GAME RECAP:  Tennessee Titans 44 Detroit Lions 41 (OT)

SCOREBOARD	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT	FINAL
TITANS	10	10	0	21	3	44
LIONS	6	3	7	25	0	41

SCORING SUMMARY:

First Quarter  DET - Jason Hanson makes a 38 yard kick @ 11:38. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards in 4:38.  DET - Jason Hanson makes a 53 yard kick @ 6:43. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards in 2:16.  TEN - Rob Bironas makes a 31 yard kick @ 2:02. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards in 4:34.  TEN - Tommie Campbell runs 65 yards for a punt return @ 0:33 (Rob Bironas kick is good). Second Quarter  TEN - Jared Cook catches a 61 yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick is good) @ 13:00. Drive: 2 plays, 59 yards in 1:12.  DET - Jason Hanson makes a 33 yard kick. Drive: 13 plays @ 6:30, 65 yards in 6:30.  TEN - Rob Bironas makes a 38 yard kick @ 0:00. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards in 2:17. Third Quarter  DET - Mikel Leshoure runs for 1 yard (Jason Hanson kick is good) @ 6:36. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards in 2:54. Fourth Quarter  DET - Jason Hanson makes a 26 yard kick @ 12:39. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards in 4:39.  DET - Nate Burleson catches a 3 yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matthew Stafford passes to Nate Burleson runs for a 2 Pt. Conversion) @ 6:53. Drive: 9 plays, 46 yards in 4:57.  TEN - Darius Reynaud runs 105 yards for a kick return (Rob Bironas kick is good) @ 6:41.  TEN - Nate Washington catches a 71 yard pass from Jake Locker (Rob Bironas kick is good) @ 3:11. Drive: 1 play, 66 yards in 0:19.  TEN - Alterraun Verner makes a 72 yard fumble return (Rob Bironas kick is good) @ 1:16.  DET - Calvin Johnson catches a 3 yard pass from Shaun Hill (Jason Hanson kick is good) @ 0:18. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards in 0:58.  DET - Titus Young catches a 46 yard pass from Shaun Hill (Jason Hanson kick is good)@ 0:00. Drive: 2 plays, 46 yards in 0:18. Overtime  TEN - Rob Bironas makes a 26 yard kick @ 10:36. Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards in 4:24.

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DETROIT LIONS GAME BALLS:

Mikel Leshoure	Jason Hanson	Calvin Johnson
100-yards rushing in NFL debut, TD, and four catches for 34 yards	Nearly flawless day as veteran handled kicking and punting duty	Ten catches, 164 yards and a touchdown grab for Lions big receiver

TEAM STATISTICS	LIONS	49ERS
1st Downs	36	21
Rushing	11	4
Passing	23	13
Penalty	2	4
3rd-Down Conversions	3-12	5-12
4th-Down Conversions	0-1	0-0
Punts-Average	4-39.0	1-41.0
Return Yards	42	247
Punts-Returns	0-0	3-73
Kickoffs-Returns	2-42	4-174
Int.-Returns	0-0	0-0
Penalties-Yards	10-91	6-32
Fumbles-Lost	1-1	2-2
Time Of Pos.	40:36	27:49
">Total Net Yards	583	437
Total Plays	92	61
Average Gain	6.3	7.2
Net Yards Rushing	141	59
Rushes	36	19
Avg. Per Rush	3.9	3.1
Net Yards Passing	442	378
Comp.-Att.	43-55	29-42
Yards Per Pass	7.9	9.0
Sacked-Yards Lost	1-8	0-0
Had Intercepted	0	0
Touchdowns	4	5
Rushing	1	0
Passing	3	2
Other	0	3
Extra Points	4-4	5-5
Kicking	3-3	5-5
Passing	1-1	0-0
Field Goals	4-4	3-5
Red Zone Efficiency	3-6-50%	0-2-0%
Goal To Go Efficiency	3-4-75%	0-0-0%
Safeties	0	0

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATS:

Passing

Rushing

Receiving

GAME SUMMARY:

