They had a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter of their home opener, and it was wiped out by a double-digit avalanche of penalties and assorted gaffes. The temptation is to say they’ve never quite lost like this, but it’s probably not true.
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The question becomes will Marcus Mariota, and the Titans’ running game be able to match Stafford. Mariota had a strong showing in week one, throwing for two touchdowns and 271 yards. Mariota is no Luck, but he has potential, and the Lions’ defense has the potential to collapse.
When it mattered most, the Titans went 93 yards – including 10 yards they had to gain twice because of a penalty – on 13 plays over almost 6 minutes on the game-winning drive. But this time they got burned.
I picked the Lions to lose last week to the Colts, and while I was nearly right, I was certainly glad to be wrong. Linebacker Brian Orakpo had a pair of sacks in the second half. “He’s a very tough player, and I knew that he wasn’t going to just come out of that game just because he was cramping”.
Which make it important that the Titans play a much more efficient game on offense this week. So it is put up or shut up time for the Tennessee Titans, as I think this could be a slight letdown game for Detroit following last week’s big comeback. DeMarco Murray was impressive for the Titans with 89 rushing yards and 56 receiving yards.
It was a ideal kettle of slop, and yet somehow the Lions still had a chance to win. Detroit running back Ameer Abdullah left with an injured left foot after a 24-yard run in the second quarter. Expect the Titans to refocus themselves in this area. Holding Adrian Peterson to only 31-rushing yards is not an easy feat. But that was against a Shaun Hill led offense.
Matthew Stafford has always been viewed as one of the tougher members of the Detroit Lions, and Sunday, he did nothing to disprove that.
Jack OzarkSep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Detroit Lions defensive end Devin Taylor (98) looks on against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
“He’s a really young, talented kid, got a lot of raw potential”, Stafford said.
Here’s how to watch Titans vs. Lions online.
Matt Snyder (0-1) – The Lions were one of only two teams to pass for 300+ yards and rush for 100+ yards in Week 1. Last week the team let up four touchdowns through the air and three of them went into the hands of tight ends Jack Doyle (two) and Dwayne Allen.
LIONS defense has had better days than they had in Week 1, allowing 450 yards and 9-of-16 third-down conversions by Colts while failing to register a turnover. I predict the Lions will keep up the momentum.
The last time these two teams met, the Titans prevailed 47-41 in overtime in 2012.
Tennessee will head back home to face the Oakland Raiders (1-1) next Sunday.
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The Oilers first encountered the Lions one season after the 1970 merger between the American Football League and the National Football League.
