Tag: Tennessee Titans vs Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford played great through the pain, but for what end?

It’s time to shut down Stafford’s heroics in 2020

For a guy who was on the doubtful side of questionable for the game with a rib injury and ligament issue in his throwing thumb, Matthew Stafford played a heck of a game for the Detroit Lions. Stafford offered up a heroic effort through the pain, playing great in the Lions’ 46-25 loss in Tennessee.

Stafford completed 22 of his 32 passes, netting 252 yards and throwing one touchdown. At least two of the incompletions were drops by receivers. No. 9 even extended a drive with a 12-yard scamper that set up a Detroit touchdown.

As Lions interim head coach Darrell Bevell said after the game, Stafford deserves the praise for his toughness and ability to play at a high level through the pain.

“I mean. the way that he leads his teammates. I mean, his guys want to go out there and fight for a guy like that. He’s laying it all on the line, giving it everything he has, and I just applaud him for it, Bevell said.

Never question Matthew Stafford’s toughness. Instead, question why the Lions played him for so long in the game, and why they would play him again this season now that the playoff dreams are officially over.

Stafford acknowledged how much he’s hurting in his own postgame press conference.

“But yeah, I mean, I didn’t, I did not feel good enough at all on Wednesday or Thursday or Tuesday or any of those days,” he said. “So just glad it kind of turned the corner for me and I just want to go out there and try and help us win.”

His heroism is unbridled, as is his pain tolerance. But for what end for the team?

There is no reason to play Stafford in the final two weeks other than the tacit acknowledgment that backup Chase Daniel can’t play. His body of work speaks for itself for the eventual new head coach and GM.

The Lions aren’t worthy of Stafford’s blood, sweat and tears of frustration in the final two weeks. He has nothing left to prove and only more body parts to injure in largely meaningless games.

3 Lions Stars of the game: Marvin Jones shines in loss to Titans

The Detroit Lions lost against the Tennessee Titans, but this week’s 3 stars did the best they could to pull off a victory.

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In Week 15, the Detroit Lions got a dose of what could’ve been if everything went according to plan.

Instead, they got to witness the Tennessee Titans run up and down the field with ease on their Lions, and walk away with an easy 46-25 victory.

Matthew Stafford put up an admirable performance, dealing with rib and right thumb injuries. There were a few points where you could see the rib injury was affecting him, but he managed to steer the Lions’ offense in the right direction, keeping them competitive.

Sadly, it was the same story different chapter for the defense. They were unable to make key stops allowing Titans to covert nine of 11 third-down attempts and score on every trip to the red zone. Missed tackles, poor angles, and not being in the right spot, the Lions made plenty of mistakes leading to five Ryan Tannehill touchdowns.

It is challenging to highlight the good in a loss like this, but they’re a few players who balled out yesterday and deserve some recognition.

Here are this week’s Lions Wire 3 stars of the week:

1st Star: Marvin Jones Jr.

With Kenny Golladay out yet again, the Lions relied on Marvin Jones and he came away with one of his better performances this season. With a team-leading 10 catches on 12 targets, he produced 112 yards and a touchdown.

Due to his sure hands and deep-ball ability, Jones has turned into one of Stafford’s more reliable targets. With Jones’ future in Detroit up in the air after this season, these performances might be the last we see from him, so make sure you take time to appreciate what he can do.

2nd Star: D’Andre Swift

Detroit’s rookie class is slowly developing, but if there is one rookie the Lions can hang their hand on it’s Swift.

Outside of the games he missed due to injury, he has been a dependable cog in the offense. Today, he was able to gain 67 yards on the ground at 4.5 yards per clip. Even though he fumbled at the goal line, he more than made up for it with his two touchdowns. He also added 15 receiving yards to bolster his performance.

Most rookies have their struggles, and Swift is no different, but it is hard to ignore his athletic ability on the ground and in the air. He processes the game with vision and patience, allowing the play to develop, and when the time is right, he attacks the gap with speed and power. With a rebuild coming, Swift will be a block the Lions will look to build around.

3rd Star: Romeo Okwara

With the defense looking like shambles once again, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any good that came out of it. Luckily, the Lions have Romeo Okwara, who continued his breakout season this week with four total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack that resulted in a safety.

Okwara picked the right season to ball out with free agency on the horizon. Even though it may only be in spurts, he has been the Lions’ most reliable defensive player. Next year, expect the Lions defense to have a whole new look, but hopefully, the Lions can find a way to keep Okwara in Detroit.

