NEW ORLEANS (AP) Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions will have some fond memories of the way they came together this season, even if they regret it took them too long to get rolling.
Advertisement
Seattle voting on bill to let Uber drivers unionize
Selfishly, the availability of reliable drivers and both the hailing and payment mechanisms works great for me and many others. Although the bill doesn’t address drivers’ employment status, it does extend to them rights usually reserved for employees.
The Detroit Lions defeated the New Orleans 35-27 Monday Night, as their first half lead proved to be insurmountable despite a second half onslaught from the Saints’ offense, led by a hobbled Drew Brees.
US To Provide Arms Soon To Iraqi Kurds To Fight IS
Turkey’s military said the camp was hit by Katyusha rockets fired by ISIL during a battle with Iraq’s Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. USA officials hope these opposition forces will ratchet up pressure on Raqqa, the Islamic State’s de facto capital there.
The Lions’ last-ranked running game accounted for 150 yards and two TDs against New Orleans’ last-ranked run defense, with Ameer Abdullah and Joique Bell each scoring a TD and rushing for more than 70 yards. The Lions then held the Saints without a score on five consecutive downs inside the Detroit 5.
Texans quarterback situation uncertain because of injuries
What Jackson did, attacking downhill and taking out blockers so other teammates could make plays, will not be on the stat sheet. Head coach Chuck Pagano made that announcement on Monday. “We started well, and our defense created great field position”.
Afterwards, Brees said he didn’t quite know what was going on, but did acknowledge that the injury was to his foot, not his ankle. With 1:06 left in the first quarter the Saints cut the Lions’ lead to 7-3.
Play of the game: The Saints had just trimmed the lead to 28-20 in the fourth quarter after scoring 17 unanswered points.
Unfortunately for New Orleans, Stafford went 22-of-25 on the night with three touchdowns while spreading the ball around to nine different receivers. Andersen played 25 NFL seasons and is the league’s all-time leader in points (2,544) and field goals (565), including 40 of at least 50 yards. He fumbled for the fifth time this season and lost it early in the fourth quarter.
Eric Ebron made the biggest play of the Lions’ next drive, taking a 46-yard catch-and-run down to the Saints’ 13-yard line.
The 36-year-old Brees has managed to shrug off ailments and niggles throughout his career but had the first injury-induced (shoulder) absence of his Saints tenure in September.
But the Lions put the game away on Bell’s 1-yard run with 5:24 left, making it 35-20.
The Lions’ defense also thwarted a late first-half drive by New Orleans, Brees connected with Cooks for an apparent 29-yard touchdown, but Cooks was ruled down at the Detroit 1. However, the Saints failed to score due to a freakish series of plays.
The Saints finally got on the scoreboard with an actual touchdown, when Cooks got behind the defense to snare a Brees pass that the receiver turned into a 27 yard score. Saints P Thomas Morstead’s onside kick scooted 10 yards, and Johnson scooped up the ball to protect the Lions’ lead.
But the way the Lions offense played in this game, they acted like their playoffs hopes were on the line.
“Guys are still excited and working hard”, said Lions receiver Golden Tate, who caught two touchdown passes in New Orleans. It certainly wasn’t one of Ellerbe’s best games in a Saints uniform, as the Detroit running backs piled up yards through the air and on the ground.
Two plays later they thought they’d scored again on a 1-yard Tim Hightower run, but an illegal formation penalty called the play back.
Advertisement
STEADY STAFFORD: While Stafford has proven his ability to connect deep down field, his night in New Orleans was characterized mainly by shorter, decisive, accurate throws.
