Detroit Lions throw the kitchen sink at Rams but still come away empty
By Pat Pitts
The Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams faced off in potentially the game of the year; for the Lions. Matthew Stafford hosted his former team to his new house while Goff returned seeking revenge. When it was all said and done, Stafford stood victorious 28-19.
Sometimes your best is not good enough.
In what 99% of football fans thought would be a mauling, it ended up being one of the most entertaining games this season. Dan Campbell came with his bag of tricks but ran out in crunch time. As a result, the Lions extend their 2021 season losing streak to seven.
There is a lot to unpack from the game, so let’s begin.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell made gutsy call after gutsy call Sunday.
Fans expected the Rams to blow out the Lions; coach Campbell had other plans. D’Andre Swift led the offense this week, kicking things off with a 63-yard touchdown to take an early lead. Instead of kicking it off to the Rams, Campbell calls for an onside kick which Detroit successfully recovered.
On the drive following the onside recovery, the Detroit Lions lined up in punt formation after failing to convert on third down but called for a fake. Jack Fox threw a dime, and the Detroit Lions moved the chains. The play led to the offense staying on the field in hopes of gaining another seven points. Unfortunately, they only managed a field goal on that drive.
Stafford stood on the sidelines for nearly the first ten minutes of the game. It worked temporarily as the Rams eventually took the lead in the second quarter. However, Campbell’s aggressive play-calling led to his offense missing out on three points, which would have potentially given them the lead heading into the half.