4 things we learned about the Detroit Lions after controversial loss to Falcons

Lions lose after last-minute touchdown overturned

Golden Tate #15 of the Detroit Lions catches the ball as Brian Poole #34 of the Atlanta Falcons touches him and his knee hits the ground during the fourth quarter at Ford Field.

DETROIT – Matthew Stafford's pass to Golden Tate was ruled to be just short of the goal line in the final seconds, overturning the call on the field and allowing the Atlanta Falcons to hold on for a 30-26 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Stafford threw a slant to Tate and a video review determined he was down just inside the 1 with 8 seconds left. By rule, 10 seconds had to run off the clock, and that ended the game because the Lions didn't have any timeouts.

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The defending NFC champion Falcons (3-0) overcame Matt Ryan's three interceptions and many other mistakes, including on Detroit's last drive.

Here are four things we learned about the Lions:

The Lions are a legit playoff contender

Detroit was able to hang with the defending NFC champs, and arguably best offense in the league on Sunday, and it was no fluke. Their defense made several big plays, keeping them in the game just long enough to win. Although they didn't, the team has clearly proven, after wins against Arizona, New York and almost Atlanta - they are legit.

Running game is work in progress

There have been brief signs of a functional rushing attack in the first three games, but it hasn't fully come together just yet. Despite the lack of success, the Lions have stuck with the rushing game, for now, but will need the offensive line to improve. The Lions are No. 17 in the league, as it stands, in rushing yards per game. They were No. 30 in 2016.

Stafford's touch pass is a new weapon

We hadn't seen much of it in the first two weeks, but Stafford's new touch pass, which we've been hearing about all off season, came out Sunday at Ford Field. In at least a few nice completions, Stafford floated some beautiful passes right over Atlanta defenders, specfically to Ameer Abdullah and another to T.J. Jones. Stafford, known for being a bullet speed passer, has a new weapon in his arsenal, and that's only good news for the Lions. 

Lions secondary can ball hawk, defend

Through three games, the Lions have seven interceptions, second most in the NFL. Three of those game Sunday against Matt Ryan, who hadn't thrown a pick in nine weeks prior to the game against Detroit. The Lions also accumulated multiple interceptions against Carson Palmer in Week 1. The Lions are also keeping opposing quarterbacks at bay, with a 70.2 passer rating, fifth best in the league. In 2016, the Lions were dead last in the league, with opposing quarterbacks averaging a 106.5 passer rating.


About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.