Lions head coach Jim Schwartz would return to the site where he served as a defensive coach for ten years and leave with a 44-41 defeat in overtime in a crazy game. The Lions would control the game for the most part, but give up five huge plays with two on kick returns for scores and two long passing plays. The dagger in the heart would be a 72-yard return after a Titans defensive back would strip the ball away from Pettigrew and score with just over a minute remaining. But it would take more than a dagger to get these Lions to quit who would end up scoring two touchdowns in the final 18 seconds to force the overtime. A couple of defensive penalties would extend the Titans drive in overtime and lead to the field goal. The Lions would have a 4th-and-one at the 14 but come up just short instead of kicking the tying field goal.

The Lions would win the coin toss and get the ball first. It would be our first chance to take a look at second year running back Mikel Leshoure and he would look pretty solid early in his debut. The Lions would drive the ball down the field but end up having to settle for a Jason Hanson field goal to take an early lead. The Titans would be stopped on their first drive as a Jake Locker fumble would give the Lions their second change. They would again have to settle for a field goal, this time from 53-yards away. Tennessee would get a field goal of their own on their second drive. After a three-and-out by the Lions, the Titans would revive the Music City Miracle with a lateral pass on the punt return good for a 65-yard touchdown and only their second lead of the season. After another three-and-out by the Lions, the Titans would score another touchdown this one thanks to Jake Lockers 61-yard pass to Cook early in the second quarter. The Lions would respond with a 13-play drive, but like all the others it would be Jason Hanson who would finish it off. Rob Bironas would add three for the Titans on their next drive to pad the lead as the first half expired with the Lions trailing 20-9.

The Titans would receive the second half kickoff and drive down the field but Bironas would push the field goal attempt wide. After just one catch in the first half, Calvin Johnson would be targeted early in the second half. Combined with Leshoure's running, the Lions would march down for their first touchdown ono the afternoon as the second year back would punch it in from one-yard out. Bironas would fail to convert again on the home teams second drive. Jason Hanson would prove to be much more accurate, knocking it through from 26-yards out to pull Detroit to within one early in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Alan Houston would cause a fumble on the Titans next drive giving the Lions their best field position of the day. Detroit would take advantage as Stafford would find Nate Burleson open for a three-yard touchdown. The veteran receiver would also haul in the two point conversion attempt to push the lead to seven. It would last long. The Titans would return the kickoff return 105-yard to tie the game. The Lions would fail to pick up a first down. Nate Washington would then pick the ball off of Lacey's back and rumble 71-yards for the go ahead score. The Lions would need to score a touchdown on the next drive and would begin driving down the field until Brandon Pettigrew would have the ball stripped from him and returned for a touchdown to end the Lions hopes. Or would it.

Matt Stafford would strain his leg after the Pettigrew fumble and be replaced by Hill. Calvin Johnson would score a touchdown with 18 seconds left on a three-yard pass from Hill. Spievey would recover the onsides kick to keep the Lions hopes alive. Nate Burleson would appear to fumble on the next play but it was ruled incomplete. On the final play, Titus Young would trail the play and get the tipped ball, cross the plane and force the game into overtime from 46-yards out.

The Titans would get the ball first in overtime. Rookie Bill Bentley would keep the drive going with a defensive holding after the Lions tackled Locker short of the first down. A Stephen Tulloch helmet on helmet would extend the drive further. The penalties would lead to a field goal but under the new overtime rules the Lions would get the ball back. A naked bootleg to Pettigrew would net 17 yards on their first play. Two plays later Calvin Johnson would have it down at the 30 of the Titans. Joique Bell would get a few carries and move the ball closer. It would come down to a 4th-and-a-foot and the Lions would elect to go for it, they would fail with Hill fumbling the snap. It appeared as if he wasn't ready for Raiola to snap the ball back when he did.

What a heartbreaking loss as the Lions fall to 1-2.

PHOTO OF THE GAME:

Calvin Johnson stretches out for extra yards.

NEXT GAME:

The Detroit Lions return home next Sunday, September 30 at to face the Minnesota Vikings 1:00 PM.

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Written by: Paul Donaghy, Senior Writer