Prater’s clutch kicks helping Lions succeed in close games

Matt Prater’s 40-yard field goal on the final play gave the Detroit Lions a 16-13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings and sole possession of first place in the NFC North on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field. With Prater, the Lions have a kicker who has made all 25 game-tying or game-winning field goal attempts in the fourth quarter in his career. They didn’t yield a big play on special teams or defense.

Zimmer said Kendricks “played pretty good” and that his playing time was based on a variety of scenarios.

But if nothing else, the Lions know how to execute a fourth-quarter comeback-they had done it six times so far this season entering Thursday.

If both teams finish the season tied atop the division, Detroit would win the tiebreak.

The Lions couldn’t get anything going offensively in the second half until they started a drive from their own 2.

Detroit has inflicted the two most stinging defeats of the season on the Vikings.

Of his 37 passes, Bradford threw just one that is considered “deep” – 15 or more yards downfield – a second-quarter sideline toss to a diving Rhett Ellison.

“Even in the game where they beat us, we were able to sustain drives, but we couldn’t do that at all today”. We just need to play better on defense and not let them drive the way they did.

When a reporter doubled back and asked Greenway to clarify his comment, the linebacker replied, “Now you said it”.

Lions cornerback Darius Slay, on whether he was surprised Sam Bradford threw an interception to him: “No, I wasn’t surprised. Obviously, it’s a really big game for us”. Under coach Caldwell and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, the Lions have now held opponents to 20 points or less in 24 of the team’s 43 games played since the beginning of the 2014 season. But with all of the circumstances being equal, I don’t think anybody can definitively declare that the Vikings would be in a different situation with Teddy at quarterback than they are with Sam Bradford.

Berger, a native of Newaygo, Michigan, played at Division II Michigan Tech and went undrafted. The Lions have yet to put together a complete game this season, and they have flirted with disaster in every single one of their wins. He got through four whole games (two as a starter) before he got hurt.

“We probably have to find a way to create some explosive plays”, he said.

And then they got another score.

He hit a 43-yarder with four seconds left in Week 1 against the Colts, a 29-yarder with 1:28 left in Week 5 against the Eagles, and a 34-yarder with 1:29 left in Week 6 against the Rams. But without Diggs to work his magic in space, and Bradford vulnerable to unreliable protection, there was no threat of going over the top of Detroit’s defense, which boxed them in tight. With a depleted offensive line, the Vikings have emphasized safeguarding Bradford at all costs and getting the football out of his hand as rapidly as possible with short, quick passes. “As long as you get an invite to the dance you’re fine, so whatever it takes to get in, I’ll do it”.