SideLion Report
FanSided

The 2017 Detroit Lions are never truly out of a game

By Payne Schanski

NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 15: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions throws a shuffle pass during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 15, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Lions 52-38. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 15: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions throws a shuffle pass during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 15, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Lions 52-38. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 3
Next

Sunday’s rottenly entertaining game at New Orleans ended in defeat, but once again shows just how resilient this Detroit Lions team can be.

NEW ORLEANS, LA – OCTOBER 15: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions throws a shuffle pass during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 15, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Lions 52-38. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – OCTOBER 15: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions throws a shuffle pass during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 15, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Lions 52-38. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

It’s becoming a new cliche around Detroit. Not yet as persistent as the tried and true “Same Old Lions”, but it’s growing. No matter the score, the Detroit Lions are never truly out of a game.

Detroit’s 52-38 loss to the Saints took that sentiment to its logical extreme. After falling behind 45-10 in the third quarter and losing yet another turnover (an apparent Ameer Abdullah fumble) this was it. For the first time in a few years, a game where Detroit was positively, absolutely finished, long before the final whistle.

I was past being mad or emotional or upset or anything like that. I laughed to myself a little bit, darkly fantasizing just how out of hand things could get. After all, if you’re going down, I guess you might as well go down in flames. Lions radio commentator Jim Brandstatter was thinking the same thing: “If you’re going to get it out of your system, might as well do it in one day.”

Right after the Abdullah ‘fumble’, 52, 59, or even 66-10 all seemed to be in play for potential final scores. Was 73-10 completely out of the question at that point? Even if it’s against the Lions, who wouldn’t love to see an NFL team put up 70 in a game?

As it turned out, Abdullah was down before he fumbled it. Lions get the ball back, trailing by a manageable 35 points. It got pretty bizarre after that.

“The Lions are never out of it.”

They still might not win a whole lot, but they’re at least going to make things entertaining. The mangled corpse of Matthew Stafford probably just should have started his bye week early, but he went back out there.

For a little perspective on just how crazy the final quarter and half of this game became, consider

this: Stafford threw two more interceptions after it was 45-10, and the Lions still almost came all the way back.

With solid drives capped off by touchdown passes to Marvin Jones and Darren Fells, the third quarter ended with a still-not-respectable 45-24 deficit.  At least the unstoppable Saints offense mailed it in a little at that point, so the Lions defense finally got a few stops.

After a three-and-out early in the 4th quarter, lightning struck twice for Jamal Agnew, who was back in Monday Night form with another long punt return. “Forget 73-10“, I thought. “Suddenly it’s 45-31, and there’s actually still quite a bit of time left.”

I decided to text an important question to my brother.

Home/Lions News