Stafford's Go-Ahead TD Run Helps Lions Beat Raiders 18-13
By LARRY LAGE/AP Sports Writer
DETROIT (AP) - Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions may have figured out a winning formula.
Stafford ran for a go-ahead 5-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter and Detroit beat the Oakland Raiders 18-13 Sunday.
The Lions (3-7) have won consecutive games for the first time this year, and they improved to 3-0 when running the ball at least 20 times. They were able to end the game by simply kneeling after picking up enough first downs on the ground.
The Raiders (4-6) have a season-high three-game losing streak.
Matt Prater made three field goals on as many attempts in the first half to give Detroit a 9-0 lead.
The Raiders went ahead after their second drive of the third quarter. Latavius Murray's 1-yard touchdown run capped the opening possession of the second half and Sebastian Janikowski made a go-ahead, 48 yard field goal on Oakland's next possession.
After Detroit was held to 27 yards of offense in the third quarter, Stafford capped an 80-yard drive with a designed draw to put the Lions up 16-13 with 11:04 to play.
Stafford scored Detroit's first rushing TD since Week 3, ending a possession in which he moved around the pocket to make a shovel pass to convert a third down, and escaped a collapsed pocket to get outside for a season-long, 18-yard run.
Detroit's defense drew a pair of holding penalties on one drive and the second gave the Lions a safety and five-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.
Prater, who missed two extra-point kicks in last week's win at Green Bay, connected on 29- 41- and 51-yard field goals in the first half to cap lengthy drives.
Detroit mixed the run and pass well on the opening possession, driving to the Oakland 1 before getting pushed back because of a holding penalty. Eric Ebron dropped a pass in the end zone and the Lions settled for a field goal as they did on their next drive after Stafford overthrew Ameer Abdullah in the end zone.
The Lions had the ball at the Oakland 25 with 21 seconds and two timeouts left in the first half, but didn't make the most of the opportunity. Stafford was called for intentional grounding and that led to Prater making his third field goal 2 seconds before halftime.
The Raiders started the second half with an 80-yard drive, ending with Murray's TD run, after gaining just 91 yards in the first half. They went ahead with field goals on the next two possessions, including Janikowski's season-long 56-yard kick for a 13-9 lead late in the third period.
After narrowly avoiding a safety because a holding penalty was just outside the goal line, Raiders tackle Donald Penn was called for holding against Ezekiel Ansah in the end zone to give the Lions two more points and the final 18-13 lead.
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