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DETROIT – Sixteen seconds.
Matthew Stafford has designed numerous winning records over the course of his career. In fact, this guy has crafted more winning records than any other quarterback except Drew Brees since joining the league in 2009. But with just 16 seconds to go, his throwing hand wrapped in tape. adhesive and two of his starting receivers sidelined by hip injuries while watching. in the league’s No. 1 pass defense barrel, well, few spots have been more difficult than that.
It didn’t matter.
Stafford covered 34 yards in those 16 seconds, thanks to two quick hits and maybe a little acting on a brutal passer penalty, and Matt Prater buried a 59-yard buzzer-beater to stun Washington 30- Sunday 27 at Ford Field.
“If you know something about this guy, the No.9, he can literally throw any shot,” said wide receiver Marvin Jones.
Stafford threw touchdown passes to Jones, Marvin Hall and D’Andre Swift in the opening 40 minutes of the game. It tied him with Joe Montana for 17th on the NFL’s all-time touchdown list and helped Detroit build a 24-3 lead midway through the third quarter.
But that defense has never been particularly effective in holding anything under Matt Patricia, and Washington – a last-five offense with an alternate quarterback under center – only needed 17 minutes to score 21. unanswered points and tie the game.
Stafford countered with a go-ahead at the end of the fourth quarter, a methodical 11-game affair that covered 56 yards, set Prater for a field goal and consumed everything but the final 2:37 of regulation. But that was more than enough time for Washington to strike back, converting a third and long and a fourth and four en route to another tying basket with just 16 seconds left.
It looked like we were going to be working overtime.
But then Washington made a strategic error in choosing to send the kickoff from behind the end zone. This preserved those precious seconds and Stafford got to work with the three remaining timeouts.
He joined rookie Quintez Cephus, replacing injured Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola, on a quick 10-yard pass through the left seam. Detroit took his first time out, then decided to take a chance at the end of the break. Stafford blasted Cephus up the left hashes, and the pass seemed to be on the money as well, but the rookie broke his stride as he extended for the ball and came short.
Stafford sagged to his knees, clearly disappointed at not connecting.
“Almost hit,” Stafford said, “a little footless touchdown pass.”
There were only 6 seconds left and there was still a lot of grass between him and the goal.
But, a flag.
Chase Young, second in this year’s draft, hit Stafford in the back long after the pass. Contact wasn’t much, but there was contact anyway, and it was definitely late. Stafford sold it by falling to the ground too, and the officials bought it.
“Hit him too hard, I guess,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said. “They hit our guy and threw him to the ground. We didn’t get a penalty. So, you know, just a little inconsistent.
Of course, but the Lions were still happy to take the 15 free yards, and suddenly they were at 50 with these 6 seconds to play. Stafford then threw a quick pass to Marvin Jones in the next play, and Jones immediately dove to 41 so Detroit could call the time out.
Clock: 3 seconds remaining.
“Great situational football at the end,” Patricia said. “Stafford, (Darrell Bevell), and just organizing it all – it was very meticulous how we were going to play this. There were some games that we had made up and then they used up their downtime and kinda got to ‘at the end.
Of course, the Lions still had to make a 59-yard field goal to finish it. Then again, the Lions still have Matt Prater, the best long-ball artist in franchise history. Prater already held the record for the longest field goal in club history, a 59 yards in 2015. And he hit that 59 yards through too, ending Washington in buzzer mode.
“We got him close enough that the biggest kicker in football would come out there and do his thing,” Stafford said. “So, I was extremely happy that Matt Prater and this operation was going up him and going over the studs. I mean, 59 yards to gain it, that’s what this guy likes to do and why we like having him. is a special guy in those times and I was really proud of him today for that.
Stafford has been beaten in recent weeks, including leaving last week’s game to be assessed for a brain injury and then bumping his hand so hard during it he struggled to grab the ball. He stayed in the game, but needed some tape work to do it.
Then he delivered his 37th winning practice, which has only been trailing Brees (39) since joining the league in 2009. He completed 24 of 33 total passes for 276 yards, three touchdowns, no picks and one passer rating. of 127.8.
Not bad for a stoned quarterback playing against the No.1 defense in the league.
“There are definitely things we can do better,” said Stafford, “but I’m just proud of our guys who fought. A win is a win. It’s hard to win in this league, I don’t will never apologize for it. Can we play better? Yeah. But we did a good job not returning the ball, the defense did a good job getting a few saves, our special teams were nailed as always. So, it was awesome.
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