The Detroit Lions entered the fourth quarter of Sunday's game with just six points on the board against the Philadelphia Eagles. They were staring a 1-4 record in the face and didn't look like a team that could overcome a 10-point deficit.
Instead, they overcame a 10-point deficit twice before shocking the Eagles by a score of 26-23 in a wild overtime thriller.
This was a potential season-reviving win for Detroit. Matthew Stafford was scattershot all day before leading the Lions to 20 points in less than 15 minutes of action. Calvin Johnson was held to one catch until late in the game before taking over. He wound up with 135 yards, including a completely ridiculous grab in overtime to set up Jason Hanson's game-winning field goal.
Time will tell if the Lions are a long-term factor like they were a season ago. Frankly, both teams looked way too sloppy Sunday to be true contenders. Detroit had 16 penalties, the highest in the NFL this season. Philadelphia had three more turnovers.
The game's overall quality doesn't take away from Stafford and Johnson's game-closing performances. This was the type of effort you want out of your young leaders when the season is slipping away. They delivered for Detroit.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
