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Stafford's TD pass gives Lions 27-23 win over Rams - Yahoo! Sports
DETROIT (AP) -- Matthew Stafford made up for a shaky day with some clutch plays.
Stafford threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Smith with 10 seconds left, lifting the Detroit Lions to a 27-23 win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. He led an 80-yard, nine-play, game-winning drive that included three passes of at least 18 yards.
Sam Bradford directed a go-ahead drive that set up Greg Zuerlein's 46-yard field goal and put the Rams ahead 23-20 with 1:55 left. But coach Jeff Fisher's debut ended with a loss because the Rams could not shut down Stafford in the end after slowing him down for much of the game.
A pushing and shoving incident was broken up at the end of the game by replacement officials, which included line judge Shannon Eastin - who became the first woman to officiate an NFL regular-season game.
Stafford had three interceptions before halftime for the first time in his four seasons. The Rams scored 13 points off Stafford's turnovers, including Cortland Finnegan's 31-yard return for a TD that gave them a 13-7 lead late in the first half.
Stafford finished 32 of 48 for 355 yards. One of his interceptions was made at the goal line by rookie Janoris Jenkins.
Detroit's All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson caught six passes for 111 yards, including an 18-yard grab just before Smith was wide open for his second TD of the game. On the game-winning play, the Rams double-covered Johnson and linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar seemed to lose sight of Smith.
Bradford was 17 of 25 for 198 yards with a TD, a 23-yard pass to Brandon Gibson early in the fourth quarter. Danny Amendola caught five passes for 70 yards.
Stafford threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Smith with 10 seconds left, lifting the Detroit Lions to a 27-23 win over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. He led an 80-yard, nine-play, game-winning drive that included three passes of at least 18 yards.
Sam Bradford directed a go-ahead drive that set up Greg Zuerlein's 46-yard field goal and put the Rams ahead 23-20 with 1:55 left. But coach Jeff Fisher's debut ended with a loss because the Rams could not shut down Stafford in the end after slowing him down for much of the game.
A pushing and shoving incident was broken up at the end of the game by replacement officials, which included line judge Shannon Eastin - who became the first woman to officiate an NFL regular-season game.
Stafford had three interceptions before halftime for the first time in his four seasons. The Rams scored 13 points off Stafford's turnovers, including Cortland Finnegan's 31-yard return for a TD that gave them a 13-7 lead late in the first half.
Stafford finished 32 of 48 for 355 yards. One of his interceptions was made at the goal line by rookie Janoris Jenkins.
Detroit's All-Pro receiver Calvin Johnson caught six passes for 111 yards, including an 18-yard grab just before Smith was wide open for his second TD of the game. On the game-winning play, the Rams double-covered Johnson and linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar seemed to lose sight of Smith.
Bradford was 17 of 25 for 198 yards with a TD, a 23-yard pass to Brandon Gibson early in the fourth quarter. Danny Amendola caught five passes for 70 yards.