Improved Lions’ defense leads to 18-13 victory over Raiders

“We were not operating the way we expect to operate…”

The Raiders look to get back to. If the ball comes over there, I come over there. I just don’t like any of the kickers that are at the minimum price this week, so I am going up slightly to find mine. That’s what my job is. When the price point is this low for a number one option on a team that all they do is throw, you have yourself a great cash game play.

“A lot of their offense is predicated on their run game”, said Detroit safety Glover Quin. Obviously, he’s a good player for us. Cooper wants to make a big play every time he catches the ball so he’ trying to run with it before he catches it. Then once he drops one, he tries even harder to make up for it with a big play. Calvin Johnson, has been – and will always be a risky threat at wide receiver. In last weeks contest the Raider offense ran the ball less then 20 times! Yet they came through with an 18-16 win, providing hope and a sense of momentum.

There are still two unbeaten teams in the N.F.L., but the most intriguing game of Week 11 is a matchup between also-rans that gets a big boost from the return of a star quarterback.

Moving to the road team, the Raiders have a record of 5-4 ATS and 4-5 SU. And three of their opponents- the Eagles, St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers – are starting backup quarterbacks.

Many more complexities come at the corner of Rotunda Drive and the Southfield Freeway, or in the Sesame Street-like world of the Lions – Dysfunction Junction.

Carr was lackluster for the second straight game as he completed just 13 of 25 passes for 169 yards. The NY Giants had that game in their hands (literally in their hands) and they let it slip away.

Hopkins produced five catches for 118 yards.

Lions head coach Jim Caldwell commented on Slay and his outstanding play as of late. “And when you think he’s going to get 8, he gets 15”.

Packers WR Davante Adams (@ MIN) – Don’t be fooled by his 21 targets last week, because he didn’t do much with them if you are in a standard scoring league (10 rec, 79 yards). “And he’s heady. He’s one of those guys that is extremely valuable for us”. The rookie, who entered the game leading the team in receiving yards, had just one catch for four yards. Slay made the tackle and that was all he would allow on the day.

You’re either on one side or the other as far as the Detroit Lions go this season.

Matthew Stafford scored the go-ahead touchdown on a quarterback draw and passed for 282 yards as the Detroit Lions edged the Oakland Raiders 18-13 on Sunday afternoon at Ford Field.

Two weeks later, the season is still mostly shot – even with a favorable second-half schedule – and more changes likely are in store for this team.

That’s when the defense stepped up once again for Detroit.

Newton is known for his enthusiastic celebrations, and when he performed a “dab” in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s victory, it seemed to drive the football world to distraction. Newton has been outstanding out home this year, however, averaging 250 passing yards, 45 rushing yards, and tallying 14 touchdowns over five games. His previous Thanksgiving experience includes his infamous butt fumble game. After another week of practice to continue to gel and develop as a unit, expectations are high that Friday’s game (7 p.m. PT) will provide a clearer picture of just how much this team has improved.

For the second straight week in a row, the Lions defense showed up against a high-powered offense.

The margin between elation and deflation on any given Sunday is thin in the National Football League, and regardless of how they got it done, the Lions defeated the Packers in Lambeau Field for the first time since 1991.