The Detroit Lions got back into the win column in Week 13, as they defeated the New Orleans Saints, 33-28. The Lions got off to a quick start with a 21-point first quarter. Derek Carr did engineer a bit of a comeback in the third stanza with two straight touchdown drives, but the Saints quarterback exited with head, shoulder and back injuries in the fourth quarter after taking a brutal shot in the pocket.
Jared Goff completed 16 of 25 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta was his favorite target with 140 receiving yards and one touchdown on nine catches, while Amon-Ra St. Brown caught just two passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs carried eight times for 60 yards, and David Montgomery rushed 18 times for 56 yards and a touchdown.
For the Saints, Carr completed 17 of 22 passes for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception before exiting early. Taysom Hill rushed 13 times for 59 yards and a touchdown, and Alvin Kamara became the Saints' all-time rushing touchdowns leader with two trips to the end zone on Sunday. Chris Olave was the Saints' leading receiver with 119 yards on five receptions.
Let's take a look at what went down in New Orleans on Sunday.
Why the Lions won
Football games are 60 minutes long, but seven minutes into this one, there was certainly a feeling the Lions were going to move to 9-3. Detroit raced out to a 21-0 lead in the opening quarter. Goff marched the offense 80 yards down the field on seven plays to kick things off, and Montgomery punched in the first score of the game. Carr was then picked off by rookie Brian Branch on the Saints' first play from scrimmage, which gave Detroit a short field and set up a 13-yard LaPorta touchdown. The next drive, St. Brown caught a 25-yard score to make it 21-0.
This was the Lions' largest lead through a first quarter since 1944. They are the first team since the 1986 Vikings to score three offensive touchdowns in the first seven minutes of a game, and the fastest team to 21 points since the Raiders in 2010. Without this hot start, the Lions probably would have lost. The Saints outscored the Lions 28-12 in the final three quarters.
Why the Saints lost
You have to credit the Saints for coming back from down 21-0 in the first quarter. That deficit would have completely broken some teams, but not the Saints. Unfortunately, they ran into some adversity in the second half, which did not pair well with New Orleans' general inconsistencies.
After the Saints put together two straight touchdown drives with relative ease, they had a freak fumble, where offensive lineman James Hurst inadvertently knocked the ball out of Carr's hand. It gave the Lions a short field, which they took advantage of with a touchdown. The next drive, Carr went down with his injuries. While Winston did come through on that possession, leading the Saints to a touchdown, he turned the ball over on downs the next possession thanks to a couple of misfires.
The Saints still had three minutes left in the ball game and two timeouts to work with. However, the defense couldn't get off the field! Detroit's offense burned all three minutes, and converted two third-and-longs to ice the game. The Saints offense and defense failed at the most critical junctures late in the game.
Turning point
After the unfortunate Saints fumble that gave the Lions possession at the New Orleans' 26-yard line, Jameson Williams ran in a 19-yard touchdown that pushed the lead back to double digits. It was clear momentum was shifting toward the Lions.
Play of the game
The Lions started this game on fire. On the Saints' first play from scrimmage, Juwan Johnson let a Carr pass bounce off his hands, and it was picked off by the rookie Branch -- who needed just one hand!
What's next
The Lions will remain on the road in Week 14, and pay a visit to the rival Chicago Bears. The Saints on the other hand will remain at home, and play host to the Carolina Panthers next Sunday.