Pride Of Detroit

Stafford Leads Lions to Touchdown on Final Play to Beat Cleveland 38-37

2009-11-22T21:55:19Z

More photos » by Duane Burleson - AP

about 6 hours ago: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) and running back Kevin Smith, front right, celebrate Smith's 25-yard touchdown-reception against the Cleveland Brown in the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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Going into today, the expectation for the showdown between 1-8 teams was a sloppy and boring game that hopefully would be the Lions' second win of the season. What it turned out to be, however, was quite possibly the most amazing and ridiculous Lions game ever. It was the definition of a roller coaster ride, with both teams playing well at times and struggling as well. In the end, the Lions did come away with a win, but nobody could have predicted it to happen the way it did.

The roller coaster ride for the Lions started out with a terrible first quarter. The Browns stormed ahead to a 24-3 lead, and the Lions really made them look like the best team in the league despite the fact that Cleveland's offense has been virtually nonexistent for the better part of a year now. A Matthew Stafford interception actually led to the Browns' last touchdown, but he shook it off and the Lions started to get it going. Stafford threw a touchdown pass on three consecutive drives to bring the Lions back and tie the game at 24, with the last TD being a 75-yard pass to Calvin Johnson. Cleveland did add a late field goal to take a 3-point lead at halftime, but momentum was still on the Lions' side.

The roller coaster ride continued in the third quarter, as the Lions took the lead on a 1-yard pass to Will Heller, going up 31-27. Things started to fall apart shortly after, though. Stafford was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety, cutting the lead down to only 2 points. Then, in the fourth quarter, the Browns went down the field and scored a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to take a 37-31 lead. Stafford was picked off on the next drive and it looked like the Lions were about to be in position for one of the top picks of the draft. Hell, I even started writing the recap of this game with the title "Lions Fall to Browns 37-31 in Crazy Game." Boy was that premature.

The Lions' defense came up with a stop, and Matthew Stafford and company got the ball back on their 12-yard line with 1:46 to go and no timeouts. (Thankfully the Browns threw an incompletion on third down to save the Lions a good chunk of time.) Stafford got the drive started with 4 straight completions, moving the Lions into Cleveland territory. Detroit eventually got down to the 32-yard line and had 8 seconds left on the clock. On what looked like it would be the final play of the game, Stafford scrambled around and heaved a ball to the end zone that was picked off. There was a flag, however, that gave the Lions' one more chance. A Cleveland player was flagged for defensive pass interference, and since it happened in the end zone, the Lions got the ball at the 1-yard line. Stafford took a hard hit on the play and left the game with a shoulder injury, and Daunte Culpepper was set to come in for the last play of the game. Cleveland took a timeout to get ready for the last play, though, allowing Stafford to return despite doctors trying to keep him on the sideline. That timeout was very important, because Stafford connected with Brandon Pettigrew in the end zone for the game-tying touchdown. Stafford was in obvious pain after the score, but he managed to tough it out to put the Lions in position to win the game on the extra point. They did just that, as Jason Hanson booted the ball right through the uprights, giving the Lions an amazing 38-37 victory.

Further analysis will have to wait until I actually see the game, but you can bet I will be counting down the minutes until midnight, which is when it will be available to people in the blackout zone on NFL.com. I may watch that drive more than a few times, because it truly was the stuff that legends are made of. Stafford finished the day 26/43 for 422 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions, and considering he scored the last touchdown with a possibly seriously injured shoulder, it just adds to what will always be known as "The Drive" for him. How fitting that it came against the Cleveland Browns.

Lions vs. Browns - Overflow Thread #3

2009-11-22T20:33:08Z

Going into the fourth quarter, the Lions are leading the Browns by a score of 31-29.

Lions vs. Browns - Overflow Thread #2

2009-11-22T19:41:35Z

The Lions charged back in the second quarter to tie the game at 24, but the Browns lead 27-24 at halftime thanks to a late field goal.

