http://www.momentumsportstours.com/

Momentum Sports Tours, 5375 Rischow Drive SW, Wyoming, MI (2024)

08/27/2024

MOMENTUM SPORTS TOURS - Update

LIONS vs LOS ANGELES RAMS - NFL Opening Day - 9/8 - 4 remain
LIONS vs TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS - 9/15 - SOLD OUT
LIONS vs SEATTLE SEAHAWKS - MNF - 9/30 - 12 remain
LIONS vs TENNESSEE TITANS - 10/27 - SOLD OUT
LIONS vs JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS - 11/17 - SOLD OUT
LIONS vs CHICAGO BEARS - Thanksgiving 11/28 - 18 remain
LIONS vs GREEN BAY PACKERS - Thursday Prime 12/5 - 20 remain
LIONS vs BUFFALO BILLS - Sunday 12/15 - 28 remain

- Tours are filling quickly -
Call (616) 249-8687 for reservations and details
Lower-level ticket, Motorcoach, Tailgate Buffet
Call Today for a reservation - No deposit required
(616) 249-8687

08/18/2024

TIGERS DOMINATE THE YANKEES (4-0) WITH A 4-HITTER SHUTOUT

The Saturday afternoon game at Comerica Park was filled with question marks. Would the predicted rainstorm postpone the game? Could the Tigers stop the power bats of Soto, Judge and Stanton? How would Torkelson play on his first return day? How will Tigers’ starting pitcher Montero do?
Well...spoiler alert.
Everything went exactly as Detroit Tigers’ fans had hoped it would go.
The weather was radiant. And the Tigers played radiantly, offensively, AND defensively.
Right-hander Keider Montero (3-5 going in) struck out five in five-plus innings in his 10th career start, allowing only 2 hits in his third consecutive win.
Detroit got off to a quick start. Bottom of the first, Malloy smokes a drive that one-hopped the wall in left field, for a double. Then C**t Keith lined a single to center field. 1-0 Tigers.
But it was the third inning that decided the outcome. Torkelson hit a leadoff double, Zach McKinstry hit an RBI single and Matt Vierling drew a walk. Andy Ibáñez then hit a two-run double to left. And just like that...3 runs. 4-0 Tigers.
With outstanding command, Montero kept his velocity up around 96-97 mph, but with 87 pitches and facing Soto and Judge, A.J. Hinch let his bullpen take over. Tyler Holton was just as accurate as Montero, punching out Soto and Stanton in the process. The home team held on for the coveted New York shutout.
Spencer Torkelson showed he hasn’t lost a step, while pounding out a double and a triple.
Overall, it was a great game played by a great team at a great ballpark on a great day. It’s as simple as that.

07/24/2024

UPCOMING MOMENTUM SPORTS TOURS
Call (616) 249-8687 to reserve

Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees
- Saturday afternoon, August 17 - $170
Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams
- Sunday evening, September 8 (Opening Day) - $400
Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Monday Night Football, September 30 - $400

03/28/2024

DETROIT TIGERS vs NEW YORK YANKEES Bus Tour
Saturday Afternoon, August 17
$170 per person ($160 if paid before July 17)
Call (616) 249-8687 for reservations.
This season is the 40th anniversary of the DETROIT TIGERS WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP season in 1984.
To honor that season, Momentum Sports Tours is touring to Comerica Park on Saturday August 17 for an afternoon game against the New York Yankees.
Lower-Level seats, in the shade, along the 1st baseline, across from the Jumbotron. 7-item Tailgate buffet. Motorcoach. Plus, a free Riley Greene Bobblehead (first 15,000).
Call (616) 249-8687 for details and reservations.

