The Detroit Lions jumped out to a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter and held on for a thrilling 39-35 road victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the season-opener for both teams.
After missing an extra point with just over four minutes left in the game, Lions kicker Matt Prater thought he had cost his team the game as the Colts answered right back with a six-yard touchdown pass to Jack Doyle — his second of the game — with 37 seconds to go to go up 35-34.
But the Lions came right back to give Prater some redemption. With eight seconds left in the game, Prater drilled a 43-yard field goal for the game-winning score. The Colts got a safety on the ensuing kickoff as they tried pitching the ball around in hopes of a kickoff return for a touchdown.
MATT PRATER.
FOR. THE. WIN. #DETvsIND #OnePride https://t.co/YAoS9lesa2
— NFL (@NFL) September 11, 2016
“To see him bounce back is huge,” Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said. “When you miss like that, the second one can be difficult. But he has an unusual focusing ability.”
Matthew Stafford was clutch all game long as he completed 31 of 39 of passes for 340 yards with three touchdowns in the win for the Lions.
Andrew Luck passed for a game-high 385 yards and four touchdowns in the loss for the Colts.
Notable: Detroit’s win was just the second time the Lions have ever won in Indianapolis.
Next Opponents
Detroit: The Lions will take on the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. The Titans are 0-1 after suffering a 25-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Indianapolis: Up next for the Colts is a road game against the reigning Super Bowl champions in the Denver Broncos at Mile High. The Broncos are 1-0 after a thrilling comeback victory over the Carolina Panthers.