Lions vs. Browns - Overflow Thread #1

2009-11-22T18:52:45Z

The Lions are shockingly down 24-10 to the Browns after one quarter of play.

Game #10 - Lions vs. Browns - Game Thread

2009-11-22T17:33:07Z

DETROIT LIONS (1-8)	GAME #10	CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-8)
	VS.

Date:	November 22, 2009	Location:	Detroit, MI
Time:	1:00 p.m. ET	Stadium:	Ford Field
TV:	CBS	Favorite:	Lions by 3.0
Weather:	Domed Stadium	Over/Under:	37.5
SBN Coverage:	Dawgs By Nature	Injury Report:	Click Here

Lions-Browns Inactives

2009-11-22T17:25:00Z

Detroit Lions

QB Drew Stanton
FB Terrelle Smith
WR Derrick Williams
OT Jon Jansen
C Melvin Fowler
DE Dewayne White
LB Ernie Sims
FS Kalvin Pearson

Cleveland Browns

QB Brett Ratliff
RB Jerome Harrison
WR Brian Robiskie
WR Jake Allen
OG Billy Yates
DE David Veikune
LB Arnold Harrison
DB Coye Francis

Week 11 Injury Report

2009-11-21T04:52:54Z

(Note: Longest injury report ever.)

DETROIT LIONS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
QB	Matthew Stafford	Knee	Probable
FB	Jerome Felton	Ankle	Probable
WR	Derrick Williams	Hip	Questionable
WR	Calvin Johnson	Hand	Probable
DE	Dewayne White	Toe	Questionable
DE	Jason Hunter	Knee	Probable
DT	Grady Jackson	Knee	Probable
DT	Joe Cohen	Ankle	Probable
LB	Ernie Sims	Hamstring	Out
LB	Zack Follett	Neck	Questionable
LB	Jordon Dizon	Neck	Probable
LB	Larry Foote	Knee	Probable
CB	Phillip Buchanon	Knee	Probable
S	Kalvin Pearson	Hamstring	Out
S	Louis Delmas	Tooth	Probable
S	Ko Simpson	Knee	Probable

CLEVELAND BROWNS
Pos.	Player	Injury	Status
RB	Jamal Lewis	Ankle	Questionable
FB	Lawrence Vickers	Shoulder	Questionable
WR	Joshua Cribbs	Neck	Questionable
WR	Chansi Stuckey	Calf	Probable
TE	Robert Royal	Finger	Probable
OT	John St. Clair	Shoulder	Probable
OG	Rex Hadnot	Knee	Questionable
C	Alex Mack	Wrist	Probable
DE	Kenyon Coleman	Groin	Probable
DT	Shaun Rogers	Back	Probable
LB	David Bowens	Knee	Probable

NFL INJURY REPORT GUIDE
Status	Definition
Probable	75% chance that the player will play in the game
Questionable	50% chance that the player will play in the game
Doubtful	25% chance that the player will play in the game
Out	0% chance that the player will play in the game

Friday Notes: Lions Place Stephen Peterman on IR, Sign Eric Fowler

2009-11-20T22:13:28Z

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (81), is congratulated by teammate guard Stephen Peterman (66) after his touchdown in the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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My thoughts go out to Chris Spielman and his family, as his wife, Stefanie, passed away yesterday after a long and courageous fight with breast cancer.
I was a bit surprised that Stephen Peterman wasn't one of the players placed on injured reserve earlier this week, because the ankle injury he suffered during the Vikings game looked pretty serious. Peterman was in an immense amount of pain and though he managed to walk off the field without any help, he had to be carted off to the locker room from the sideline. It was apparent the injury was serious, but nobody was really sure just how serious until today. I say that because the Lions have now placed Peterman on IR, ending his season. He will probably have to undergo ankle surgery, which is why the Lions went ahead and ended his season.
Replacing Peterman on the roster is wide receiver Eric Fowler, who was activated from the practice squad. A replacement for Peterman was really already signed earlier this week when Melvin Fowler joined the team, so the Lions decided to promote Fowler to fill the latest open spot on the active roster.
Kalvin Pearson and Ernie Sims are out this week.
It was thought that Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs might be out as well, but now it looks like he will play on Sunday against the Lions.
The reason Louis Delmas' absence from last Sunday's game was so unexpected was because Delmas himself thought he was going to play despite having a root canal and dental surgery on the Friday before the game. All was fine up until kickoff was approaching, which is when he realized he was in too much pain and couldn't play. It happened so soon before kickoff that he wasn't even on the inactive list, which actually ended up hurting the Lions' depth because so many other players got hurt during the game.
Jim Schwartz made some adjustments to the team's schedule this week in order to get ready for playing two games in five days.
The fate of the Silverdome will be decided by a judge by Monday at the latest.
Ernie Sims and a few of his snakes visited a class of fourth-graders earlier this week to talk about reptiles.
Shaun Rogers talked about his time in Detroit earlier this week.