01/22/2024

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM CONTINUES! DETROIT AIMS AT THE STARS TAKING ONE STEP CLOSER BY TRAMPLING TAMPA (31-23)

Last weekend’s playoff game, the first Detroit had won in 32 years, was big... really big! But this game was BIGGER! Ford Field was lit up like a Las Vegas Christmas tree! The crowd was amped up to the max with Super Bowl Electricity! Bod Seger was in the house. So was Calvin Johnson, Eminem, Jeff Daniels, Big Sean, Flavor Flav. The noise was approaching decibel record-breaking limits even before the first kick-off.
The Kings of the North and the Pirates of the South were two evenly matched teams. Both had hot quarterbacks that had been cast off by other teams. Both had suffered recent adversity and disrespect. Both were now facing one another in the NFC Divisional game.
The equality of the Lions and the Buccaneers played out like a back-and-forth Australian Open tennis match. In the first quarter, Detroit managed a field goal, and Tampa Bay responded with a field goal.
In the second quarter, Jared Goff and the Lions executed an impressive 14 play, 75-yard touchdown. But Baker Mayfield and the Bucs came back with 19 seconds to go in the half with a TD. In playoff history, Tampa Bay is 11-0 when tied or ahead at halftime; Detroit is 0-9. This game is a major nail-biter.
The third quarter was a mirror image of the second. Dan Campbell gambles on a fourth-and-goal from the 1 and makes it! Detroit’s up 17-10, but Tampa responds, AGAIN, in the final seconds to tie it up. The heart-thumping continues.
Finally, Jahmyr Gibbs broke loose for a 31-yard run into the endzone. This seemed to flip a switch. The Lions gained needed confidence and dominance. Goff to St. Brown for a 9-yard TD with 6 minutes to go gave the Lions a comforting 2-score lead.
But Baker Mayfield wasn’t done yet. He orchestrated an efficient 75-yard TD drive that took only 2 minutes off the clock, but then a 2-point conversion attempt failed.
The Lions got the ball back but couldn’t put the 1-score game away. With less than 2 minutes, the Buccaneers have a last chance to take the game into overtime. But 2 plays later, a Derrick Barnes interception does the trick. Three knee downs and the LIONS WIN! The Lions will play in a Conference Championship game for only the second time in franchise history! The Super Bowl is in sight! Only one game away!
The desperate-for-a-winner fans, me included, explode at this realization. Streamers and confetti fall from the ceiling. I am so overcome with joy that it would not be impossible for me to die from too much happiness. Even if I did, I cannot imagine heaven being much better than the way I am feeling!

01/15/2024

DETROIT LIONS DISPELL A 30-YEAR-OLD PLAYOFF CURSE BY DEFEATING THEIR FAVORITE EX-QB BY 1 POINT (24-23)

For Detroit Lions fans around the world, the 2023 season has been a step-by-step series of fingers-crossed, eyes-closed hopes and wishes. What happened on Sunday evening was a double dose of all those dreams coming true. Suddenly a path toward the NFL’s ultimate trophy was opening right before our eyes.
Ford Field was vibrating. Anticipation was palpable. When the Lions entered the field for pre-game warm-up, the cheers were so loud you could barely hear the person next to you. It is bittersweet having Matt Stafford back in the house. He was our guy for 12 years, but now we just want to kick his butt.
The Lions take the first kick-off and put together an efficient drive ending with a David Mongomery TD. The crowd goes wild. Next, the Rams try to tie the game, but Detroit’s D forces a 4th down in the Red Zone and LA settles for a field goal. Then, Detroit’s offensive line opens a huge hole for Jahmyr Gibbs to plow across the goal for a Lions’ 14-3 lead. When LA gets the ball back, Aidan Hutchinson, fired up by the energized crowd, sacks Stafford on first down, further firing the fans into a frenzy.
And so it went, back and forth. The Lions never once relented their lead, but the Rams kept edging closer and closer. Jared Goff was taking advantage of every talent on the team, Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta. He did not throw an incompletion until 18 minutes into the game. Jahmyr Gibbs could not be tackled! David Montgomery was plowing throw the Rams’ defense like it was made of butter.
Detroit’s scoring slowed a bit in the second half of the game, finally allowing the Rams to get within 1 point with 4 minutes to go. The Lions’ defense holds and LA punts. The Rams have only one timeout left. Detroit keeps the ball on the ground to run the clock down. After the 2-minute warning, the Lions have a desperate need for a first down. This is a monumental moment for the franchise. The fans are chewing on their fingernails. Dan Campbell takes a wild risk and lets Goff sling it. It works. He hits Amon-Ra St. Brown for another first and ten, which gives them enough time to kneel the ball and run out the clock. Detroit has won its first playoff game in 32 years!! And what’s more, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys earlier, paving the way for back-to-back home Detroit Lions playoff games, the first time in franchise history!!
When commentators speak about which teams are in contention for the Super Bowl, they speak in jargon, saying this team or that team is “in the Supe.” Well, now, unbelievably, the Detroit Lions are in the Supe. The Detroit Lions are in the Campbell’s Supe.

