Detroit Lions: Week 6 game balls in loss to New Orleans Saints

The Detroit Lions fell to the New Orleans Saints in a 52-38 shootout in Louisiana today. These Lions were instrumental in giving Saints fans heart murmurs.

On offense the game ball this week goes to Golden Tate. Prior to his injury Tate was the engine upon which the comeback was running. It was inevitable that it stalled after he came out. To that point, he was the only Lions skill position player having anything resembling a decent day.

On a day where the Lions only ran the ball 19 times, and no receiver crossed the 100-yard threshold, Tate’s 96 yards and a touchdown clinches the game ball.

A’Shawn Robinson gets the defensive game ball. seven tackles, a tipped pass, and a pick-six for the big man today. He has clearly become the Lions best defensive lineman this season. On a day where the opposition put up 50 points, there were a surprising number of players that had a pretty good game.

Darius Slay came up big at a number of points during the comeback attempt. Jalen Reeves-Maybin had his best game in the NFL by far.

On special teams, Jamal Agnew gets the game ball despite his mistake late in the game. He returned only one kick off today, and only because he had to.  He did that in addition to the 74-yard punt return touchdown that makes him the only returner in the NFL with multiple touchdown returns in 2017. When the offense stalled, and the team needed a kick to keep the comeback going, Jamal Agnew delivered.

Next: Saints go marching over Lions

The Lions go into the bye week with their heads held a little higher than it looked like they were going to. That really is all that Lions fans can hope for, that the team can find a way to halt their 1-3 slide in the four weeks leading to the bye.