![]() It means this clear TD catch by Titus Young that was ruled incomplete on the field cannot be challenged. Schwartz is forced to burn his two coaching challenges on plays that are now automatically reviewed. Cornerback Alphonso Smith made one good play, an interception to thwart a Packers drive. While that’s going on, Flynn is heating up. ![]() The opportunities were there, the execution was not. Another poor drive from Stafford, then a fumble, then a missed Jason Hanson field goal sandwiched around one impressive drive where Stafford and Calvin Johnson hook up for a nice TD. The Lions offense really sputtered in this stretch of the game. Sort of a fitting allegory for the Schwartz era. The Lions were in position to make an early kill shot, but instead give the opportunity away. The reckless young Stafford shows on the next drive and the Packers capitalize, turning a fumble into a touchdown. A terrible spot on a third down in the Packers’ favor also helped.īlood pressure rising, and not in a happy way. A stupid penalty by Ashlee Palmer on the Detroit punt helped set things up. Green Bay answers with a deliberate 15-play drive where Flynn looked like he started to feel more comfortable. Coach Jim Schwartz is fired up and I am too!Īlas, Detroit’s offense sputters to a three-and-out. I can only imagine the excitement coursing through Detroit fandom at this point. The Packers return man, Pat Lee, kneels down for a safety after he bobbled the ball outside of the end zone. It’s a statement by a 10-5 Lions team trying to win in Green Bay for the first time in 20 years, and with the Packers defense resting Clay Matthews Jr. Matthew (then still often called Matt) Stafford quickly gets the Lions on the scoreboard with a strike to Titus Young in the front corner of the end zone. Flynn starts out shaky, throwing wobblers on the first drive before getting strip-sacked by Sammie Lee Hill, with DeAndre Levy on the recovery by outhustling several Packers to the loose ball. Watching the game in retrospect made me realize why the game sits in such infamy with the Detroit faithful. It was a lot more difficult to process as a Lions fan, even knowing full well going in what the final outcome would be. The game wasn’t difficult to find on YouTube. ![]() Honoring a commitment from the Detroit Lions Podcast annual fundraiser, I subjected myself to watching the Lions’ 45-41 loss in Green Bay to a fourth-year backup QB making just his second career start. ![]() ![]() In fact, I’ve only ever seen a handful of highlights of the Matt Flynn game. It’s the only Lions game since 2003 that I haven’t watched in full. I heard the first handful of drives in the car on the trip, but that was it. Living in Houston at the time and knowing the Lions were in the playoffs win or lose, my wife and I opted to drive to northern Texas and treat our kids (then 6 and 3) to a trip on the Polar Express. I have a different memory of that day and game. For many fans, it’s among the lowest points in a Lions history filled with too many to list. It’s commonly known as the Matt Flynn game. That day was the final regular season game of the 2011 NFL season, a showdown between the Lions and the rival Green Bay Packers. Most Detroit Lions fans know exactly where they were on January 1st, 2012. ![]()
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