Detroit Lions (6-2) – Las Vegas Raiders (3-5): 26-14
It was far from perfect. The Lions lost three balls. They scored just once in five trips to the red zone. And yet, they dominated the Raiders.
Jared Goff (26/37, 272 yards, 1 TD, 1 int) scared himself at the start of the third quarter by throwing an interception returned for a touchdown by Marcus Peters. Enough to bring Las Vegas two lengths closer (16-14). Especially since on the next possession, Craig Reynolds loses the ball on the Raiders’ 4-yard line!
But the defense was there to deliver. So does the offensive incompetence of Josh McDaniels’ squad. Sacked six times, Jimmy Garoppolo (10/21, 126 yards, 1 int) went through hell. Once his team got closer, he did no better than two punts and two failures on fourth down.
Symbol of the Raiders’ bankruptcy: a Davante Adams (1 rec, 11 yards) who throws his helmet to the ground, in rage at the end of the last possession.
The Lions worn by Jamhyr Gibbs
The program is given from the first possession. Detroit will give a lot of balls to Jamhyr Gibbs (26 races, 152 yards, 1 TD – 5 rec, 37 yards). And the rookie has legs. He strings together the yards. The problem is the conclusion. Detroit settles for a field goal on its first possession. Then a Josh Reynolds fumble on the next one. The Raiders recovered the leather well placed in opposing territory, but Garoppolo was immediately intercepted while looking for Adams. Here too, the program is given.
The Lions score two more field goals (9-0). And somewhat to everyone’s surprise, it was the Raiders who found the end zone first, thanks to Josh Jacobs. But the response is immediate. In 9 actions, the Lions move up the field, with Sam LaPorta (8 rec, 57 yards, 1 TD), another rookie, at the conclusion. 16 to 9 at the break.
Raiders unable to fight
Returning from the locker room, Vegas returned to the match thanks to Peters’ interception (16-14). But as the attack does not advance, Detroit quietly takes off again. Gibbs finds the end zone on a 27-yard run (23-14). And a final field goal (26-14) completes the score.
The Raiders finished the game with 157 tiny total yards, 1/9 on third down and 0/3 on fourth down. The Lions kept the ball for almost 40 minutes! Enough to allow them to survive their mistakes.
The big defeat against the Ravens is forgotten for Dan Campbell and the Lions. While the Raiders continue to lag behind.