01/08/2024

IN ONE OF THE BEST SEASONS EVER, THE LIONS LAUNCH INTO THE PLAYOFFS BY DEFEATING THE VIKINGS (30-20)

It was another loud, excited, over-the-top, sold-out crowd that attended the regular season finale at Ford Field. The fan base witnessed a decisive victory that tied the franchise record for wins in a season, going back to 1934. It was yet one more achievement for a team that looks like it will become the current Dynasty from Detroit.
On Sunday afternoon, the Lions struck first on their second drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta for his 10th score of his rookie season. It was his 81st catch this season, passing Keith Jackson for the most catches by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
On the first play of Detroit’s following drive, Dan Skipper checked in as an eligible receiver, receiving large cheers from the angry Lions fans, remembering the end of the game last week.
The Lions extended their lead on the ensuing drive with a 3-yard touchdown run by Jahmyr Gibbs on a pitch around the right end.
Detroit is up 13-0 at the end of the first quarter, but then their momentum slows. They were unable to rack up any points in the second quarter, allowing a pair of field goals from the Vikings for a halftime score of 13-6.
Detroit extended its lead to 20-6 midway through the third quarter. Goff's 20-yard pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones on fourth down kept the drive alive and David Montgomery finished it off with a 1-yard plunge.
But Minnesota continued its pursuit, pulling within 7 points at the end of the third. The Lions got those points back when Goff connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown, who zig-zagged through the defense on his 70-yard touchdown. But the Vikings again responded with a TD. Detroit was still 7 points up when Badgley's 39-yard field goal with 8:14 left made it 30-20. Interceptions by Cameron Sutton and C.J. Gardner-Johnson clinched the Lions' victory. Aiden Hutchinson was relentless throughout the game with 3 sacks.
Detroit played the whole game from the driver’s seat. They got ahead, stayed ahead, and finished ahead.
For the old long-suffering followers, this new Detroit Lions team is a relief, something we all knew would happen someday, we just didn’t know when. For the new fans, welcome. The bandwagon keeps getting bigger and bigger, room for everyone, as more and more new fans keep jumping on.
GO LIONS! GO ALL THE WAY, LIONS!

12/17/2023

WITH A WILD SECOND QUARTER STAMPEDE, DETROIT TRAMPLES THE BRONCOS’ PLAYOFF HOPES (42-17)

Delete completely from your memory all those ugly years before the Dan Campbell era. Now the “same old Lions” refers to the way they played at the end of last season and the first half of this season. The new “same old Lions” can beat anyone in the NFL. And that’s exactly how they played in prime time on Saturday evening.
In front of a national audience, The Detroit Lions did something that they haven’t done in some time. They got ahead, stayed ahead, played strong throughout, increased their lead at regular intervals, and finished with a dominant performance. And this against Denver, a team that had won 7 of their last 8 games, quarterbacked by Russell Wilson (who had won a Super Bowl) and coached by Sean Payton (who had won a Super Bowl). Dan Campbell had previously been Sean Payton’s assistant coach, so this game had a lot of back story and implications.
The first quarter was relatively uneventful. Lots of threats and bluster, both teams trying to size up the other. Melifonwu forced a Russell Wilson fumble which Isaiah Buggs picked up and ran to the Broncos’ 37, but that was about all the excitement. 0-0 tie, end of the first.
The second quarter was when the Lions made their move with 3 unanswered TD’s. A 21-0 score at halftime had Sean Payton screaming furiously into Russell Wilson’s ear.
Detroit was controlling the ground game effectively. Montgomery and Gibbs were eating up chunks of turf, combining for 185 yards. Jahmyr Gibbs topped 100 yards to bring him over 1,000 all-purpose yards this season. Jared Goff played a nearly perfect game, which means no turnovers and 5, you heard me... 5 passing touchdowns, the most he’s thrown as a Lion. Three of those went to Sam LaPorta, a future Superstar.
A fully healthy O-line and getting Jameson Williams involved for 4 receptions on 7 targets added to secure this victory. The offense held up through the dreaded 3rd quarter and the defense kept pressure on Wilson all game, including a forced fumble and 2 sacks.
This win was Detroit’s 18th out of the last 26 games. Their 2023 record reaches a lofty 10-4 and puts them on the verge of clinching their first division title in 30 years. Not guaranteed yet, but so close I can smell it.
This game was so much fun, I think I’ll watch the replay. As a matter of fact, I’ll watch it a few more times, just to cheer me up.

