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Lions vs. Patriots recap: Lions stun the Patriots Taylor Decker Jersey , 26-10 The Detroit Lions have a win, y’all and the 2018 season ain’t quite over yet. Detroit left Sunday night a winner over the New England Patriots, 26-10. Let’s get to the recap. First quarterThe game got off to an inauspicious start, as the Lions allowed another big kickoff return to the Patriots’ 42-yard line, but the defense stepped up big with a quick three-and-out. The Lions offense came out looking efficient and balanced. Six passing attempts, five rushing attempts and the Lions got themselves into field goal range, despite the fact the Patriots were calling out Detroit’s plays again:Unfortunately, a third-and-5 play came up a half-yard short, and Matt Patricia elected to kick a field goal. Lions 3-0.After another three-and-out from the Patriots thanks to an bad overthrow from Tom Brady, the Lions offense had a chance to extend their lead. Again, a balanced attack worked the Lions deep into Patriots territory, this time into the red zone. By the end of the first quarter, Detroit got themselves first-and-goal from the Patriots’ 9. Look at these first quarter stats:Lions yards: 126Patriots yards: 5Second quarterAfter a sick run from Kerryon Johnson, Matthew Stafford connected with Kenny Golladay for a catch that was originally ruled short of the goal line. However, Patricia, with a cannon of an arm, threw the challenge flag and replay confirmed Golladay had scored. 10-0 LionsStop me if you’ve heard this before, but the Lions defense responded with... another... three-and-out. The Lions were primed for good field position, but a block in the back penalty pushed them back to their own 22-yard line.That didn’t stop the Lions offense from steadily driving down the field yet again. Thanks to solid rushes from Johnson and this wild play from Stafford:But the Lions’ drive stalled in the red zone, and Detroit settled for a chip shot field goal. 13-0 LionsThe Patriots would finally get theirs in the ensuing possession, but the Lions defense made a key stop on third-and-short, holding Brady and the Patriots to a field goal. The Lions had 40 seconds to answer, but ran out of time as they were crossing into Patriots territory, so the teams went into the locker room with a score of 13-3 Lions.Third quarterThe Lions have been notoriously bad horrible in the third quarter this year, and Sunday night appeared to be no different. On the Lions first possession, Stafford forced a ball towards Luke Willson and was picked off by linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley, giving the Patriots the ball around midfield. New England quickly worked their way into the red zone, and although the Lions stiffened up there, Brady laid a beautiful pass into the arms of James White for the score Graham Glasgow Jersey , and suddenly the Lions were only up three. Lions 13, Patriots 10. But the Lions weren’t going to let the third quarter narrative ruin them this week. Detroit responded with another long drive—10 plays, 75 yards—culminating in a huge 33-yard strike to Marvin Jones Jr. on just a perfectly executed play:Lions 20, Patriots 10.The Lions defense held strong yet again, and the Lions offense wasted no time getting into field goal position as the game turned to the fourth quarter.Fourth quarterThe Lions had a chance to go up three possession, driving into the Patriots’ red zone, but Detroit had to again settled for a field goal, pushing Detroit lead to 23-10 with just under 13 minutes remaining. Lions 23, Patriots 10.After an intentional grounding penalty on first down, Brady couldn’t pull the Patriots out of the hole. A third-down coverage sack produced the Lions defense’s fourth three-and-out of the day. But the Lions offense turned out their first three-and-out of the game and punted right back—their first punt of the game. The Lions’ lead held at 13 with 9:18 to go.You can never count out Touchdown Tom, and the fact that the Lions had been settling for field goals was worrisome. But Brady made a big mistake on the next drive, trying to connect on a long play. You never target Darius Slay deep, and Slay made him pay with his first interception of the year. The Lions took over at their own 19-yard line with 7:23 to go. The Lions couldn’t get much going on offense, but most importantly, on a third-and-long the Lions ran a draw play, and it HAPPENED.The Lions defense stepped up again, basically putting away the game with a four-and-out, and the party was on.A Lions holding penalty gave the Patriots an extra 40 seconds to work with, but Detroit tacked on a field goal and pushed it to a 16-point lead. 26-10 Lions. THE LIONS GOT A WIN AND A 100-YARD RUSHER. LIFE IS GOOD AGAIN.PregameThe Lions kick off against the New England Patriots in just a few hours. The inactives have been announced and the Lions are nearing full