In the season opener, the Lions gave up a big lead and wound up tying the Cardinals after failing to secure a win in regulation or overtime.
Sunday’s game looked like it might play out in similar fashion. The Lions saw their lead shrink from 10 points to three points and the Eagles had two chances to erase what was left of that lead in the final minutes, including a drive that started at midfield after a blocked field goal.
The Lions defense held, though, and they got a 27-24 win despite 287 offensive yards, nine penalties and other miscues over the course of the game. Wide receiver Marvin Jones called it a “resilient” performance and quarterback Matthew Stafford agreed with that assessment.
“I think it’s good to get wins, not playing your best football,” Stafford said, via the Detroit Free Press. “I know we haven’t played our best football. We had too many procedural penalties on offense. I think we gave up two first downs on defense, on procedural penalties. But we kept battling and found ways to win. We are doing it against good football teams, too.”
The Lions get another good team next week when the 3-0 Chiefs pay them a visit. That would be a good time to try winning while playing their best football.