Mathew Stafford responds big in Detroit Lions win
By Mike Payton
37. 50. 34. 57. Final
Just a week ago, Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford had what many believe was the worst performance of his career. This week, Stafford Responded to being benched in the way the coaching staff or any fan could have hoped he would.
Stafford was not without mistakes on Sunday afternoon though. He threw an interception that was dumb and unnecessary in the grand scheme of that drive. But for the most part the seventh year quarterback was a sight to behold in the Lions first win of the season. Stafford threw away the game manager mode and threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns and even ran for 37 yards on the ground.
Oct 18, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) catches a touchdown pass while being pressured by Chicago Bears strong safety Ryan Mundy (21) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Lions won 37-34 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Another encouraging sight on Sunday was the Lions attacking the field with deep shots that paid off big in the end with Calvin Johnson making another huge Megatron like catch to set the Lions up for the game winning field goal.All told Johnson accounted for six receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown for his biggest game of the year and his biggest game in a while.
The game also had its controversy on a Golden Tate touchdown that looked a lot like an interception and furthers the confusion on what really is a catch in the NFL. Aside from that, Tate delivered as well on Sunday, notching six receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown.
Now to the bad stuff. It’s quite clear the Lions did everything they could possibly do to go 0-6 and the Bears just couldn’t capitalize. One muffed punt is pretty hard to do in the NFL, especially on a fair catch. But two muffed punts is near impossible. The Lions continue to find new and creative ways to turn the ball over in key moments of the game. This has to stop if the Lions plan to go on the magical 11 game win streak Glover Quin brought up this past week.
Whats worth fearing is the Lions defense had an extremely hard time stopping the 27th ranked offense. Allowing the Bears to score a season high 34 points and take a huge fourth quarter lead. The Lions did themselves no favors with the turnovers. but also killed their chances to win the game in regulation with the multiple penalties that advanced the Bears down the field. Most notably on the Bears final offensive drive of regulation.
The Lions got their win today. But must still fix a lot of issues before their next outing. The Vikings will not be as forgiving as the Bears in that regard.
Mike Payton is an Editor at SideLion Report. He is from Holland, Michigan by way of Warren, Michigan. He considers himself to be obsessed with the Detroit Lions. Mike’s work has been featured on ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, CBS Sports Radio and si.com. Mike is also a weekly contributor on It is what is with Sean Baligian on ESPN 96.1 and a contributor for The Holland Sentinel. Follow Mike Payton on Twitter@SLR_Mike
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