It wasn’t quite enough for the Indianapolis Colts. After Detroit managed to blow a 21-3 lead, they eventually found themselves trailing the Colts 34-35 thanks to a missed extra point by Lions K Matt Prater following the team’s fifth score.
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After the play, the Colts attempted a wild last gasp kick return, replete with illegal forward passes, that ended in a safety because of a penalty in the end zone.
Running back Theo Riddick left during the third quarter of the season opener to be evaluated for a possible head injury, he returned in the fourth quarter, seemingly unharmed, to score his second touchdown of the game.
Indianapolis lead by Andrew Luck would then drive 75 yards on eight plays the ensuing drive and end with a touchdown pass to Doyle yet again, with the Colts hitting the extra point to take a one point lead.
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Indianapolis pulled to within 21-10 at intermission on Luck’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief with five seconds left in the second quarter. That’s not what we’re going to stand for defensively. Matthew Stafford was superb. It will be a good opportunity for the Lions defense to rebound after an embarrassing performance to open the season, but they’ll need Lawson to play better. “We can go back and say, ‘You know what?”
The Colts need to address this problem soon because their schedule does not get any easier.
It’s clear Abdullah and Riddick will be Detroit’s workhorses this season, as quarterback Matthew Stafford was Detroit’s third-leading rusher Sunday.
Those timeouts were earned – preserved, rather, though the Lions attention to detail over the course of the game.
“I think most of the people that you’re observing don’t understand, maybe the value of having three time-outs and also how you got there without using any time-outs”, Caldwell said.
Meanwhile, as the Colts were working through the scenario on their sideline, Detroit coach Jim Caldwell was debating his timeout usage across the way. It was a major statement for the Lions, and a major disappointment for the Colts. The new look Lions offense looked good in the first game of the season, albeit against a shorthanded Colts defense. Riddick had a rushing and receiving touchdown, and he was targeted on a few major third and short situations, converting a lot of them. While it’s only one game, Luck looked more like the Luck from 2014 (the 2nd highest scoring QB in fantasy) than the Luck from 2015.
Stafford completed four passes for 50 yards to move the Lions into field goal range, and then Prater nailed the game-winner.
“You wish you could score with zero seconds left in the game, but it’s not how it works all the time”.
“Missed tackles”, outside linebacker Robert Mathis said, according to ESPN’s Mike Wells.
“Yeah, exhausted of talking about slow starts and exhausted of being a part of slow starts”, Luck said, the disappointment showing on his face.
Abdullah led the Lions in rushing with 12 carries for 63 yards. “It’s hard to win in the National Football League, it really is, and when you go down 21-3 to a team, it’s that much harder”.
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So what would Caldwell had done if the Colts had not used a timeout? It took four drives before the Colts were able to muster up any points.