Star standings after Week 12:

  • D’Andre Swift: 110 points
  • T.J. Hockenson: 80 points
  • Marvin Jones Jr.: 70 points
  • Kenny Golladay: 60 points
  • Jack Fox: 60 points
  • Adrian Peterson: 60 points
  • Matthew Stafford: 60 points
  • Matt Prater: 50 Points
  • Jamie Collins Jr.: 40 points
  • Romeo Okwara: 40 points
  • Trey Flowers: 30 points
  • Brayden Coombs: 30 points
  • Amani Oruwariye: 30 points
  • Tracy Walker: 20 points
  • Kerryon Johnson: 20 points
  • Daryl Roberts: 20 points
  • Jonah Jackson: 10 points
  • Desmond Trufant: 10 points
  • Everson Griffen: 10 points
  • John Penisini: 10 points
  • Mike Ford: 10 points

Next week doesn’t get any easier for the Lions, having to face Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Lions officially eliminated from the playoffs, there isn’t much to play for the last couple of weeks — except pride, which they will need against a tough opponent.

Detroit Lions Week 15 pivotal play of the game: T.J. Hockenson fumble deflates potential game-tying drive

The Detroit Lions drop their second straight to the Tennessee Titans due to several mistakes including this week’s pivotal play.

The Detroit Lions had no answers for the Tennessee Titans offensive onslaught, dropping their second straight, this time by a 46-25 score.

Once again, it was the Lions offense that was able to keep them in the game, with injured Matthew Stafford leading the charge. Considering the amount of protection Stafford was fitted with today, he was able to keep drives alive and did the best he could to keep the Lions competitive throughout the game. Sadly, it was not enough to walk away with the upset today.

Unfortunately, the Lions’ defensive limitations reared their ugly head once again, as the Titans ran all over them, averaging over five yards a carry. On top of that, Ryan Tannehill added nice complementation in the air and the ground tacking on 273 passing yards, 21 yards rushing, and five total touchdowns (3 passing, 2 rushing).

Surprisingly, the Lions were right in the thick of it, only down 24-15 walking into the second half of the contest. The Lions had the first crack and given a chance to tie up the game. Regrettably, that went out the window with another ill-timed blunder.

The Setup

The Lions started off on their own 25-yard line. Mohamed Sanu made a 12-yard snag, followed by a nifty run from D’Andre Swift, and the Lions were finding some momentum.  The Lions shot themselves in the foot when they committed back-to-back penalties that took from 3rd-and-3 to 3rd-and-13 in a blink of an eye.

Fortunately, the Lions had been finding success in converting third downs, and they were able to dig themselves out of the hole with another magnificent catch from Sanu, keeping the Lions drive alive.

After a few runs from Adrian Peterson, Jamal Agnew, and Swift, along with more of Sanu, the Lions found themselves in the Titans’ red zone, knocking on the door of the endzone.

The Lions needed another 3rd down to keep the drive alive and this time it was only a 3rd-and-1.

The play called was an end around handoff to T.J. Hockenson who bullied his way for that one yard. Initially, it looked like he had converted it, the chain gang was brought out and confirmed he made the line to gain.

The extra time to measure ended up being costly.

It gave Titans’ coach Mike Vrabel enough time to look over the play, and not only did he feel Hockenson didn’t make the line to gain, he felt he actually fumbled the ball with a Titans’ recovery. Vrabel challenged the play, and it confirmed what he saw — Hockenson fumbled the ball with a clear Titans’ recovery.

This turnover halted any momentum the Lions had in orchestrating what could’ve been a game-tying drive. The Lions were able to force the Titans to punt for the first time on their ensuing drive, and Matt Prater nailed a 53-yard field on the Lions next drive, but the Titans next three drives all resulted in touchdowns putting this game far out of reach for the Lions.

There were a few other key mistakes, like the Joe Dahl botched snap, and the failed punt fake, but the Hockenson fumble is where it started to go downhill for the Lions.

The Lions head back home to play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16, who came back to beat the Atlanta Falcons 31-27 this afternoon. With the plethora of weapons the Bucs possess and the problems that exist amongst the Lions defense, it’s hard to see the Lions coming away with a home victory.

Watch: Hunter Bryant gets his 1st NFL catch and it’s a beauty

The UDFA from Washington gained 44 yards on a perfect throw from Stafford

Congratulations to Detroit Lions rookie tight end Hunter Bryant! The undrafted free agent from Washington pulled down his first career reception in the Lions’ Week 15 matchup with the Tennessee Titans. And it’s worthy of the highlight reel.

Bryant made a nice move to create some space for himself and a throwing lane for quarterback Matthew Stafford. No. 9 delivered a picture-perfect throw, hitting Bryant on the hands on the dead run down the seam.

Look at the soft hands Bryant shows in snatching the ball from the air just before taking a hit. The big rookie shook off the first tackle attempt and tacked on several extra yards, too. The play gained 44 yards and set up the Lions in the Titans’ red zone.

Detroit Lions vs. Tennessee Titans live stream, how to watch, NFL football predictions, odds, tv channel, start time

The Tennessee Titans will host the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, stream the action live here.

