The Detroit Lions earned an impressive season-opening road win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and their running backs provided a critical spark for both the team and fantasy players relying on their production.
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After the Lions scored another touchdown, Luck answered by leading the Colts to a field goal and two more TD passes to Doyle, the second with 37 seconds left to make it 35-34 rekindling images of his last-play TD pass to beat Detroit four years ago. However, down one with 37 seconds left in regulation, Stafford demonstrated great poise by completing three passes to three different receivers and setting Prater up for the game-winning field goal. For the game, he had 385 yards and four touchdowns, but for the Colts to compete, they need that running game early and often.
Stafford was brilliant Sunday, going 31 of 39 for 340 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Losing to the Detroit Lions 39-35 in a home opener isn’t a disgrace, but it’s certainly not a result that excites a fanbase still mired in a hangover after a miserable 8-8 2015 season. They also averaged 12 yards per reception, which is a testament to their shiftiness in the open field and ability to make defenders miss after hauling in receptions.
At East Rutherford, N.J., Mike Nugent kicked a 47-yard field goal with 54 seconds left, lifting the Bengals over the Jets. “So it’s got to be better”.
Sunday’s game presented a situation Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has faced many times – 21 times and counting.
So what would Caldwell had done if the Colts had not used a timeout? One team looks to get back to the postseason after coming off a hard and injury plagued season, while the other team tries to recover from the retirement of its best player. Apparently, the Lions have discovered one in defensive lineman Kerry Hyder, who was on the practice squad most of last season.
“Yeah, exhausted of talking about slow starts and exhausted of being a part of slow starts”, Luck said, the disappointment showing on his face.
It looked like Hilton may have gotten hurt on the play, but he stayed in on the very next play. On Sunday, the reaction was the same at halftime of Lions-Colts.
No miracle play went against the Lions. That seven-play drive covered 71 yards. “We said early on that that was one thing that we had to do a better job of”.
“I think he’s everything that we thought he would be”, Texans owner Bob McNair said.
The Lions once again found the end zone after an eight-play drive, pushing 75 yards down the field.
We saw glimpses of Stafford breaking out of this stoic shell last season. They have been on the losing end of so many similar tight games, it was significant. Colts fans then got a glimpse of undrafted rookie free agent, Josh Ferguson, who many in the Colts organization raved about this offseason after an impressive mini-camp and training camp, Robinson got his first taste of regular season NFL football and gained 14 on a pass play out of the backfield to get his team down to the Lions 29-yard line.
My point is this: You can’t just assume the Colts are going to score a go ahead touchdown. The Colts were in position to win the game because of Luck’s performance and because Prater missed an extra point when the Lions scored with 4:04 left. Then he found Melvin Jones Jr. for 22 yards to the Colts’ 25-yard line. Corners Darius Butler (ankle) and Vontae Davis (ankle), safety Clayton Geathers (foot), offensive lineman Joe Haeg (ankle) and defensive linemen Henry Anderson (knee) were the others. Detroit finished the game with 448 total yards.
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Andrew Luck isn’t broken.
