Yes, it was a game-winning play for Johnson, who caught the nine-yard touchdown pass from Mariota in between Lions linebacker Tahir Whitehead and safety Rafael Bush to give the Titans a 16-15 victory. Caldwell punted on 4th-and-3 from the 39 in the second quarter, when he could have trusted Stafford to make a play.
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PASS DEFENSE: B – The Lions allowed just three points in the first three quarters Sunday, but had no answer for Marcus Mariota in the fourth. “That’s why he’s going to be in the Hall of Fame”.
There was plenty to be frustrated about for 58 minutes of the Tennessee Titans game against the Detroit Lions, but all it took was two minutes to erase it all.
Johnson says it was just his job to make the catch.
A fan of the Detroit Lions watches action during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Ford Field on September 18, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan.
Tackling was poor to say the least, with multiple failures led by players trying to arm-tackle rather than relying on the fundamentals and squaring up. “Everybody had their hand in it – receivers, running backs, tight end, O-line, me – from the offensive side of the ball”. Staying with the “stinkbomb” theme, Bleacher Report’s Chris Simms said the Lions need “one Costco-sized container of detergent”. “I don’t know. It was a lot of them, though”. Especially exemplified by Demarco Murray’s running in this game, the Titans look to be fighting for extra yards and fighting hard in the trenches.
Detroit finished with 17 penalties for 138 yards, and Tennessee was flagged 12 times for 83 yards.
The Titans had trailed by 12 heading into the fourth quarter, but that’s when the offense put together a touchdown winning drive.
Mariota was 25 of 33 for 238 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. “It’s the most important game of the year for us”, Caldwell said.
“The guy has played at the level he has played at for so many years, you have to have that trust in him, ” Mariota said of Johnson. The Rams are still without a touchdown after losing 28-0 at San Francisco in their openerSeattle racked up 10 penalties for 114 yards.
After two weeks of the 2016 National Football League season, it seems apparent to Golden Tate owners that Matthew Stafford is not dancing with one who brought him.
Detroit was already without linebacker DeAndre Levy and lost defensive end Ziggy Ansah to an ankle injury in the third quarter. Plus, Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford ran him over during a second-quarter scramble. He did start showing signs of aging last season in Indianapolis, and his time thus far in Tennessee has started slowly, but this is still an awesome play by one of the best receivers of his era.
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There was also quite a significant amount of injuries in this game as well.
