Monday, December 3, 2012

Detroit Lions shocked by Luck, Colts

If there’s one thing we learned on Sunday, it’s that Andrew Luck can really play.

Despite throwing three interceptions and struggling in the second half, Luck was able to bring his team back from the dead and steal this game from Detroit on the game’s final play.

The Lions looked to be in line for a win when they led 33-21 with just four minutes to play, but then Luck took over.

The Colts first went on an 85-yard touchdown drive to make the score 33-28.  Indianapolis got the stop they needed and got the ball back with 1:07 to play.  Helped by a 15-yard horse collar penalty on DT Nick Fairley, Luck and the Colts drove down to the Lions’ 14 yard-line.

After stopping the Colts on three straight plays, the Lions had to come up with one final stop on fourth down with 4 seconds remaining.

But it was once again the play of Andrew Luck that tore the heart out of the Lions, as he scrambled around before dumping the ball to Donnie Avery, who scampered in for the game-winning score.

When the Lions looked up at the scoreboard, the clock read zeroes and the score was 35-33 in favor of the Colts.

For the third time in as many weeks, the Lions’ faithful once again left Ford Field with bricks in their stomachs.  Detroit became the first team since at least 1983 to lose three straight home games after leading at the 2-minute mark.

Now losers of three consecutive heartbreakers, the Lions are left wondering what they have to do to win a game.  There is no short answer to that question, but Detroit obviously has to get better at closing out games.

The Lions suffered from drops, injuries, and had to settle for four field goals.  Twice Detroit got into the red zone, but got only three points out of it.  Settling for a field goal isn’t always terrible, but those things are often the difference between winning and losing.

The worst news for Detroit in this game is that wide receiver Ryan Broyles may miss some time with a knee injury.  He went down early and didn’t return to the game.  With Titus Young’s future with the team very doubtful, this injury to Broyles leaves Detroit very shallow at wide receiver.

Detroit fans will have a tough time swallowing this loss, especially with the way it ended.  The Lions’ front four got pressure on Luck all day, but it was Luck who was able to create plays when his team needed it most.

The Lions were able to create three turnovers defensively, but when the game was on the line, it was once again Luck who prevailed.

Calvin Johnson caught a career-high 13 passes for 171 yards, but when he had a chance to catch a pass late in the game that would have ended it, he dropped it.

Another game, another gut-wrenching loss, and more questions for a Lions team that has had enough of answering them this year.

There’s nothing like a trip to Lambeau Field to answer those tough questions.

Follow me on twitter @ScottPeceny

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