Third quarter
Ty Johnson is back for the opening kickoff of the second half, which lands out of the back of the end zone.
The Chargers almost never show the same look on the defensive front two plays in a row. It’s working. Crosby is tentative at left tackle and even Ragnow misses an assignment.
The drive ends with a very bad choice and throw from Stafford to Golladay. Stafford forces it down the left sideline to a blanketed Golladay and Casey Hayward picks it off in the end zone. Golladay was guilty of pass interference in trying to break up the pass, which was two full body lengths inside where it needed to be. Stafford’s play-action fake was weak and Kerryon Johnson didn’t sell it at all, either, Wretched execution.
The third quarter is most notable for the penalties. My God, the penalties! By the end of the quarter, there are 10 accepted infractions (6 for LA, 4 for DET) and three other plays with declined or offsetting fouls. Dreadful football to watch.
Austin Ekeler’s shiftiness and ability to cut at high speed is a massive problem for the Lions LBs, especially Tavai.
The Chargers lose two touchdowns on one drive thanks to penalties. It’s a very bad drive for Quandre Diggs, poor target points on his dives at feet. The second negated TD is due to an illegal block committed against Damon Harrison, who had lobbied hard after the prior play for a flag.
Pivotal play: After Slay is guilty of holding in the end zone, the Chargers have 1st-and-goal at the 1. Tavai punches the ball out of Ekeler’s hand just as the RB tries to dive over the top. Robinson does a great job absorbing two blocks and not ceding ground, something that doesn’t show in the box score but absolutely saved the Lions here.
The Chargers destroy the Lions run blocking on the following drive. Bosa against Crosby is a massive mismatch. Dahl is holding his own at left guard but Rick Wagner can’t sustain blocks here at right tackle and it’s a quick 3-and-out. Stafford did not seem thrilled with the de facto concession of running into a brick wall on 2nd and 3rd downs.
L.A. misses a field goal off the left upright to keep the game tight. Trey Flowers gets pressures on both reps where he had just one blocker on him. Slay injured his forearm on this drive but didn’t miss a play.
Stafford heaves another bad downfield INT on the next drive. The safety never buys the fake screen to Ty Johnson and basically waits for Stafford’s bomb to land in his lap over the top of Jones. The screen had major potential had the Lions gone to it, too.
Fourth quarter
The Chargers blow their good fortune thanks to a couple of bad misfires from Rivers and another missed field goal. There is a definite sense of rekindled energy on Detroit’s next drive, keyed in part by Kerryon Johnson evading several tackles on a simple outlet route. Johnson left the game after the spectacular run-after-catch.
Stafford is at his best on a 4th-and-1 from the Chargers 35. There is maybe a 3 square foot window for No. 9 to fit the ball into Marvin Jones and it’s closing as he throws it. An absolute laser in a must-have situation. Not many QBs would try that throw and if it fails it’s probably a bad choice, but that’s trusting in your best players to make big plays. The next play goes for a touchdown to Golladay on another perfect throw that beats tight coverage. Stafford’s two best throws of the day give the Lions the 13-10 lead.
What turns out to be the Chargers’ final drive is edge-of-your-seat excitement and it’s all about Rivers. He makes some absolutely terrible throws, missing wide-open targets twice. The Chargers receivers drop two others. But he also slings a couple of perfect strikes that not five other QBs can make. Rivers even scrambles for 12 yards, his longest run in over a decade.
Detroit got some home cooking on a couple of should-have-been penalties. Tracy Walker makes a great read on a late audible by Rivers to switch to a stretch run. It sets up a 3rd-and-19 and Rivers forces it at Slay to Allen. Much like Stafford, Slay salvages an otherwise bad day with a huge clutch play.
Stafford ices the game with a well-executed play-fake and throw to James. Lions somehow win 13-10.
Good games: Kerryon Johnson, A’Shawn Robinson, Ragnow, Jesse James, Melvin in coverage, Wiggins at right guard but not left. Tracy Walker was very busy (mostly playing as an extra LB) but I wouldn’t call it impressive other than his huge TFL late.
Bad games: Crosby, Slay, Prater, Stafford, Diggs, Reeves-Maybin, Prater. Probably Slay’s worst game as a pro even with the game-saving INT.
Stafford’s day was up-and-down. He threw two bad INTs, both times forcing the ball down the field into good coverage. It felt less effective than his 22-for-30, 245-yard stat line.
This game was decided more by the Chargers making more mistakes than it was won by the Lions, though that’s not meant to take away from the clutch plays down the stretch from Stafford, Slay, Golladay and others. Los Angeles lost two TDs and two other third-down conversions to penalties in the second half, plus missing two field goals. It felt more like Los Angeles blew too many chances than it was feeling Detroit was the better team.