Comcast Red Zone Recap: Week 10

2009-11-20T16:02:52Z

This post is sponsored by Comcast's NFL RedZone Channel.

Lions - 1 score on 1 chance (1 touchdown)

Once again, the Lions' offense spent very little time in the red zone. That has been the offense's biggest problem in the last month or so. They do quite well in the red zone, but they only make it inside the 20 a couple times a game at most it seems like. Against Minnesota, the Lions' lone red zone trip produced a touchdown on a pass to Will Heller. At the end of the first half the Lions could have possibly had another trip inside the red zone and got to the 20, but they immediately kicked a field goal, so I'm not going to count that.

Vikings - 4 scores on 6 chances (2 touchdowns, 2 field goals, 1 fumble, 1 turnover on downs)

The defense was also not much different than it has been this season. The Vikings had a whopping 6 trips to the red zone, but the Lions only gave up a couple touchdowns. On top of that, twice Minnesota didn't even score any points. That was because of a fumble and a failure to gain a yard on fourth down. The fumble was Adrian Peterson's fault when he lateraled the ball behind Percy Harvin and Sammie Hill ended up with it, but the other time the Vikings were kept off the scoreboard was when the defense made a stand on fourth down. All in all, I will take only giving up 2 touchdowns on 6 red zone opportunities every time.

Overall

It seems like I'm beating a dead horse because it's the same thing every week, but I'll say it one more time. The Lions' offense needs to get into the red zone more often, and defensively, the Lions need to keep their opponents out of the red zone. The defense's bend but don't break style works quite well when you consider that opposing teams' red zone efficiency based on touchdowns isn't all that great against the Lions, but the fact that teams are consistently getting into the red zone as many as 6 times a game is very concerning.

Browns Game Officially Blacked Out

2009-11-19T20:02:47Z

As expected, Sunday's game between the Lions and Browns has officially been blacked out. The Lions didn't announce how many tickets are still available, meaning the number probably isn't much different from what we heard yesterday. With around 7,000 unsold tickets and based on the fact that the attendance for the Rams game was just more than 40,000, I wouldn't expect a very big crowd at Ford Field on Sunday.

Like usual, Pride of Detroit will have play-by-play updates in the game threads. If you are in the blackout zone, your most reliable option to track the game outside of checking out POD is by listening to it on the radio, because whether or not there will be streams is always a guessing game. POD will do its best to keep track of ways to watch the game, but there are no promises since it is usually hit or miss.

Wednesday Notes: Stephen Peterman, Ernie Sims, Others Miss Practice

2009-11-18T23:50:51Z

According to John Niyo, the players listed below missed practiced today for the Lions.

