Detroit Lions 2011 regular season Review: A harbinger of a bright future – NFL Special Part IV
Continued from part III
At Oakland
The 28-27 victory over the Oakland Raiders was one of the most important in the season for the Detroit Lions as they improved their record to 9-5 and with the Chicago Bears floundering were firmly in the driving seat to secure the playoff berth.
The Lions and Raiders played out an epic of the season with both teams staying neck and neck with each other on points.
The Lions were down 14-17 at the end of the first half and with no score in the third period of the game the match went down to the wire in the fourth quarter.
At 7:47 the Raiders scored a crucial touchdown to make it 27-14 and looked like they would hold on for the victory but Stafford was not going to let that scenario play out.
The quarterback threw two touchdown passes in the dying minutes of the final period as the Lions made another comeback to gain a one point lead.
The Raiders in the final few seconds however, drove forward into field goal territory as the seconds ticked on.
Ndamukong Suh however, secured his place in the heart of the Lions fans as he reached out a hand to stop Sebastian Janikowski’s field goal attempt and secure a massive win for the team.
Against San Diego
The Lions finally and without doubt secured their first playoff berth since 1990 with a victory over the Chargers at Ford Field.
The game looked a foregone conclusion from the start as the Lions were not going to let the struggling Chargers ruin their moment of triumph.
Stafford put in a wonderful performance passing for three touchdowns as the Lions took a 24-0 lead by the end of the first half.
The game was well and truly over as the Chargers struggled against a dogged Lions defence with Detroit running out 38-10 victors to secure a postseason berth.
At Green Bay
The Lions and Packers played out a brilliant offensive slugfest in this game as the Packers held on to a 45-41 lead and win the final game of the regular season.
The Packers who rested most of their starters on the night were led by Matt Flynn who broke records as he passed for six touchdowns to lead his team to victory.
Stafford himself was not to be outdone as he passed for five touchdowns but the Lions lost out by a four point margin.
The result did not matter however, as both sides had nothing left to play for but the fans got their money’s worth after witnessing a brilliant attacking festival.
At New Orleans (Wildcard Playoff round)
The Lions were finally into the postseason after the fans had waited years to witness their team make it to the playoffs.
Detroit was always the underdog in this game since the Saints have been perennial playoff contenders and their experience in such a tense environment turned the game in their favour.
Drew Brees passed for three touchdowns as the Saints went on a riot in the second half to comprehensively win the encounter 45-28.
Matthew Stafford passed for three touchdowns but his two interceptions proved costly as the Lions were knocked out of the playoff rounds.
Heading Forward
The Lions may have lost out in the first stage of the playoffs but fans will be satisfied that their team is now on the up.
The 2011 season will most probably become a harbinger of future forays into the playoffs for the Lions and they can use it as a stepping stone to return back among the elite of the NFL in 2012.
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