11/11/12. Lions @ Vikings. Week 10, Fox. 1:05pm.

[Shinma]

Happy Veterans day.

The Lions try to split the season series, and knock
Minnesota into last place in the division at the same time.

Presents the following thread:

AT

(4-4) @ (5-4)

Your Detroit Lions
AT
The Minnesota Vikings

NFC Conference
Week 10

Location: Mall of America Field, Minneapolis, Minn.
Date: November 11th, 2012
Time: 1:05pm EST

This game is a presentation of:

Television Broadcast Provided by:

FOX - DirecTv Channel 706
Online: Front Row. (Ad-block recommended)

Radio Broadcast Provided by:

112 (MIN) - 138 (DET)

Lions and Jaguars Slow-lights:

Leshoure, Megatron lead Lions passed Jags


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Given the result, the Detroit Lions probably should try to be this balanced all the time.

Mikel Leshoure ran for three touchdowns, Calvin Johnson got involved early and the Lions turned in their most complete victory of the season, 31-14 over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Detroit dominated from start to finish, building a three-score lead before halftime and coasting after the break. It was a much different feeling for the Lions (4-4), who trailed in the second half in each of their other wins.

"Coach emphasized this week that we wanted to get off to a good start, a fast start, an early start," Leshoure said, who dedicated the victory to his newborn son. "We weren't able to get a touchdown or a field goal on the first drive, but throughout the game and the first quarter, we were pretty successful. That enabled us to get off to a faster start than usual."

Leshoure finished with 70 yards rushing and scored on runs of 7, 1 and 8 yards, becoming the first in franchise history to run for three touchdowns in the first half. Not even Hall of Famer Barry Sanders accomplished that feat. Joique Bell added 73 yards on the ground and a score. The 149 yards rushing were the team's most since gaining 169 against Carolina nearly a year ago.

"You combine that running game with our passing game, it's an offense that's unstoppable," Lions right tackle Gosder Cherilus said. "If we can do this every weekend, the sky's the limit for this offense." Johnson, who got off to slow starts in Detroit's last three games, had five receptions for 99 yards before the Jaguars (1-7) even recorded a first down. He finished with seven catches for 129 yards after getting a pain-killing shot in his left knee.

"There is a reason he didn't practice this week," coach Jim Schwartz said. "It wasn't because we were just resting him. ... He's a tough guy and found a way to contribute. He made a lot of plays for us. We had a feeling he would be able to do something, just how much or how long he could go was really the question." Matthew Stafford completed 22 of 33 passes for 285 yards, building on last week's impressive outing against Seattle. He became the second-fastest quarterback to throw for 10,000 career yards in NFL history, reaching the milestone in 37 games. Former St. Louis Rams star Kurt Warner did it in 36 games.

The Jaguars, meanwhile, failed to get much going a week after playing Green Bay tough in a 24-15 loss. Now, they are tied for the worst start in franchise history. A loss Thursday night to Indianapolis would make it worse than 2003. Blaine Gabbert completed 27 of 38 passes for 220 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Rashad Jennings, starting his second game in place of Maurice Jones-Drew, ran for 45 yards. Jacksonville opened with three straight three-and-outs and had one first down when Leshoure found the end zone for the third time.

"Come on, that's pathetic for an offense to have 12 plays in the first half and be 0 for 4 on third downs," Gabbert said. "We can't afford to shoot ourselves in the foot or else it's going to be a poor showing like that." It was the latest debacle for the Jaguars, who have been blown out in four home games. They were far from competitive against Houston (27-7), Cincinnati (27-10) and Chicago (41-3), and now have been outscored 126-34 at EverBank Field this season.

Jacksonville trailed 24-0 before getting on the scoreboard. Gabbert found Micheal Spurlock for a 5-yard TD with 8:36 remaining. The Jaguars made the 2-point conversation, but it did little to change the momentum. The Lions answered with an 80-yard touchdown drive, capped by Bell's 10-yard run.


"It hurts. I'm tired of this," Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis said. "There's nobody to point a finger at because we're all in this together, and together we're going to have to find a way to win ball games, period. There's nothing else left to it. ... One of these days we're going to put it all together and get it done and get it done again and get it done again. That's what keeps us hungry. And whoever is not with that, go home. Don't come back."

Receiver Mike Thomas, traded from Jacksonville to Detroit on Tuesday, played sparingly against his former team.
The Lions hardly needed him. Ryan Broyles caught six passes for 52 yards. Titus Young, coming off a two-touchdown performance, dropped a pass in the end zone -- about the only thing the Lions did wrong.

Detroit played without starting safeties Amari Spievey and Louis Delmas, but the Jaguars failed to take advantage of their backups. Gabbert misfired on just about every deep pass. "Offense, defense and special teams showed up like we were looking for and played a complete game," Stafford said.

Stafford is fourth-youngest QB to reach 10,000 yards. ... Jaguars WR Laurent Robinson returned after missing three games with a concussion. He caught six passes for 41 yards. ... A week after the Jaguars had nine drops, they had at least four more. Two of them ended up as interceptions for Gabbert.

Notes:
If you want to watch the NFC North right itself, this is the one to turn on. A market correction, perhaps. Are the days of the Vikings' prominence over nearly as quickly as they began? Percy Harvin is a long-shot to play and quarterback Christian Ponder has looked mortal recently; only the machine-like legs of Adrian Peterson have kept Minnesota competitive. The Vikings are coming down to earth, and if the Lions win Sunday, they'll be the ones to punctuate the landing. Remember when we thought Detroit was a possible playoff team? The Lions are fighting to get there again. They've scored at least 28 points in their last two games, and you can hear them starting to click.

