Cowboys scouting report: Lions QB has led two comeback wins against hometown team
Never count the Detroit Lions out of it, especially with Matthew Stafford quarterbacking the team.
The Dallas Cowboys know this all too well.
Two of Stafford’s 17 wins when the Lions were either trailing or tied in the fourth quarter have come against his hometown team.
The Lions trailed the Cowboys 27-17 with less than 7 minutes left last season in Detroit, but Stafford led them on two touchdown drives down the stretch. In 2011, he guided the Lions to a win at AT&T Stadium even though they trailed 27-3 in the second half.
“It was a crazy one,” Stafford said. “Obviously it was fun to watch, a crazy back and forth, that’s for sure.”
Stafford has kept his late-game magic going into this season, too.
With 29 seconds left in Week 10 against the Miami Dolphins, Stafford connected with Theo Riddick on an 11-yard go-ahead TD pass in what became a 20-16 victory. He also led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter against the Bears in Week 16.
Dominating D
For as good as Stafford has proved to be in those late-game situations, the Lions’ defense has been the real reason for their success in coach Jim Caldwell’s first season.
The Lions finished the regular season as the NFL’s second-best defense behind the Seattle Seahawks, allowing only 300.9 yards per game. But their run defense is what separates them.
The Lions have held opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards in 14 games, tying an NFL record.
A big part of that is their defensive line, anchored by Ndamukong Suh, who had a one-game suspension overturned earlier this week.
That certainly bodes well for the Lions.
“Anytime you have a guy that has been playing as well as he’s been playing for us throughout the year, it’s always great to know that you’re going to have him on the field,” Caldwell said.
Suh is one of several players Caldwell is excited to have on the field, along with Stafford in the fourth quarter.
Briefly
▪ Safety Glover Quin led the NFL in interceptions (with seven), the first Lions player to do so since Hall of Fame cornerback Lem Barney in 1967.
▪ Kicker Matt Prater has kicked two game-winning field goals for the Lions this season with less than 4 minutes left in the game. He connected on a 48-yarder in the Lions’ win over Atlanta in Week 8, and a 33-yarder in the Lions’ win over Minnesota in Week 15.
▪ Caldwell became the third coach in Lions history to lead the team to the playoffs in his first season, joining George Wilson (1957) and Bobby Ross (1997).
Telling number
17.6 Points allowed by the Lions’ defense this season, ranking third in the NFL. They held teams to 17 points or fewer in 11 of their 16 games.
They said it
▪ “We’re a battle-tested team and have won 11 football games this year. We found ways to win a lot of them and we’ll continue to do that.” — Stafford
▪ “We are in the playoffs and it is a new season now.” —– cornerback Rashean Mathis
Drew Davison, 817-390-7760
This story was originally published January 3, 2015 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Cowboys scouting report: Lions QB has led two comeback wins against hometown team."