DETROIT (AP) — Matt Patricia weaved his way through a crowd to hug the man who helped him live a dream.Patricia beat mentor Bill
Belichick
http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-devon-kennard-jersey , seemingly making all the right moves to help the Detroit Lions defeat the New
England Patriots 26-10 Sunday night.“I’m sure it meant a lot, his first win as a
head coach,” Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “Probably no sweeter
than to do it against your old team.“We needed this one.”The Lions (1-2)
suddenly looked like a team with a plan on offense and defense under their
first-year coach, and former New England assistant. They opened the season with
a 31-point loss to the New York Jets at home and fell short in a comeback at San
Francisco.Patricia was given a game ball by his players, but refused to relish
in the moment.“I’m just happy for the guys,” he said. “They’re the ones who
deserve it,” he said.The Patriots (1-2) have had weaknesses exposed on both
sides of the ball, losing two of their first three games for the first time
since 2012.And, Belichick was in no mood to reflect on his former defensive
coordinator earning his first win.“My job is my football team,” said Belichick,
who is 14-9 against former assistants. “That’s what I’m worried about. That’s
what I’m concerned about.”Patricia and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady also
hugged briefly at midfield after the game and other New England players made a
point of connecting with their former coach.Detroit was in control from the
start, creating holes for rookie running back Kerryon Johnson and giving Matthew
Stafford time to pass.Johnson had 101 yards rushing on 16 carries, becoming the
first player to reach the mark for the Lions since Reggie Bush ran for 117 yards
against Green Bay on Nov. 28, 2013. Detroit’s 70-game stretch without a 100-yard
rusher was the longest since the NFL-AFL merger.“We knew we needed to run the
ball and take some of the pressure off Stafford and the receivers if we wanted
to win this game,” Johnson said. “The offensive line was hitting holes and we
were attacking. That’s the most physical game they’ve played all year
http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-calvin-johnson-jersey , and we were able to take advantage of it.”Brady pulled the Patriots within three
points on a 10-yard TD pass to James White early in the third.Detroit refused to
let the five-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback get any closer.Stafford
responded with a 33-yard TD pass, capping a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took
more than 6 minutes off the clock.Darius Slay picked off Brady’s pass at the
Detroit 15 midway through the fourth quarter, helping the Lions seal the
win.While Patricia and his players downplayed how much he could help them
prepare for a team he helped coach the previous 14 years, Slay said it was a
factor.“He knows everything about that team and he made sure we knew it as
well,” Slay said.THE QBSStafford was 27 of 36 for 262 yards with two touchdowns
and an interception. Brady was 12 of 24 for 113 yards with a touchdown and an
interception.THAT’S COACHINGDetroit ran the play clock down often in the second
half, seemingly choosing to shorten the game and keep Brady off the field.“That
was a key part of the game,” Patricia said. “You certainly don’t want to give
the ball back to them.”Fans booed at Ford Field when Patricia chose to kick a
38-yard field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-1.“Any points against a
team like that is going to be a good thing,” Stafford said. “We had a positive
drive and you would hate to come away from it with no points.”Patricia also won
a challenge , getting a call overturned that gave Stafford a 5-yard touchdown
pass to put Detroit ahead 10-0.ALMOST A LIONNew England tight end Rob Gronkowski
confirmed an ESPN report in which sources said he threatened to retire instead
of being traded to Detroit in the offseason.“Yeah, it happened,” Gronkowski
said. “Brady’s my quarterback. That’s all. I’m not going anywhere without
Brady.”INJURY REPORTPatriots: WR Josh Gordon (hamstring) was inactive, delaying
