Getting an A on an exam you didn’t study for; Getting an extra jumbo shrimp in a five piece; Finding a dollar on the ground; The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns game yesterday. All are examples of a pleasant surprise.
Both teams took the field with a 1-8 record. In what was considered to be the worst game of the year. Turns out the Lions 38-37 victory over the Browns was the most thrilling game of the year.
The Lions were led by the heroics of rookie Matthew Stafford. Stafford charged the Lions down the field with 1:48 left on the clock and no timeouts. With eight seconds left on the clock Detroit had the ball at the Cleveland 32. Stafford scrambled around swarming Cleveland defenders and delivered a hail mary pass to the end zone. The pass was intercepted by Brodney Poole but the interception was negated by a pass interference penalty. Stafford was injured on the play from a violent hit he took from 305 pound C.J. Mosley.
The ball was spotted on the one-yard line. Out came Stafford in came Culpepper. Then Cleveland coach Eric Mangini called a timeout to get the right personel on the field. Out came Culpepper in came Stafford. The rookie put himself back into the game. Stafford threw the game winning touchdown pass to rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew. After the touchdown Stafford went to the sideline holding his shoulder in pain.
Stafford threw for an impressive 422 yards and five touchdowns. Becoming the youngest QB in NFL history to throw five touchdown passes in a game. More importantly, Stafford showed the toughness, and the grit this city has been looking for in a quarterback since Bobby Layne.
This was not just a meaningless win over the Browns. The Lions potentially avoided having the first pick in the draft. With a 2-8 record most fan bases would want their team to lose the rest of their games and lock up the first pick in the draft. The Lions can’t do that. They could not afford another guaranteed $40 million to a rookie.
This win also proved that the Lions have a bright future. It was the young talent that won the game yesterday. Stafford, Smith, Johnson, Pettigrew, and Delmas are players the Lions can take into the future.
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Here's to the future. Definately not the present, although.
ReplyDeleteSeems like Stafford has a bright future. Hopefully that means the Lions also have a bright future.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how most would think you'd want the first pick but now everyone is rooting against it.
ReplyDeleteYeah i posted this last week. But the Lions really can't afford having the first pick in the draft. They will still be in the top 5 though.
ReplyDeleteGod help us, didn't do well this week against the Cheeseheads.
ReplyDeleteSammy
like the blog. well written.
ReplyDeletegood intro. Like the blog.
ReplyDeletedont over react to beating the browns, they gave up 40 some points to a team who had 5 td's in the last five games
ReplyDeleteOn the NFL network they have this show called Sound FX where they mic an NFL player. Listening to Staffords segments in that game was one of the most entertaining and exciting things I've seen as far as football. That game was incredible and leaves me baffled as to how the Bills could lose to the Browns 6-3 in one of the worst games ever played.
ReplyDeletebcombes, yeah that audio was amazing, heard it on the radio. But Ronan you can't deny the fact that Stafford threw for 5td against NFL TALENT. Our defense is a problem, and thats what we need to adress in the draft.
ReplyDelete