The Tennessee Titans will host the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon from Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

The Titans come into this one at 9-4 on the season after knocking off the Jaguars last weekend. Ryan Tannehill will continue their playoff push and look for their fourth win in the last five games. As for the Lions, they are 1-3 in their last four games and looking for a win after losing to the Packers last weekend.

This should be a fun NFC matchup between these two on Sunday. Tune in today’s game, here is everything you need to know to stream the action!

Detroit Lions vs. Tennessee Titans

  • When: Sunday, December 6
  • Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: FOX
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Prediction: I’m taking the Lions to cover this spread, they played well against the 11-3 Packers last week and think they can do it again today.

Bet: Detroit Lions +8.5

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NFL Football Odds and Betting Lines

NFL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Sunday at 10:40 a.m. ET.

Detroit Lions vs. Tennessee Titans -8.5

Over/Under: 53.5 

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Experts give Lions zero hope of upsetting the Titans in Week 15

The Detroit Lions face off against the Tennesse Titans in Nashville, where experts are giving the Lions zero hope in this Week 15 matchup

The Detroit Lions (5-8) head to Nashville this week to face off against the Tennessee Titans (9-4), who hope to punch their ticket into the playoffs.

The Lions had lost their last four matchups against the Titans, the most recent being in 2016 when the Titans squeaked out a 16-15 victory after two go-ahead fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Last week against the Packers, the Lions were picked apart by Aaron Rodgers, who seemed to be toying with the Lions. Even though they only lost 31-24, it seemed more like the Packers played a conservative approach to stay healthy for the playoffs rather than the Lions actually playing good defensive football.

The Titans decimated the Jacksonville Jaguars last week to the tune of a 31-10 walloping behind a 215-yard, two touchdowns day for Derrick Henry. As with any teams, the Jaguars had no answers for the 250-pound wreaking ball and don’t expect the Titans to give the Lions anything different than a heavy dose of Henry all afternoon.

With the Titans’ biggest strength being their run game and the Lions’ biggest weakness in their run defense, this may turn into a bloodbath real quick. And the experts expect that to come to fruition.

According to NFL Pickwatch, 99-percent of experts are siding with the home team to comfortably walk away with this one.

The Titans are exactly what the Lions were hoping to build in Detroit, leaving many Lions fans imagining what could have been.

With multiple injuries on every level, it’s hard to imagine the Lions walking away with an upset this week. If they play flawlessly, they might give the Titans a run for the money, but it’s hard to picture that with the defensive limitations. With only a few weeks left in the season, Lions fans can probably turn their focus to gauging who might survive the upcoming regime change.

Tennessee Titans vs Detroit Lions Prediction, Game Preview

Tennessee Titans vs Detroit Lions prediction, game preview, and fantasy player to watch.

Tennessee Titans vs Detroit Lions prediction, game preview, and fantasy player to watch.

Tennessee Titans vs Detroit Lions Broadcast

Date: Sunday, December 20
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
Network: FOX

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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Tennessee Titans (9-4) vs Detroit Lions (5-8) Game Preview

For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM

Why Detroit Lions Will Win

This team has found its fight again.

It certainly didn’t in the Thanksgiving Day disaster against Houston, but once Matt Patricia was sacked, the team stepped up with a fun comeback win over Chicago, and it kept fighting to try coming back against Green Bay in a loss.

The passing game wasn’t bad over the last few games, and Tennessee’s secondary gets hammered. The Titans have allowed 249 passing yards or more in nine of the lat ten games, and they’re about to get thrown on, but …

Why Tennessee Titans Will Win

Is Matthew Stafford healthy? He got crunched late against Green Bay, and now he’s questionable at best. The bigger problem is on the other side.

Tennessee is going to run and keep running – it’s going to keep on feeding Derrick Henry until the Lions can prove they can stop him. Detroit has one of the league’s worst run defenses, giving up 120 yards or more in three of the last four games, and now it’s time to get a huge day out of …

Fantasy Football Player To Watch

RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee 
This is his week. For all fantasy players, you’re either in the playoffs with Henry, or the rest of your team was a disaster. He’s 468 yards away from 2,000 with five 100-yard days in the last seven, and with all 14 of his touchdowns in the last 11 games. You want two scores and 100 yards in the first half.

NFL Expert Picks | NFL Schedule, Predictions

What’s Going To Happen

The Lions are going to be plucky no matter what the deal is with Stafford, but it won’t be nearly enough. The defense is going to try, but the Titans will score on their first three possession and coast from there.

Tennessee Titans vs Detroit Lions Prediction, Line

Tennessee 34, Detroit 24
Bet on Tennessee Titans vs Detroit Lions with BetMGM
Tennessee -11.5, o/u: 51.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 1.5

Must See Rating: 3

5: Mank
1: Saved By The Bell

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