health. T.J. Lang returns after missing last week, Darius Slay is active despite suffering a concussion last week, but Ezekiel Ansah remains sidelined due to a shoulder injury from Week 1.The Patriots are beat up, missing three starters on defense, and their newest headlining addition, wide receiver Josh Gordon, will not play Sunday night. Earlier in the day, the Packers and Vikings both dropped games, giving the Lions a prime opportunity to gain ground in the NFC North after dropping their first two games of the season. But the Patriots are looking for a rebound tonight, too, so don’t expect Bill Belichick to roll over for his former employee Matt Patricia. It’s not quite do-or-die season for the Detroit Lions Color Rush Travis Fulgham Jersey , but it’s pretty much do-or-die season for the Detroit Lions. Sitting at 0-2, the local fans are bumming, confidence in the team’s general manager is at an all-time low, and another loss would essentially bury any hopes of playoffs and it’s not even October yet. Unfortunately for Matt Patricia and the Lions, the New England Patriots are in town, and Tom Brady is not happy. New England looked like a shell of themselves last week, as the Jacksonville Jaguars got their revenge from last year’s AFC Championship game. However, the Patriots are notorious for their ability to bounce back from losses with Bill Belichick at the helm.So with Patricia looking to avoid an 0-3 start to his head coaching career, and his mentor on the other sideline looking to avoid a second-straight embarrassing loss, who will come out victorious on “Sunday Night Football?” Here’s how to catch the game:How to watch Lions-PatriotsDate: Sunday, September 23, 2018Time: 8:20 p.m. ETLocation: Ford Field—Detroit, MINationally televised: NBCAnnouncers: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele TafoyaOnline streaming: NBC SportsNational radio: Westwood OneNational radio announcers: Kevin Kugler, Mike MayockLocal radio: WJR-AM NEWS TALK 760Radio announcers: Dan Miller, Lomas BrownOdds: Patriots by 7 It's time, we're down to the wire, making our last calls."It's Draft Week around the NFL. Teams have finalized their boards, the prospects have their travel itineraries if they're attending the drafts, and, if not, they've already packed their houses with snacks and drinks for their families to enjoy while waiting for their name to be called. It's an exciting time for the team, the players, and for fans who want to know what their team may look like this coming season. For us, it means final mock draft time, so here we go.Pick 8: Brian Burns, DE/LB Florida State I've went around and around with this pick. Except for extreme situations where one of Josh Allen or Quinnen Williams fall, it's been a tough call between players like Burns Cheap Travis Fulgham Jersey , Montez Sweat, Ed Oliver, and others. In this case, the dream scenarios didn't happen so I had the same type of choice once again. In comparing athletic traits this week, I found one of the cleanest comps you'll ever find between two prospects in Brian Burns and Danielle Hunter. They were similar to an every degree in every metric that both measured in, and I think their ceilings are the same. Burns comes pre-packaged with a dynamic pass rushing skillset, something Hunter lacked when entering the NFL, so his initial impact may be even larger, especially in a defense like Matt Patricia's that can take advantage of his ability to move around.Pick 43: Deebo Samuel. WR, South Carolina A few weeks back, Deebo Samuel was referred to as "an assassin from the slot" and it's stuck with me. It's hard to find many terms more encapsulating of a player's talents than that, and his immediate impact could be a rookie Pro Bowl in this scheme, he fits that well. I had considered Chris Lindstrom in this spot as he was once again available, but I've taken the Boston College guard so often I wanted to provide a little bit of flavor with this pick. I think that a receiver like Deebo Samuel can provide similar rookie impact.Pick 88, Sione Takitaki, LB, BYU Everyone is looking for the big Bob Quinn surprise small-school pick here, and while BYU isn't a small school, this pick still fits the mold. I have, admittedly, been stanning for Takitaki for months, so anyone who follows me on social media probably saw this coming from a mile away. While Takitaki has some red flags in his past, his story is one of the most interesting of the class. After being dismissed after several off-field concerns from BYU, he was accepted back to the team after he was married and not only cleaned up his act but became a team leader upon his return. His play isn't flawless, he relies a bit too much on his elite athletic profile rather than technique, but he has the highest ceiling of any LB in this class. I think if he is given the time and attention he needs to clean up his technique, his devotion to improving