Quick injury update from practice: Guard Stephen Peterman (ankle), linebacker Ernie Sims (hamstring), defensive end Dewayne White (toe), safety Kalvin Pearson (hamstring) and receiver Derrick Williams (hip) all are sitting out today.
Also according to Niyo, Daniel Loper has stepped in for Peterman at right guard.
Louis Delmas, who didn't end up playing against Minnesota because of an infected tooth, did practice, as did Larry Foote and Phillip Buchanon, who are both recovering from injuries.
According to Jim Schwartz, Anthony Henry is going to be active this Sunday and will be "in a lot of different roles." Schwartz specifically mentioned that Henry can play at outside cornerback, nickel cornerback, and safety.
Joshua Cribbs, perhaps the Browns' best player, missed practice today because of an injury that happened on the last play of Monday's game against the Ravens. The game was basically over, but Cribbs was still out there playing and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after receiving a big hit. Why you would have a player like that out there when the game has already been decided is beyond me, but this is Eric Mangini we are talking about. He may be one of the most incompetent coaches I've ever seen (the NFLPA is reportedly going to Cleveland to investigate his practice methods for crying out loud), and if you don't already think that, wait until you read the next bullet. As for Cribbs, he merely hopes to play on Sunday. For the Lions' sake, I hope he takes this game off, because he owned Detroit in the preseason.
Vikings cornerback Benny Sapp talked up Calvin Johnson yesterday, calling him the "best receiver in the league, hands down." He also said this about Megatron:

"He's like the LeBron James of football because of his size, speed and his knowledge of the game."
What's funny is that if Eric Mangini had it his way, LeBron James would be the LeBron James of football. James talked on Tuesday about how he could become a football player if he was committed to it, and Mangini said this about the possibility of him playing for a different Cleveland team:

"I think he should come on down," Mangini said.
Shaun Rogers was a bit more skeptical, but for marketing reasons alone I wouldn't hesitate to sign LeBron James if he truly wanted to become an NFL player. Still, Mangini must be pretty desperate if he has no qualms about an NBA player joining the team. Then again, without Joshua Cribbs, the Browns' top receiver is Mohamed Massaquoi, who was one of Matthew Stafford's targets at Georgia last year. Maybe signing James wouldn't be such a bad idea considering how little talent the Browns currently have, especially since Mangini thinks that the Cleveland Cavalier could play outside linebacker, wide receiver, and tight end.
The Lions have already been eliminated from contending for the NFC North title.

A Canadian real estate company won the auction for the Silverdome and will buy it for only $583,000. The plans for the Silverdome are to refurbish it and try to bring a Major League Soccer team to the area. To that I say good luck, because the Silverdome is way, way too big for an MLS team. Also, the commissioner of MLS sort of shot down the idea already, so I hope the new owners have a plan B. Regardless, it's nice to see that there are actually plans to do something with the Lions' former stadium, though I'm saddened that there will be no Pride of Detroit Dome.
Staying on the topic of the Silverdome, there is a story on WDIV's website about how a local development company is going to try to block the sale of the stadium to the Canadian real estate company. Why?

Silver Stallion lawyers said the company offered to purchase the stadium for $20 million but the negotiations broke down.

Silver Stallion, which describes itself as a minority company, claims that the city breached contract and racially discriminated against them.
I had to laugh when I read that. Yeah, the city of Pontiac turned down an extra $19.4 million because they didn't want to sell it to a minority company. Oh common sense, where art thou?
I'm going to blame all of the recent injuries on Tom Kowalski because he jinxed the Lions about 40 minutes before Sunday's game.

The Lions, though, aren't really in need of roster spots at this point in the season. The Lions are in relatively good shape physically -- Sims is believed to be the only player on today's inactive list because of an injury. The rest of the inactives are coaching decisions.
The inactive list will definitely not include only one injured player this week.

(The above quote is from Kowalski's story about how Ernie Sims' injury reportedly isn't season-ending, by the way.)
It was nice not having Brett Favre in the division last year, because he owns the Lions.
This week's SB Nation power rankings have been posted.
Jon Gruden signed an extension with ESPN, meaning he won't be getting a job in the NFL (or with Notre Dame) anytime soon.
The Bills fired Dick Jauron.
The Bengals signed Larry Johnson.
Vikings coach Brad Childress is likely going to receive a contract extension in the near future. I'm fine with that, because Childress really doesn't seem like that great of a head coach. Some of the decisions he made on Sunday left me scratching my head, and if it weren't for Brett Favre, he would probably be on the hot seat right now.

