Injuries, Penalties Plague Detroit Lions In Loss To Titans
The Detroit Lions (1-1) lost their home opener 16-15 to the Tennessee Titans (1-1) on Sunday, succumbing to a bevy of injuries and penalties.
The Detroit Lions blew a 12-point lead to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, committing 17 penalties and suffering several injuries in a sloppy 16-15 loss.
The Rundown
The Lions scored first when Devin Taylor tackled DeMarco Murray in the endzone for a safety midway through the first quarter, then scored a touchdown on the ensuing eight-play, 79-yard drive on a 24-yard pass from Matthew Stafford to Anquan Boldin to take a 9-0 lead.
Ryan Succop‘s 46-yard field goal cut the lead to 9-3 with 12:08 left in the second quarter. On their next drive, the Lions marched into Titans territory, but the drive stalled out at the 39-yard line and the Lions opted to punt on fourth and three instead of going for it.
After the Titans punted on their next drive, the Lions launched a 13-play drive from their own one-yard line that advanced all the way down to the TItans’ one-yard line. Penalties on two consecutive plays brought back Detroit touchdowns, however, and the Lions ended up settling for a 42-yard Matt Prater field goal to take a 12-3 into halftime.
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Glover Quin got things going on defense for the Lions in the second half with an impressive toe-tapping interception of Marcus Mariota. The Lions took possession and drove 63 yards in 14 plays but stalled out in the redzone again and settled for a 27-yard field goal to increase the lead to 15-3 late in the third.
The Titans responded, making the most of a hobbled Lions defense that was missing defensive end Ezekial Ansah and linebackers DeAndre Levy (quad) and Antwione Williams (thigh) by that point, going 75 yards in five plays and scoring on a 30-yard touchdown from Mariota to tight end Delanie Walker on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The two teams traded punts for the next three possessions until the Titans launched what would be a game-winning 13-play, 83-yard touchdown drive. Mariota capped it off with a five-yard fourth-down touchdown pass to veteran Andre Johnson to give the Titans a 16-15 lead with 1:13 left in the game.
The ensuing two-point conversion attempt was no good, but it wouldn’t matter. Stafford was intercepted by Parrish Cox on the ensuing possession, the first interception Stafford has thrown this season, while trying to lead the Lions to a second-straight final-drive comeback win. Tennessee ran out the clock to seal a 16-15 win.