his craft could see him as a Bobby Wagner type of interior presence in this defense.Pick 111: Kingsley Keke, DL, Texas A&M I've been stating for some time that Keke is a guy who can sneak into that late Day 2 talk Travis Fulgham Jersey Womens , so seeing him still on the board here felt like a coup. He is a reasonably polished player with a ton of athletic potential with the versatility to line up along the line. All of those are traits this coaching staff coaching staff covets, so I think he's going to be one they consider strongly here.Pick 146: Foster Moreau, TE, LSU Foster Moreau may have the highest ceiling of this class. He's starting from a much lower floor than T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant, and he doesn't have the route tree of Jace Sternberger or Caleb Wilson, but Moreau can contribute as a blocker from day one and gives you the elite athletic potential to be a playmaker down the road when he develops. We talk about Hockenson as if he's George Kittle for the obvious reasons, but Moreau may be even closer since he's not likely to he an early pick but has the same level of potential. Pick 184: Ka'dar Hollman, CB, Toledo With so many prospects from Michigan, Michigan State, and even Central Michigan getting the big media push, the Lions go a different direction in terms of picking a local cornerback prospect by taking Ka'dar Hollman late. Like former Toledo tight end Michael Roberts, the team spent time with Hollman at his Pro Day, and while he's not likely to be ready to start from the jump, he has the potential to be a complementary piece in a defensive backfield in relatively short order. I would expect Hollman to edge out Teez Tabor and other bottom roster corners in training camp to steal a roster spot, but he's enough of an unknown that he probably clears waivers if he's not able to impress immediately and needs a year on the practice squad.Pick 204: Alex Bars, OG, Notre Dame Alex Bars has dealt with multiple injuries in his Notre Dame career, missing some time and putting his NFL projection in a bit of a difficult range. His tape, on the other hand, can be very good, and if it weren’t for all the lost time, we would probably be talking about Bars as a starting caliber guard at the NFL level a lot louder. As it is, it’s a risky pick even this late, but it’s one that I can say with confidence has enough upside to justify a late-round selection. Bars has starter potential if he can stay healthy.Pick 224: Josiah Tauaefa, LB, UTSA When it comes to linebackers, you tend to want the fast movers and explosive playmakers. Sometimes you just want a guy who’s going to do his job and maintain his assignment. Those guys tend to get the label “faster playing speed than timed speed” or “instinctive.” Tauaefa falls into that category as he doesn’t look, nor did he measure out Travis Fulgham Detroit Lions Jersey , as a top =0tier athlete, but his play speed is acceptable. Tauaefa would make the squad based on special teams play at first, and while I don’t think he’s going to be an every year Pro Bowler, I think he has Josh Bynes, long-term starter potential.Pick 229: Keelan Doss, WR, Cal-DavisIf I had to pick a single player in this mock draft that is going either far too early or far too late, it would be this pick. Keelan Doss is similar to Kenny Golladay in that he’s being pursued by multiple teams who are trying to keep their interest on the down low. Like Golladay, it’s possible Doss even sneaks into Day 2 of the draft. With a more impressive athletic profile than many expected, Doss has seen his name seemingly mentioned by every team’s beat and is a popular pick from the beginning to the end of Day 3. When I saw him still on the board, I was shocked that he wasn’t taken earlier, and I could see him being selected in any of the previous five picks. Doss would immediately improve the receiving depth, and I have faith he would make the final roster, knowing that he would be unlikely to clear waivers. Year 1, he’s probably depth, but if the team was looking for a developmental player to step into Marvin Jones’ role, taking a guy who projects to Jones as his ceiling is a good bet.SummaryThis would see the Lions addressing their pass rush, slot receiver position, linebacker depth, and sets up several other positions for the long term by adding quality depth with developmental potential. Though I made a late hail mary, I wasn’t able to address the right guard position as I had hoped, and while Hollman provides some solid depth and potential for the future, he doesn’t do much in the short term to aid the cornerback spot. It wasn’t the perfect draft, but I think it turned out alright considering how the board fell. Do you think you can do better? Give us your best seven-round mock draft in the comments, and while you’re at it enter a ballot into our first Pride of Detroit mock draft challenge, instructions here.