"He's still, I believe, in the college mode," Edwards said of Cherilus, pointing to the offensive...

2009-11-18T23:29:58Z

"He's still, I believe, in the college mode," Edwards said of Cherilus, pointing to the offensive tackle's pass-blocking technique.

Specifically, Edwards said Cherilus "turns his shoulders quickly."

Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards on Gosder Cherilus

7,000 Tickets Remain for Sunday's Game

2009-11-18T22:18:07Z

It looks like Sunday's game between the Lions and Browns is headed for a blackout. 7,000 tickets are still available for Sunday's game, and the deadline to reach a sellout is 1 p.m. tomorrow. Of course, if the Lions somehow sell a few thousand tickets and show that they can reach a sellout, then a 24-hour extension will be granted on the deadline. If that doesn't happen, though, the game will almost certainly be blacked out.

So far this season there have only been two blackouts -- when the Redskins and Rams came to Detroit. Before the Rams game was officially ruled a blackout, there were around 10,000 tickets, so having only 7,000 available is at least an improvement.

The Lions have another home game a week from tomorrow, but considering that is the Thanksgiving game and the Packers are Detroit's opponent, there is no chance that will be blacked out. Even last year the Lions sold out the Thanksgiving game against the Titans, so with Green Bay coming to town, I'd bet on it being sold out. I'd also bet on seeing a lot of cheese heads at Ford Field. It's less than ideal to have opposing fans take over your team's stadium, but if that means I can actually watch the game, I'm fine with it.

Lions Sign Two, Place Jack Williams, Marquand Manuel on Injured Reserve

2009-11-18T19:25:36Z

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

2 months ago: Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) is stopped by Detroit Lions safety Marquand Manuel (40) during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

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The repercussions from Sunday's injury-filled game are now being felt, because at least two players are out for the season and have been placed on injured reserve. Cornerback Jack Williams and safety Marquand Manuel have already been placed on IR, and it's possible that Stephen Peterman could end up joining them at some point.

Williams was just claimed off waivers by Detroit a week ago and tore his left ACL on his first play with the Lions. The injury is disappointing not only because of how soon it happened, but also because Williams has a lot of potential that will go unseen until 2010. The hope was for Williams to come in and continue to develop as a pro cornerback, but the knee injury will be putting that development on hold.

Manuel hurt his shoulder against the Vikings and is being shut down for the rest of the season as well. It seemed like Manuel had hurt something in every game this season, but up until now, none of his ailments had been serious. That is no longer the case, and the Lions have lost another defensive back because of an injury.

To replace the two open spots on the roster created by the injuries to Williams and Manuel, the Lions signed safety DeAngelo Smith and offensive lineman Melvin Fowler. Smith was a fifth-round pick by the Cowboys this year and was most recently on the Bears' practice squad. Fowler is a veteran that most recently was on the Cardinals. He spent exactly a month in Arizona right before the start of the season and was cut loose on September 4. He actually took Donovan Raiola's spot on Arizona's roster when he was originally signed. Donovan is Dominic Raiola's brother, and at some point Fowler could be lining up next to him in Detroit. (Another odd coincidence is that Donovan Raiola is currently on the Bears' practice squad, which is where the Lions got Smith from. It's definitely a small world.)

Right now there is no specific word on just how serious Stephen Peterman's ankle injury is, but considering he was carted to the locker room after it happened, I wouldn't expect him to be back anytime soon. To steal Jim Schwartz's favorite word when describing injuries, Peterman's ankle problem seems significant. The Lions haven't placed him on IR, but it doesn't look like he will be returning in the immediate future.

