 of 48 passes for 280 yards with two interceptions.

“We just didn’t do enough, and it starts with me,” Bears coach Mark Trestman said after seeing his team’s playoff hopes dwindle. “I’m looking inside and accepting accountability for this loss. We just couldn’t get it done today. We didn’t have enough ammunition to stop them or continue drives.”

Chicago’s reliance on short passes became increasingly ineffective as the game wore on. Cutler was sacked three times and the Bears only rushed for 13 yards on eight carries.

“We went into the game thinking some of these shorter passes would be an extension of our run game, some longer handoffs,” Cutler said. “It worked early on, and then we had to try to push the ball down the field a little bit.”

Led by the Stafford-Johnson connection, the Lions scored 21 consecutive points in the second quarter to take a 24-14 halftime lead.

The Bears grabbed an 11-point lead late in the first quarter after a Stafford turnover. The Detroit quarterback fumbled inside his own 10-yard line on a strip sack by defensive end Jared Allen, who recovered the ball. Jeffery then scored his second touchdown with a leaping catch of a throw from a backpedaling Cutler.

Johnson’s first touchdown was the team’s first in three games. He soared through the air between two defenders to haul in Stafford’s 25-yard strike.

Bell extended the ball just over the goal line on fourth down with 3:18 left in the half to put Detroit on top 17-14. The Lions boosted their lead with 24 seconds remaining in the half on Johnson’s 6-yard catch near the left corner of the zone.

Robbie Gould’s 35-yard field goal capped Chicago’s opening drive of the second half, cutting the Lions’ lead to 24-17.

Bell’s second 1-yard touchdown, on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Matt Prater’s 40-yard field goal completed the scoring.

What the Lions said:

“I think and still do believe that he’s capable of having great games. I do think that you haven’t seen the best of him yet. This was outstanding today, but I think he’s capable of just continuing to rise. He’s kind of in that age range, years of service range, where you start to see an escalation in play.” — Coach Jim Caldwell, on quarterback Matthew Stafford.

What the Bears said:

“It’s just frustrating because as a team, the talent we have on our team, we definitely are underachieving. A few guys have to do some soul-searching for the rest of the season and plan how they want to play the rest of these games.” — Running back Matt Forte.

What we learned about the Lions:

1. All is not lost with their offensive attack, at least against mediocre and weak teams. After failing to score a touchdown on the road against two division leaders, the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, the Lions looked just fine against the Bears. They racked up 474 total yards, all but 91 through the air. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was back in his comfort zone playing in a friendly dome, and he connected on 34 of 45 attempts. Top receivers Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate were able to gain separation, unlike the previous two games, and they combined for 19 receptions.

2. Joique Bell could be a workhorse back if the Lions choose to go in that direction. Reggie Bell was forced to sit out for the fifth time this season due to an ankle injury, and all of the team’s carries went to the physical Bell. He carried 23 times total and gained 75 of his 91 yards after halftime. “We stuck to it,” Bell said. “That’s the run game, that’s the NFL for you. We keep pounding and pounding, and eventually, something is going to open up.”

–WR Calvin Johnson had his best outing of the season, catching a season-high 11 passes for 146 yards and two first-half touchdowns. Johnson finally seems to be close to full strength after struggling through a high ankle sprain most of the season. He surpassed the 10,000-yard career receiving mark in his 115th career game, setting the NFL record for fewest games played to hit that milestone. “It’s huge, man,” he said. “It’s big.”

–LT Cornelius Lucas and RG Travis Swanson filled in admirably with the Lions missing two of their starting offensive lineman. Riley Reiff and Larry Warford were sidelined because of knee injuries, and coach Jim Caldwell was impressed by the way the two rookies performed. Lucas was making his first career start. “You have to commend those guys,” Caldwell said. “They’re working against some pretty formidable rushers.”

–FS Glover Quin made his team-high fourth interception during the fourth quarter off a deflection from CB Darius Slay. Quin’s interception total is a career best. He had three interceptions in his first season with the Lions last year and three for Houston in 2010. The six-year veteran also made seven tackles Thursday, five unassisted.

–WR Golden Tate bounced back from pedestrian performances in the losses to Arizona and New England, recording eight receptions for 89 yards against the Bears. He had six catches combined in the previous two games. Tate, signed away from Super Bowl champion Seattle, has 80 receptions for 1,136 yards in his breakout season.

What we learned about the Bears:

1. Chicago has no confidence in its running game. The Bears began the day ranked 20th in rushing at 100.5 yards per game but didn’t even try to find some semblance of balance against the league’s top-ranked rushing defense. Chicago attempted only eight rushes, with top back Matt Forte carrying five times for 6 yards. The decision to go with a short passing game produced diminishing returns. “It started out well; we just couldn’t sustain it,” Chicago coach Mark Trestman said.

2. The Bears’ pass rush is ineffective even when it rushes five or more defenders. The Lions were playing without arguably their two best offensive linemen, left tackle Riley Reiff and right guard Larry Warford, yet the Bears only sacked Matt Stafford twice on 47 drop-backs. Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson had a field day going up against single coverage on many plays, catching a season-high 11 passes for 146 yards and two scores.

–WR Alshon Jeffery was the biggest bright spot in an otherwise dreary performance. Jeffery caught two first-quarter touchdown passes and finished with a team-high nine receptions for 71 yards. Jeffery raced in on a screen for a 10-yard score and made a leaping grab for a 6-yard touchdown. Jeffery, who has battled a hamstring injury most of the season, stood on the sideline during Chicago’s final possession but didn’t seem to be in any discomfort.

–TE Martellus Bennett caught eight passes, one shy of his season high, for 109 yards. Bennett was targeted 11 times, tying his season high, as the Bears stuck with their passing game throughout. He now has 65 receptions for 737 yards, though his scoreless streak extended to four games.

–DE Jared Allen had a strip-sack and fumble recovery against Detroit QB Matthew Stafford in the first quarter. He also had another sack and was credited with three quarterback hurries. The Lions seem to bring out the best in Allen, who was a huge disappointment prior to his Thanksgiving Day outburst. The veteran free agent from Minnesota had just 2 1/2 sacks this season entering the game.

–S Chris Conte sustained an eye injury during the first half and did not return. Conte was concussed twice earlier in the season, and he left the field for another concussion evaluation Thursday, but the injury was announced as an eye issue. Coach Mark Trestman did not have an update after the game.