Monday, October 29, 2012

Stafford leads Detroit Lions past Seahawks

With just seconds remaining and trailing by a field goal, Matthew Stafford connected with wide receiver Titus Young, lifting the Detroit Lions to a 28-24 win over Seattle.

Stafford and Young connected with just 20 seconds remaining, sealing the win for Detroit in comeback fashion.

Both Stafford and Young played their best game of the season, solidified by the clutch play that capped off the game-winning 80-yard drive.  Stafford was at his best in the final minutes, completing 10 passes for 75 yards in the final drive.

Stafford finished the game with 352 yards and three touchdowns through the air as well as a one-yard rushing touchdown.  Stafford finally looked confident in this game, and he made the difference for Detroit.

Stafford was once again magical in the fourth quarter, leading the Lions to 14 fourth-quarter points.  But it was Stafford’s good play early that set the tone and allowed the Lions to stick with their game plan for all four quarters.

Young’s heroics culminated with nine catches for 100 yards and two TDs, his best game this year by a long shot.  Plagued by inconsistency and drops this season, Young needed to step up in this game and did in a big way.  With Nate Burleson out for the year, it is now Young’s responsibility to get open when defenses key on Calvin Johnson.  In this game, Young was able to do exactly that, reeling in all nine of his targets.

This was Detroit’s best game of the year, and they made just a handful of mistakes.  While the mistakes weren’t numerous, they were costly.  Their first big blunder was allowing running back Marshawn Lynch to rumble 77 yards untouched for a score.  Then, in the second half, Stafford threw his only interception, an ill-advised throw that Seattle safety Earl Thomas came down with deep inside Seattle territory.

The interception was another troubling turnover in opposing territory, something the Lions need to remedy.
That said, Detroit played a solid game overall, moving the ball on offense and containing the Seahawks’ offense save the one big run.

Now standing at 3-4, the Lions aren’t quite dead.  Remember, the defending Super Bowl champs were 7-7 at one point last year, and when Green Bay won two seasons ago, they were that same 7-7.
If the Lions can pick up momentum from this win and continue playing the kind of football they played today, it is possible (although highly unlikely) that they can get on a streak and move up in the NFC North standings.

Robert White


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