Drive-By-Drive Breakdown of Vikings' 27-10 Win Over Lions

2009-11-18T13:40:10Z

More photos » by Jerry Holt - AP

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) carries the ball while being tackled by Detroit Lions linebacker Julian Peterson (59) after picking up a first down in the third quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Star Tribune, Jerry Holt)

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(Note: Apologies for the lack of posting the last couple of days. I've been swamped with class-related things and have had quite a few technical issues as well. Expect a bunch of posts in the next 24 hours or so as I catch up on everything.)

Here is a drive-by-drive look at how the Vikings beat the Lions by a score of 27-10 on Sunday.

1st Quarter

The Vikings got the ball first and quickly moved down the field, picking up a pretty decent amount of yards on each play. Eventually they ended up with the 3rd and 7 inside the Lions' 10-yard line, and the defense came up with a big stop, bringing Adrian Peterson down at the 4-yard line. Ryan Longwell connected on a 22-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 3-0 lead.
For the second straight game, the Lions moved the ball well on their first drive of the game and had it end on a missed field goal. After picking up one third-down conversion thanks to a 7-yard pass to Calvin Johnson, the offense stalled. Matthew Stafford found Derrick Williams for a gain of 6 on 3rd and 10, which actually proved to be an important play. On the ensuing punt, a Vikings player jumped offside, giving the Lions free 5 yards and a first down. The offense didn't pick up another first down on the drive, but the penalty extended the drive helped put them in field goal range. Unfortunately, like last week, Jason Hanson made another rare mistake, kicking the 48-yard field goal just wide right.

Minnesota wasted little time in moving the ball back into Lions territory, picking up big gains on a couple passes to Sidney Rice and a run by Adrian Peterson. Suddenly it was 1st and 10 at the 17, and Brad Childress decided to get fancy. The Vikings attempted to run a reverse to Percy Harvin, but Peterson's toss went behind Harvin. The ball bounced around and eventually was recovered by Sammie Hill to give the Lions the ball at their 29-yard line.
The Lions' next drive got off to a good start with a 6-yard run by Stafford, but an incredibly dumb penalty on Brandon Pettigrew at the end of the play backed Detroit up 15 yards. Stafford was already running out of bounds when Pettigrew blindsided a Vikings player and knocked him to the ground. It was a completely unnecessary play and basically killed this drive. The Lions were unable to gain 19 yards to move the chains, and the second quarter began with a punt.

2nd Quarter

The Vikings went in the wrong direction thanks to a penalty as well. A holding call made it 2nd and 17, and after an incompletion, Brett Favre was sacked by Joe Cohen for a loss of 4.
The Lions' next drive started with an encroachment penalty on Minnesota. Despite having 1st and 5, though, the Lions didn't move the chains. In fact, Matthew Stafford was sacked on first down, and the drive went nowhere after that.
Facing a 3rd and 8, the Vikings got a free play when a Lions player jumped offside. Favre simply heaved the ball down the field, hoping for a big play, and Sidney Rice cashed in on that big play by making a catch for a gain of 43. The catch should have been negated by a Vikings penalty, however. Rice clearly pushed off on the defensive back covering him, and that allowed him to make the catch. No flag was thrown, though, and Adrian Peterson broke a bunch of tackles and ran into the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown on the very next play.
Following a three and out by the Lions, it looked like the Vikings were about to put this game away. Favre found Rice again for a gain of 43 yards, this time thanks to no coverage whatsoever. The big gain on 3rd and 4 moved the Vikings deep into Lions territory and set up what appeared to be a possible game-changing play at the time. After moving the chains on an 11-yard pass to Adrian Peterson, Favre threw a couple incompletions and then found Rice for a gain of 9 to make it 4th and 1. The Vikings decided to go for it, and Grady Jackson and company absolutely stuffed the rushing attempt on fourth down. Rather than give the ball to the best back in football, the fullback got the handoff, and he went nowhere.
Now with a big wave of momentum, it was up to the offense to ride it to the Lions' first points of the game. That didn't happen because of another three and out, which led to an amazing sequence of events.
On the second play of the Vikings' next drive, Adrian Peterson again broke a bunch of tackles and had a clear path to the end zone. He wasn't expecting to even be touched, but Phillip Buchanon sprinted, chased Peterson down, and punched the ball out of his hands. It eventually ended up going into the end zone, which is where it was recovered by Jordon Dizon. It looked like the Vikings were going to go up 17-0, but Buchanon's great play kept this a relatively close game for the time being.
The Lions did turn this turnover into points, taking most of the final 2:04 off the clock and getting a 38-yard Jason Hanson field goal in the last seconds of the first half. It appeared that the Lions had enough time to take one last shot to the end zone, but Jim Schwartz didn't feel the risk was worth the reward and decided to take the points to make this a 10-3 game at halftime. It could have been 10-7, but Bryant Johnson dropped a great pass in the end zone for what would have (and should have) been a touchdown.

