Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints Box Score on Dec 04, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Dec 4, 2016

NEW ORLEANS -- Matthew Stafford threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns, including a clinching 66-yarder to Golden Tate in the fourth quarter, and Matt Prater kicked five field goals to lift the Detroit Lions to a 28-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

In winning for the sixth time in seven games, the Lions (8-4) took control of the NFC North and dealt a critical blow to any playoff hopes for the Saints (5-7). Detroit is seeking its first division title since 1993.

Stafford completed 30 of 42 passes -- including a 1-yard flip to running back Theo Riddick in the first half -- and also bought time on several plays, picking up 22 yards on three carries, to keep the Saints' defense off balance. Prater kicked field goals of 27, 29, 32, 27 and 52 yards -- the most of his career in one game.

Prater added his third and fourth field goals -- from 32 and 27 yards -- as the Lions extended their lead to 19-6 in the third quarter, but the Saints defense escaped without giving up a touchdown.

Brees (31 of 44 for 326 yards and three interceptions) set up the 27-yarder by throwing a lazy interception on the left sidelines, when safety Glover Quin came over to pick off the ball.

Brees got the Saints back in the game by marching them 75 yards in seven plays to set up fullback John Kuhn's 1-yard touchdown leap, narrowing the deficit to 19-13 with 13:32 left.

But Stafford applied the clinching shot on the Lions' next series. On third-and-10 against heavy pressure, Stafford found Tate alone down the right sideline and completed a 66-yard touchdown pass for a 25-13 lead with 11:38 remaining. Stafford's pass to T.J. Jones on a 2-point attempt fell incomplete.

Stafford was unstoppable in the first half, completing 19 of 23 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown en route to the Lions' 13-6 halftime lead.

One of Stafford's only miscues -- a bullet thrown high and slightly behind receiver T.J. Jones on Detroit's first possession -- bounced high in the air and should have been picked off by cornerback Sterling Moore and returned for a touchdown, but Moore dropped the ball.

The Lions then settled for Matt Prater's 27-yard field goal to open the scoring.

The Saints' high-powered offense was stuck in the mud for most of the first half, punting on its first three possessions before Brees engineered two drives that ended with field goals of 40 and 32 yards by Wil Lutz.

The Lions took a 10-0 lead on Stafford's 1-yard flip to running back Theo Riddick, and by that time he was 11 of 12 for 118 yards.

Prater's second field goal -- from 29 yards --gave Detroit a 13-3 lead with 56 seconds left in the half, but Brees drove the Saints 75 yards in six plays to get the chip shot field goal from Lutz as time expired. It could have been better, however, because tight end Coby Fleener dropped a possible 14-yard touchdown pass over the middle just before the field goal.

NOTES: QB Matt Stafford completed 13 consecutive passes in the first half, the longest streak in his career. ... In honor of their 50th anniversary season, the Saints honored their all-time top 50 players at halftime, including QB Archie Manning, LB Rickey Jackson and K Morten Andersen. ... RB Mark Ingram reinjured his toe injury early in the first quarter. He returned but was not extremely effective. ... Detroit K Matt Prater's 52-yard field goal in the fourth quarter kept him perfect this season on five tries of at least 50 yards.