Deficit too big for the Lions to overcome
San Francisco 49ers – 30
Detroit Lions – 27
Going into the half on Sunday, the Lions were only trailing the 49ers by a score of 13-10. But Detroit must have taken too long of a nap or something during halftime because the third quarter is where they let things get away.
Thanks to a Jimmy Garoppolo touchdown pass and a 66-yard scamper to the end zone by running back Matt Breida, San Francisco went into the fourth quarter leading the Lions 27-13. After 49ers kicker Robbie Gould tacked on another three points with a field goal, Detroit found themselves down 17 points with just over 11 minutes left in the game.
The Lions and quarterback Matthew Stafford have come back from big deficits and found a ways to win in the past. So on Sunday, Detroit and their veteran signal-caller attempted to add another comeback to their resumé.
On their next two offensive drives of the day, Stafford and the Lions drove down the field and found a way to finish in the end zone. With three and half minutes left in the game, Detroit was now only trailing the 49ers by three points.
After a stop by their defense, the Lions’ offense got the ball back at their own 16-yard line. With just over a minute remaining in the matchup, Detroit had to find a way to at least get close enough to attempt a game-tying field goal.
However, the Lions were unable to covert on 4th and 2 from their own 39-yard line, sealing their fate as they turned it over on downs with 14 seconds left.
Stafford ended up throwing for 347 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, but it still wasn’t enough to get Detroit their first win of the season.