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DETROIT (AP) — Dan Campbell didn’t get much sleep Sunday night.
It could have been much worse.
Not only did his Detroit Lions open the season on Sunday night, they needed overtime to beat the Los Angeles Rams 26-20 in a game that ended just before midnight.
“Look, it’s hard to sleep after a game, especially when you get home at 1 or 2 o’clock or something like that,” Campbell said Monday afternoon. “Your mind is racing, you’re thinking about all the different things that went right or wrong, and you can’t sleep no matter how tired you are.”
Defensive player Alim McNeill said he didn’t fall asleep until 4 a.m. and alternated between watching movies and episodes of “Reba” on Netflix.
“He said what he did?” Campbell asked, laughing. “I remember what it was like as a player, so I understand what Mac is talking about. You go over every game again.”
The Lions didn’t play like a Super Bowl contender for a long time on Sunday night. They led 17-3 at the start of the third quarter, but Matthew Stafford managed another comeback at Ford Field.
Playing behind an offensive line decimated by injuries and with key wide receiver Puka Nacua out with a knee injury, Stafford scored a touchdown through Cooper Kupp to give the Rams a 20-17 lead with 4:30 left.
“Stafford, man, it’s almost like you don’t want to beat him because I think he plays better when he does,” Campbell said. “He just keeps going.”
The Rams could have tied the game when the Lions went three-and-out, but Stafford threw a pass that could have clinched the game for Kupp. When Jared Goff got another chance, he capitalized on a key Rams penalty to drive the ball deep into Los Angeles territory.
Jake Bates, who made his name this spring at Ford Field for the UFL’s Michigan Panthers, kicked the tying field goal. Stafford made the wrong decision on the coin toss in overtime and gave the ball to the Lions.
Then Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson decided to hand the offense over to David Montgomery. The veteran carried the ball five times for 45 yards, including the game-winning 1-yard touchdown.
“You could just feel that No. 5 (Montgomery) was ready to take over the game and that we were going to break through,” Campbell said.
What works
Due to injuries on the Rams’ offensive line, it’s hard to give Detroit’s front seven too much credit, but Stafford was under constant pressure and his running backs were only able to gain 83 yards on 23 attempts.
What needs help
Last season, the Lions had many great plays when Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown. However, the Rams held St. Brown to three catches for 13 yards. Goff only targeted him six times, which will have to improve on Sunday against Tampa Bay.
Stock up
Lions coaches, players and fans have been waiting for Jameson Williams to translate his talent into production, and he showed signs of doing so on Sunday, catching five balls for 121 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown.
Inventory is decreasing
CB Terrion Arnold, the 24th pick in the draft – which was held in Detroit – struggled in his first game of the regular season. He was penalized twice for pass interference in the third quarter, once at the Lions 2 and once in the end zone, which helped Stafford make his comeback.
Injuries
The Lions came out of the game without any significant injuries and are hoping that DT DJ Reader will return from his quadriceps injury for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.
Key number
1,018 – the number of yards Matthew Stafford has thrown in three games against his old team, including six touchdowns and one interception. The Rams won the first game of 2021 28-19, but the Lions have beaten him in the last two games – 24-23 in January and 26-20 on Sunday.
Next Steps
Get ready for another rematch of January’s improbable postseason run – this time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