3rd Quarter

Aside from the Bears game earlier this season, this was the worst start to a second half for one team that I've ever seen. Kevin Smith fumbled the ball on the first play of the third quarter and Ray Edwards recovered. On the first play of the second half for the Vikings, Adrian Peterson again broke some tackles and ran all the way down to the 1, where he punched it in on the next play.
Needing a good drive to get back in this game, Matthew Stafford took control of the team and moved the ball very effectively mainly through the air. Some Maurice Morris runs were sprinkled into the drive, as was a big unnecessary roughness penalty on Ray Edwards. He came flying (literally) in at Stafford on third down and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Vikings. Fortunately, the referees flagged Edwards for a personal foul due to contact to the head. Two plays later, Stafford found Will Heller in the middle of the end zone for a touchdown.
After the Vikings went three and out, the Lions had a chance to tie the game, especially with the great field position. Kevin smith was dropped for a loss of 4 on first down, but gains of 3 and 10 yards made it 4th and 1 on the Minnesota 48. I was hoping the Lions would go for it since a touchdown drive would tie the game up, but Detroit punted.
The third quarter came to an end with the two teams trading punts.

4th Quarter

The Lions' chances of winning this game basically ended along with the third quarter. Brett Favre found Sidney Rice for a gain of 56 thanks to more poor coverage on the first play of the fourth, and two plays later Favre found a receiver in the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown, putting the Vikings on top 24-10.
After moving the chains once, the Lions faced 4th and 1 at their 39. It was originally 4th and 6, but a defensive delay of game penalty gave the Lions 5 free yards. It was more risky this time being on their own side of the field, but I again wanted the Lions to go for it to make Minnesota pay for the penalty, but Jim Schwartz decided to punt the ball away. I don't blame him for that decision as it is the conventional one, but at that point it was obvious that the Lions were fading fast and needed to hang on to the ball.
Percy Harvin brought any momentum still on the Lions' side over to Minnesota three plays into the next possession. DeAndre Levy tried to put a big hit on Harvin, but the former Florida Gator bounced off of him and kept running, eventually picking up 40 yards. The Vikings moved into the red zone and were unable to score a touchdown, but a 35-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell made this a 27-10 game.
The Lions turned the ball over on downs after only one first-down conversion, and Tarvaris Jackson made an appearance for the Vikings. Minnesota went three and out, and the Lions followed that up with a rather promising drive that again ended on a failed fourth-down conversion.
Minnesota got the ball back and simply ran out the clock to seal their 27-10 victory.

As bad as the defense played and despite all of the big plays and yards they gave up, Minnesota struggled to put the ball into the end zone on quite a few possessions in the first half. This gave the offense a chance to make this a tied game or one that the Lions led in, but it was evident that that wasn't going to happen because of the Lions' offensive line and the Vikings' defensive line. Minnesota's pass rush didn't allow Matthew Stafford to do anything, and he took a beating because of it.

This upcoming Sunday is the Lions' best chance to win another game. The Browns look pathetic on offense, though I just have a bad feeling that the Lions will find a way to make Brady Quinn and company look good. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on FOX, though the game will probably be blacked out locally.

