Detroit 21 New England 28
Detroit 21 | New England 28 |
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December 03, 2006 | Gillette Stadium-Attendance: NaN (NaN) | Time: NaN:NaN |
Scoring Summary |
FIRST QUARTER | DET | NE |
NE | FG | 2:47 | Stephen Gostkowski 25 yard field goal attempt is good. | 0 | 3 |
SECOND QUARTER | DET | NE |
DET | TD | 13:44 | Jon Kitna pass completion to the right to Mike Furrey for 5 yards for a touchdown. | 6 | 3 |
DET | PAT | 13:44 | Jason Hanson extra point attempt is good. | 7 | 3 |
DET | FG | 3:19 | Jason Hanson 29 yard field goal attempt is good. | 10 | 3 |
NE | TD | 1:15 | Corey Dillon rush to the left for 6 yards for a touchdown. | 10 | 9 |
NE | PAT | 1:15 | Stephen Gostkowski extra point attempt is good. | 10 | 10 |
NE | FG | 0:00 | Stephen Gostkowski 27 yard field goal attempt is good. | 10 | 13 |
THIRD QUARTER | DET | NE |
DET | FG | 9:09 | Jason Hanson 38 yard field goal attempt is good. | 13 | 13 |
DET | FG | 5:07 | Jason Hanson 49 yard field goal attempt is good. | 16 | 13 |
DET | SY | 4:22 | Tom Brady fumbles. New England recovers, Heath Evans returns 0 yards. Tackled in end zone for a Safety. | 18 | 13 |
FOURTH QUARTER | DET | NE |
DET | FG | 13:07 | Jason Hanson 26 yard field goal attempt is good. | 21 | 13 |
NE | TD | 8:35 | Corey Dillon rush to the left for 2 yards for a touchdown. | 21 | 19 |
NE | 2PT | 8:35 | Tom Brady pass completion to Troy Brown. 2-pt conversion successful. | 21 | 21 |
NE | TD | 2:33 | Corey Dillon rush to the left for 4 yards for a touchdown. | 21 | 27 |
NE | PAT | 2:33 | Stephen Gostkowski extra point attempt is good. | 21 | 28 |
Statistics |
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Team Stat Comparison |
DET | NE | |
1st Downs | 21 | 23 |
3rd down efficiency | 5-12 | 4-9 |
4th down efficiency | 0-0 | 1-1 |
Total Yards | 361 | 363 |
Passing | 284 | 284 |
Comp-Att | 22-38 | 27-38 |
Yards per pass | 6.6 | 7.1 |
Rushing | 77 | 79 |
Rushing Attempts | 22 | 24 |
Yards per rush | 3.5 | 3.3 |
Penalties | 7-70 | 10-72 |
Sacks against | 5-30 | 2-21 |
Turnovers | 5 | 3 |
Fumbles-lost | 3-2 | 3-2 |
Interceptions thrown | 3 | 1 |
Possession | 30:43 | 29:17 |
His three short touchdown runs overcame 10 penalties, four turnovers and a safety and New England edged the Detroit Lions 28-21 Sunday. The Patriots didn't lead in the second half until Dillon scored on a 4-yard run with 2:33 left.
Mike Vrabel's interception, his second of the game, sealed the victory against the team with the NFL's worst record over the last six years, 23-69.
The Patriots (9-3) struggled against a team that had nine losses one week after they beat a team with nine wins on the same field in a 17-13 victory over the Chicago Bears. New England also had trouble hanging onto the ball then, committing five turnovers.
But against Detroit (2-10), the Patriots managed to pull the game out after Mike Wright recovered Jon Kitna's fumble at the Lions 32 on a sack by Rosevelt Colvin with 5:57 to go. After an incompletion, Tom Brady threw four consecutive completions before handing the ball to Dillon, who just got into the left side of the end zone.
For most of the game, the Patriots played poorly. Detroit kicker Jason Hanson has been around the league long enough to remember when they were that bad on a regular basis - the Patriots were 2-14 when he was a rookie in 1992.
On Sunday, his fourth field goal, a 26-yarder, gave the Lions a 21-13 lead with 13:07 left in the game.
The Patriots came right back with a 58-yard march capped by Dillon's 2-yard run and a 2-point conversion pass from Brady to Troy Brown that tied it with 8:35 to go.
Then the Lions began playing like they have been for most of the season. On their second play after the touchdown, Kitna's pass was intercepted by Vrabel.
Then the Patriots continued playing like they did a week earlier. On their third play, Brady completed a 9-yard pass to Benjamin Watson but he fumbled and Terrence Holt recovered.
Next it was the Lions turn to give the ball - and, this time, the game - away. On their second play, Wright recovered Kitna's fumble.
The Patriots didn't mess up the ensuing series. After an incompletion, Brady ran for 5 yards then completed four straight passes, the last a 5-yarder to Brown to the 4 that set up the winning touchdown.
Mike Furrey had nine catches for a career-high 123 yards for Detroit, which also tried quarterback Josh McCown at wide receiver. That didn't work, especially when he was called for offensive pass interference deep in New England territory late in the game.
But Kitna kept the Lions moving and completed 22 of 38 passes for 314 yards. Brady was 27-for-38 for 305 yards.
Dillon finished with just 25 yards on nine carries. But he tied it at 10 late in the first half with a 6-yard run. Stephen Gostkowski's second field goal as time ran out put the Patriots ahead 13-10 at intermission
Dillon saw extra action when rookie running back Laurence Maroney left the game in the first quarter after, the Patriots said, he had the wind knocked out of him. Maroney didn't return.
Defense: --- C+. The Defense played one of their better games and for the most part did their job by creating three turnovers and causing a safety. But what good is it when you have an Offense that commits five and puts you on your backs. I cannot really fault the Defense for giving up the game winning drive in the 4th quarter. Once again, the unit was decimated with injuries and did a pretty darn good job holding off the Patriots. But, in the end, it was not enough as Brady worked his usual 4th quarter magic again.
Special Teams: --- B. Hanson has not missed a beat as he nailed three field goals including his second longest one of the year, a 49 yarder. Coverage was decent. Drummond did not have any big runs.
Coaching: --- F-. This was by far the most pathetic play calling and decisions thus far under the Marinelli regime! The decision to kick a field goal on 4th and inches inside the opponents 10 yard line speaks volumes on how much confidence Marinelli and Martz have for the Lions offensive line. When your team is up 5 against a heavy favorite on the road in the 4th quarter, go for it! But, nothing like burning a time out and then deciding to take the easy three points. It was fitting watching the Patiots tie the game on their next posession. Why on earth is Josh McCown getting playing time over Mike Williams, who Martz said had a great week of pratice? I give up trying to figure that one out and Marinelli dodged the question the best he could in his post mortum press conference. And what was up with all the passes in the 4th quarter - run the ball! Kevin Jones was having a great game while Kitna was a turnover machine.
Overall: --- F. If the Lions had been a mediocre team, this loss would have eaten me up alive, but like I have mentioned before, I am apathetic toward the Lions and could only laugh when I saw Kitna have a mental break down and throw his game ending interception to seal another loss. On a bright note, the Lions now have the inside track to the number one pick overall - cannot wait to see in April how they botch it. Knowing the Fords, they will keep Mr. 23-69 and let him ruin another first round pick. The bottom line is nothing will ever change until the Millen is shown the door and the Fords ever come to the realization like their auto company, both the Lions and Ford are hemoraging at the seams. Until Mr. Ford wakes up and sees the day light, the competition will continue making a mockery of his families businesses. Wake up Mr. Ford before its too late!