Game 185. Los Angeles at Detroit
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Tag Archives: Detroit Lions
1997 Game 244 – NFC Wildcard – New Orleans at Detroit
Sanders breaks another rushing record as Lions advance
Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders continues to have the greatest season in a running back’s career. Sanders broke Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record during the regular season with 2,127 yards, and now Sanders broke Dickerson’s single-game rushing record as well.
Against the New Orleans Saints in the Wildcard game in the Silverdome, Sanders rushed for 255 yards, which broke Dickerson’s 248 yards that he set in 1984 against the Dallas Cowboys. Sanders rushed 32 times to get those 255 yards and he also scored the Lions’ two touchdowns.
It wasn’t easy for the Lions though. The best offense in the NFL moved the ball in the first half but trailed 7-3 at halftime. The Saints broke through first when QB Billy Jo Hobert took advantage of a Lions’ blitz and connected with WR Eric Guliford for a 33-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Saints a 7-0 lead.
The Lions moved the ball up and down the field in the first half, generating 190 yard of offense, but could only manage a 30-yard Jason Hanson field goal in the first half.
In the second half, the stars showed out for the Lions. Sanders ran all over the Saints and WR Herman Moore demanded the football in the second half. As a result, the Lions racked up 253 yards of offense in the second half and 20 points. In fact, the Lions controlled the ball as they had 20:45 of time of possession compared to 9:15 for the Saints.
Hobert was harassed by the Lions in the second half and the Saints only managed 59 yards in the half. Hobert was picked off twice, one of them thwarting the only promising drive the Saints mustered up.
Besides Sanders, Moore caught 12 passes for 133 yards. WR Johnny Morton caught six for 61 yards and Scott Mitchell threw for 208 yards on 20 of 35 passing with an interception.
The Lions will now travel to Candlestick Park next weekend to take on the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs. It will be a matchup of the best offense in the league against the best defense in the league.
1997 Game 237 (Week 17) NY Jets at Detroit
Sanders breaks rushing record; Jets blow opportunity
Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders broke the single-season rushing record on Sunday as the Lions defeated the New York Jets, 23-19, on Sunday in the Silverdome.
Sanders rushed for 107 yards on 16 carries on Sunday and broke Eric Dickerson’s 13-year record. Dickerson rushed for 2,105 yards in 1984, but Sanders eclipsed that mark in the third quarter of Sunday’s game and finished with 2,127 yards on the season. Sanders also had 16 rushing touchdowns in ’97.
With the win, the Lions finished with a 13-3 record, which is the best win total in franchise history. They had 11 wins in 1962 and 11 wins as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1931. The Lions are the fourth seed in the NFC playoffs and will host a Wildcard game next weekend.
Also, the Lions had the first receiver duo to both catch 100 passes in a season. Herman Moore and Johnny Morton both caught 103 passes on the season. Moore finished with 1,431 yards and 12 TDs, while Morton had 1,464 yards and ten touchdowns.
Defensively, the Lions had the top pass rusher in 1997. DE Robert Porcher had 20 sacks this season, which is Lions’ record.
As for the Jets, they blew their chance at earning the last seed in the AFC playoffs. Now the Jets must await the Sunday Night Football game as the Seattle Seahawks host the San Francisco 49ers. If the Seahawks win, they get the last playoff spot with a 10-6 record; however, if they lose, the Jets will get the last spot at 9-7. Why? Because the Jets beat the Seahawks in week 1 of the season. They would win the tie-breaker based on a head-to-head victory.
No matter what happens on Sunday Night, head coach Bill Parcels has done a wonderful job turning the franchise into a winner. Last year, the Jets were 1-15 and now they are 9-7 and have a shot at the AFC playoffs.
Game 173. Detroit at N.Y. Giants
Game 155. Buffalo at Detroit
Game 147. Chicago at Detroit
1997 Game 214 (Week 16) Detroit at Minnesota
Sanders reaches 2,000 yards in the Lions’ victory!
It took overtime to do it, but Detroit Lions’ running back Barry Sanders became the third player in the history of the game to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.
Sanders accomplished the feat on a 3rd-down play. He had 97 yards at that point in the game, and the Lions were faced with a 3rd down and 8 at the Vikings’ 33-yard line. With the fans in the Metrodome roaring, QB Scott Mitchell audibled to a draw play. Sanders took the handoff and blew through the defense for a nine-yard gain eclipsing the 2,000-yard mark!
Unfortunately for the Lions, Mitchell threw an interception two plays later at the Viking 22-yard line thwarting the Lions chance to score. After a three & out by the Vikings, the Lions got another chance. This time, Sanders ripped through the Viking defense and set the Lions up deep in Viking territory. K Jason Hanson kicked the game-winning 34-yard field goal to give the Lions the 27-24 victory.
Sanders is now the 3rd player in history to run for over 2,000 yards. He joins OJ Simpson and Eric Dickerson. Sanders now has 2020 yards on the season and 15 TDs. Clearly, the frontrunner for the league’s MVP honors.
The Lions are now 12-3 on the season and have clearly locked down the #4 seed in the NFC Playoffs and will host a Wildcard game. They host the NY Jets in the season finale. As for the Vikings, they are now 7-8 and out of the playoffs. They will host Indianapolis next week.
Game 135. Detriot at New Orleans
1997 Game 209 (Week 15) Detroit at Miami
Lions roar past Marino & the Dolphins
The offensive juggernaut of the Detroit Lions continued to roll Sunday afternoon in Pro Player Stadium as they beat the Miami Dolphins, 37-27, to run their record to 11-3 on the season.
A lot of the focus coming into today’s game was the Dolphins’ QB Dan Marino; however, the Lions’ QB Scott Mitchell stole the show. Sure, Mitchell has the best weapons in football around him, but he has had the best season of his career, and it continued Sunday. Mitchell threw for 312 yards on 17 of 28 passing with three touchdowns and a 134.8 quarterback rating.
Mitchell had a fantastic 1995 season leading the Lions to the playoffs, but this year has been different. With most defenses focusing their attention on RB Barry Sanders, Mitchell and his receiving tandem of Herman Moore and Johnnie Morton are making defenses pay for bringing extra players in the box to try and stop Sanders. On the season, Mitchell has completed 59% of his passes and thrown for 3,598 yards. He has tossed 27 TD passes, but here is where Mitchell has gotten better…he only has four interceptions on the season, which is the reason why he has a career-high 102.2 quarterback rating.
As for Barry Sanders, the Dolphins did everything they could to take him away. Sanders was held to a season-low 69 yards on 19 carries. On the season, Barry’s quest for 2,000 is very much a reality as he is just 104 yards away with two games to play. He also has his sights on Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record of 2,105 that he set in 1984. Sanders is 209 yards away from breaking that record.
As for the Dolphins, they tried to stay in the game behind Marino’s arm. He had a season-high 346 yards passing. He completed 26 of 41 passes with three touchdowns with no interceptions. The Dolphins had a 21-14 lead at halftime, but Marino could not keep up with the red-hot Lions, because the Lions defense began to put the pressure on. They sacked Marino six times and DE Robert Porcher continued to have an unbelievable season. He sacked Marino twice in the 4th quarter and now has 19 sacks on the season.
The Lions are now 11-3 on the season and still have a mathematical chance at winning the NFC Central. They have to win out and the Packers have to lose their final two games. The Lions will travel to Minneapolis to take on the Vikings next Sunday and then complete the regular season at home against the Jets. The Dolphins are now 6-8 and will travel next week to take on the Colts.