Lions Get Beat Up by Vikings, Lose 27-10

2009-11-15T21:39:03Z

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

7 days ago: Detroit Lions safety Ko Simpson (30) brings down Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sidney Rice after a nine-yard pass from Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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Matthew Stafford dropped back to pass around 54 times today, and he was hurried, hit, or sacked on about 70% of those plays. That stat alone sums up how today's game against the Vikings went for the Lions, because Minnesota pummeled Detroit and beat them up both statistically and physically. The Vikings out-gained the Lions in the total yards department by a whopping number of 492-297 and won the game by a score of 27-10. It seemed like at least 10 different players got hurt for the Lions during this game, including a few defensive backs, a receiver or two, and also Stephen Peterman, who had to be carted off to the locker room. There were others who got banged up but either returned to the game or stayed in, and in general it's evident that this team is hurting right now quite a bit. It was a rough day for the Lions in more ways than one, and I imagine the injury report will be quite big next week.

The Lions' biggest problem in the first half of this game was a lack of offensive production. The defense gave up a ton of yards, but Minnesota only managed to score 10 points because of turnovers and a big fourth-down stand by the Lions' defense. The issue was that Minnesota's defense was playing an amazing game, containing the Lions' rushing game and not even giving Matthew Stafford a chance to effectively pass the ball. He had defenders in his face about 1 second after the snap on most plays, and although he managed to escape pressure on a few occasions, the Vikings just didn't let him do anything. The offensive line played terrible and Stafford paid the price.

Minnesota came out and started the second half with a fumble recovery on the first play of the third quarter and a touchdown run on the very next play. It looked like the Lions were going to fall apart and get blown out like we have seen so many times this season, but Detroit answered with a solid drive that was capped off by a touchdown pass to Will Heller. That got the Lions within 7 points of Minnesota, but the Vikings eventually put the game out of reach thanks to more solid defense and a bunch of big plays made possible by Brett Favre. It didn't help that Lions receivers dropped quite a few passes yet again, because the offense needed to play perfect to have a shot at winning on this day.

Next up for the Lions is a home game against one of the teams that is just as bad as them, the Cleveland Browns. There will be a quick turnaround after that game with Thanksgiving coming up the following week. The Packers will come to Ford Field just four days later, making for what will be the Lions' third game in 11 days. With the way injuries piled up today, it will be important for this team to get healthy quickly and not get banged up any more next week against Cleveland. If that happens, Detroit may have a tough time even fielding a team when Green Bay comes to town.

Lions at Vikings - Overflow Thread #2

2009-11-15T20:37:59Z

More photos » by Andy King - AP

7 days ago: Detroit Lions running back Kevin Smith, center, runs against Minnesota Vikings' Madieu Williams (20) and Kevin Williams (93) in the first quarter of their NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Andy King)

Browse more photos »

After three quarters of play in Minnesota, the Lions are down 17-10 to the Vikings.

Lions at Vikings - Overflow Thread #1

2009-11-15T19:33:38Z

At halftime, the Lions trail the Vikings by a score of 10-3.

Game #9 - Lions at Vikings - Game Thread

2009-11-15T17:30:27Z

DETROIT LIONS (1-7)	GAME #9	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-1)
	AT

Date:	November 15, 2009	Location:	Minneapolis, MN
Time:	1:00 p.m. ET	Stadium:	HHH Metrodome
TV:	FOX	Favorite:	Vikings by 17.0
Weather:	Domed Stadium	Over/Under:	47.5
SBN Coverage:	Daily Norseman	Injury Report:	Click Here

Lions-Vikings Inactives

2009-11-15T17:07:20Z

Detroit Lions

QB Drew Stanton
RB Aaron Brown
OT Ephraim Salaam
OT Daniel Loper
DE Cliff Avril
DT Landon Cohen
LB Ernie Sims
CB Anthony Henry

Minnesota Vikings

QB Sage Rosenfels
RB Albert Young
WR Jaymar Johnson
C Jon Cooper
DE Jayme Mitchell
DT Letroy Guion
LB Erin Henderson
CB Antoine Winfield