his New England debut, after warming up with teammates. S Patrick Chung and DE
Trey Flowers were inactive because of concussions. RB Rex Burkhead left the game
in the second half with a neck injury.Lions: DE Ezekiel Ansah (shoulder) was
inactive.UP NEXTPatriots: Hosts the AFC-East leading Miami Dolphins (3-0).Lions:
Play at Dallas (1-2).Detroit Lions Week 4 scouting report: Dallas Cowboys
searching for answers on offense The Detroit Lions are hoping to keep the good
time rolling. After a win over the Patriots last week, the Lions have a second
life. But to keep spirits high
Frank Ragnow Jersey White , the Lions will need to pick up a win or two before the bye week, and it starts on Sunday with the Dallas Cowboys. Here’s what you
need to know about the Cowboys.Dallas CowboysLast season9-7 record (2nd in NFC
East)14th in points scored, 13th in points allowedOverall DVOA: 13th (10th on
offense, 25th on defense)2018 offseasonKey free agent additions: WR Allen Hurns,
OT Cameron Fleming, WR Tavon Austin (trade) Key losses: RB Alfred Morris, WR Dez
Bryant, WR Ryan Switzer, TE Jason Witten, LB Anthony Hitchens, G Jonathan Cooper
2018 NFL draft picks:Round 1, 19 overall - LB Leighton Vander EschRound 2, Pick
50 - OL Connor Williams Round 3, Pick 81 - WR Michael GallupRound 4, Pick 116 -
EDGE Dorance Armstrong Jr. Round 4
Devon Kennard Jersey White , Pick 137 - TE Dalton SchultzRound 5, Pick 171 - QB Mike WhiteRound 6, Pick 193 - LB Chris CovingtonRound 6, Pick 208 - WR
Cedrick WilsonRound 7, Pick 236 - RB Bo ScarbroughThe Cowboys offense took a
pretty big hit this offseason. In between Dez Bryant’s divorce from the team,
Jason Witten’s retirement and a bunch of preseason injuries to the offense line,
Dallas entered the regular season with a lot of question about how they’d keep
up their efficient offense from last season.To their credit, Dallas tried to
mitigate the damage, drafting Michael Gallup in the third round and adding both
Tavon Austin and Allen Hurns. They also made sure to keep their offensive line
fresh by adding Cameron Fleming in free agency and Connor Williams in the
draft.2018 season thus farWeek 1: Loss to Panthers, 8-16Week 2: Win over Giants,
20-13Week 3: Loss to Seahawks, 13-24The story of the 2018 Cowboys thus far has
easily been their lackluster offense. They’ve scored just 41 total points
through three games (31st), and their yards per play (5.0) ranks them 23rd in
the NFL.The problem is pretty easily identifiable. Ezekiel Elliott is still as
amazing as ever, but this pass offense is hurting without any proven receiving
talent. No Dez, no Witten
Womens Theo Riddick Jersey , and you’re left with Cole Beasley as your leading receiver, with a mere 132 yards through three games. Tavon Austin has a couple
of scores, but just 81 total yards. Rookie Michael Gallup is still getting his
footing in the NFL.This all goes back to the play of Dak Prescott, who is facing
an increasing amount of criticism as the offense continues to struggle. His
passer rating of 74.9 ranks just 27th of all starting quarterbacks, as does his
5.66 yards per attempt. He hasn’t been helped out by the aforementioned beat up
offensive line—he’s been sacked 11 times (fifth most)—but he’s also not making
the players around him better.Defensively, this team is much more sound right
now. They’re allowing just 17.7 points per game (seventh) and a mere 4.3 yards
per play (second). They’ve got a feared defensive front with DeMarcus Lawrence
(2.5 sacks) and Taco Charlton (1.0 sacks), but don’t sleep on their secondary,
either. 2015 first-round pick Byron Jones has been Pro Football Focus’ best
cornerback through three weeks, and Dallas is allowing just 6.6 yards per
passing attempt (eighth). The loss of Sean Lee to an injury last week looms
large, but first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch was phenomenal in his place
against the Seahawks, racking up 11 tackles.It’s been a disappointing start for
the Cowboys, especially racking up two losses in the NFC, but there is still
enough talent here to be worried about.Outlook for 2018Vegas win total: 8.5
winsBlogging the Boys’ take: OVER 8.5 winsVegas line for Week 4: Cowboys by
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