NFC North Standings:
Chicago (7-1) .875
Green Bay (6-3) .667
Minnesota (5-4) .556
Detroit (4-4) .500


Lions Injury News:
Louis Delmas S Knee Did Not Participate In Practice Out
Amari Spievey S Concussion Did Not Participate In Practice Out
Kyle Vanden Bosch DE -- Did Not Participate In Practice --
Cliff Avril DE Back Limited Participation in Practice Questionable
Titus Young WR Knee Limited Participation in Practice Questionable
Calvin Johnson WR Knee Limited Participation in Practice Questionable
Corey Hilliard T Knee Did Not Participate In Practice Questionable
Corey Williams DT Knee Did Not Participate In Practice Questionable

Vikings Injury News:
Letroy Guion DT Foot Limited Participation in Practice Doubtful
Percy Harvin WR Ankle Did Not Participate In Practice Doubtful

[Buddha]

must win game.

[Acuracljl]

Any help out there on websites to stream live game for free? Wish I could watch the game...want this win bad!

[Yoda]

Yeah this would be a pretty huge win. They have to put it all together.

I would like to see the lions expand their play book. Throw in a reverse here and there or something. Be creative.

[hail2mich]

No Percy Harvin for the Vikings today.

The Lions defense did well when they played the Vikings earlier this season, allowing only 6 points. How about they don't give up two special teams touchdowns today?

[Yoda]

No Percy = good news.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

If we win this game, my confidence we'll be restored. Lose, in anything other than a really tight game and I'll stay on the we're missing the playoffs bandwagon that I've jumped on this season.

[Kamakzie]

Ugh that Broyles penalty killed them.

[T&P_Fan]

Lions first drive stalls because of a penalty to Broyles.

Fox is giving me low def right now, anyone else have this issue? Its barely watchable.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

I know that the NFL doesn't have a stat that tracks consistently dumb penalties, but if they did, you can be sure the Honolulu Blue would be leading that category far and away.

[Porcelain God]

A Jerome Felton sighting!

[number20]

Any help out there on websites to stream live game for free? Wish I could watch the game...want this win bad!

inbox

[Porcelain God]

Lions first drive stalls because of a penalty to Broyles.

Fox is giving me low def right now, anyone else have this issue? Its barely watchable.

Mine was too, can't imagine how I ever lived without HD.

[Kamakzie]

Our secondary torched what a shock..

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Annnnnnnnnnnd they're going to score first and score early.

[Porcelain God]

Great, revival of the career day defense. I knew Ponder would be good, the announcers just got down talking about how terrible he has been the past few weeks.

[T&P_Fan]

The lions secondary is a damn joke, just ran right by everyone. 54 yard pass down to the half yard line. Poor start lions show their ugly head again.

Its time for Mayhew to look for a replacement for Delmas, he is never healthy.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Its time for Mayhew to look for a replacement for Delmas, he is never healthy.

For everyone back there not named Chris Houston really.

[sagnam]

It's not the defense's fault.

[T&P_Fan]

****ing secondary, wright wide open after catching a 54 yard pass. Awful start. What a shocker, this is Jim Schwartz football, undisciplined and poorly positioned to start every damn game.

Nothing worse than getting the ball first, not scoring and then immeidately give up a touch down.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

It's not the defense's fault.

Was this sarcasm?

[RandyMarsh]

Great, revival of the career day defense. I knew Ponder would be good, the announcers just got down talking about how terrible he has been the past few weeks.

lol, As soon as they showed that graphic on him about how bad he has been lately I said to myself "Now that means he's going to be great today", and so far so good for him.

[Gehringer_2]

****ing secondary, wright wide open after catching a 54 yard pass. Awful start. What a shocker, this is Jim Schwartz football, undisciplined and poorly positioned to start every damn game.

Nothing worse than getting the ball first, not scoring and then immeidately give up a touch down.

On the TD pass I liked the 4 white shirts lined up in the end zone with no purple shirts anywhere nearby while the receiver was wide open...

[Kamakzie]

******* throw..

[tigerbomb13]

Stafford lookin' good.

[RandyMarsh]

If we pass on 1st down and don't get anything, you can bet the house they are running it on 2nd down. So predictable.

[tigerbomb13]

Can't catch. Can't pass. Can't run. Can't defend. This is going to be a long game.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Terrible punt, what else is new?

[Mr.TaterSalad]

If we pass on 1st down and don't get anything, you can bet the house they are running it on 2nd down. So predictable.

Scott Linehan's playbook is more predictable than a pop-warner coach whose team is full of 11 and 12 year olds.

[MotorCityMadMan]

That was a good defensive series for us.

[Gehringer_2]

Well you can't say the Lions aren't original. How often do you see a penalty on the return team on a fair catch?

[Yoda]

Lions looking bad in the first quarter? Unheard of.

[Yoda]

The Lions almost have a running game... wtf?

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Jason Hanson, the MVP as usual.

[Yoda]

****.

Thank you Jason.

[Yoda]

Lions much better at defending the return this time.

[T&P_Fan]

You would think the Lions would he been more amped up for such a big game.

Let's go defense.

[stevie-y]

What the hell happened to AP's fumble issues??

[T&P_Fan]

Back to back 15 yard runs. Come on defense. Jesus.

[Kamakzie]

The running lanes our D is giving up now are sickening.