Lions Avoid Late Collapse with Victory Over the Saints
The Detroit Lions avoided a late collapse on Sunday to get away with a 33-28 victory over the New Orleans Saints and improve to 9-3 on the season. The victory for the Lions keeps them in firm control to win their first NFC North division title for the first time since 1993 when it was the NFC Central. The Saints' loss comes with a big blow as they fall to 5-7 on the season and their starting quarterback Derek Carr, was forced to leave the game early in the fourth quarter due to back, shoulder, and head injuries. Despite the loss of Carr, the Saints managed to crawl back into the game late but were unable to complete the comeback over the Lions. Let’s look at how the Lions came out with the victory this afternoon.
The Lions would begin the game on their first drive marching down the field for a two-yard touchdown run by running back David Montgomery to take a quick 7-0 lead in the first quarter. The Lions' defense would force a turnover on the Saints' first possession of the game with a Carr interception to safety Brian Branch, setting the Lions' offense up in excellent field position. The Lions would quickly capitalize on the forced interception with a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Sam LaPorta for a 14-0 lead. The Lions would score a touchdown on their third straight drive to begin the game on a 25-yard pass to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to extend their lead to 21-0 in the first quarter. The Saints would get on the board with a touchdown drive ending on a six-yard pass to tight end Jimmy Graham to cut the deficit to 21-7 midway through the second quarter. The Lions would head into halftime with a 24-7 lead following a 26-yard field goal by kicker Riley Patterson.
The Saints would begin their comeback attempt to begin the second half starting with a touchdown drive ending in a two-yard rush by running back Alvin Kamara to cut their deficit to 24-14 in the third quarter. The Saints would get the football back quickly following a Lions punt and would capitalize with another touchdown run by Kamara to cut the Lions’ lead to 24-21 late in the third quarter. The Lions would extend their lead to 27-21 following a 32-yard field goal by Patterson heading into the fourth quarter. The Lions' defense would pounce on a fumble by Carr to set up shop for the offense in Saints territory. The Lions would take advantage of the fumble by the Saints, and it would result in a 19-yard touchdown rush by running back Jameson Williams to increase their lead to 33-21 in the fourth quarter. The Saints would lose Carr for the remainder of the game on their corresponding drive following a penalized hit by linebacker Bruce Irvin. However, they were able to muster together another touchdown drive on Kamara’s third touchdown run of the game to cut the Lions' lead to 33-28 with seven minutes remaining.
New Orleans' defense would force the Lions to punt on their next drive to allow their offense an opportunity to put together a game-winning drive. However, the Lions' defense would hold strong to force the Saints to turn the football over on downs following an incomplete pass by backup quarterback Jameis Winston to wide receiver Chris Olave with three minutes left in the game. The Lions would run out the clock following a crucial third-down conversion with under two minutes left to end the game and leave with the win. In the victory, Lions’ quarterback Jared Goff went 16 for 25, with 213 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Lions relied heavily on wide receiver Sam LaPorta, who had nine receptions for 140 yards and one touchdown. For the Saints, Carr left the game having gone 17 for 22, with 226 passing yards, one touchdown, and an interception. The Saints' star receiver Chris Olave had a standout game having five receptions for 119 yards. The Lions will complete their two-game road trip with a Week 14 matchup against the Bears, while the Saints will host the struggling Panthers as they aim to remain relevant in the NFC South division race down the stretch run.