12/14/2023

LAST MINUTE OPENING for the Saturday Night Prime-Time Detroit Lions vs Denver Broncos Bus Tour on December 16.
Four spots have become available for one of the most important games of the year for the Lions.
Bus tour, tailgate meal and lower-level seats in section 111.
$275 per person. Call (616) 249-8687 for details.

11/24/2023

SOMETIMES THE LIONS ARE ALL GRIT.
AND SOMETIMES THEY MAKE YOU WANT TO GRIT YOUR TEETH.
GREEN BAY STUNS DETROIT (29-22)

Thanksgiving Day is always one of the biggest games of Detroit’s season. It’s a 90-year-old tradition that is foremost in the NFL spotlight. It’s a perfect time for the Lions to shine, to show their best game, their best plays. It’s a perfect time to say, “This year we plan to take it ALL!”
Yeah, well... Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
It turned out to be Opposites Day. The Lions played like they were recovering from a tryptophan food coma. Not just the offense, defense, and special teams, but the coaching, as well.
It started badly... on the very first play of Green Bay’s very first possession. Jordan Love launched a 53-yard reception to Christian Watson. The overly exuberant crowd was stilled. Three plays later, Green Bay is in their endzone with a 7-0 lead, setting an ominous tone.
Then kicker Riley Patterson missed an extra point after the Lions TD, something he hasn't done all season. It was another foreboding foreshadowing.
No love for Love. Packers’ QB Jordan Love deftly carved up Detroit’s defense like a master surgeon hosting a Thanksgiving dinner.
Green Bay’s precision coupled with mistakes by Detroit’s brainpower (a failed fake punt and 4 of 5 failed 4th down attempts) proved to be too much to pull this game out of its tailspin.
The game was reminiscent of another divisional game played just 4 days ago. Jared Goff had 3 lost fumbles this game instead of 3 interceptions in the Chicago game. Both games tested the fans’ resolve. Big difference - Detroit shocked the Bears in an incredible comeback. Against Green Bay, they did not.
They tried, but it was just too little too late. Down by 15 points and with only 41 seconds left, the Lions finally scored with a Goff to Josh Reynolds pass. The two-point conversion was successful, but the ensuing onside kick was not. The Packer’s victory marked 7 consecutive times Detroit has lost on Thanksgiving dating back to 2016.
The enchanted Lions used up all the wizardry in their conjuring arsenal to win last Sunday’s game. There was not enough spell-power left to pull out Thursday. Hopefully, before the next game, Dan Campbell can recover all the magic Detroit enjoyed ending last season and at the beginning of this season.

11/20/2023

DETROIT LIONS COME UP WITH AN UNREAL ENDING THAT CHICAGO FINDS TO BE ABSOLUTELY UNBEARABLE (31-26)

Sometimes a wonderful dream takes a wrong turn. Sometimes a nightmare shows its ugly face. Every Detroit fan in the sold-out Ford Field expected the Lions dream team to continue its record-setting dream season. But a bit of a pall overshadowed that dream-like joy when Chicago took an early 7-0 lead. And the frown on the fans’ faces grew a bit deeper when Jared Goff threw an uncharacteristic interception on Detroit’s first possession, blowing an opportunity to even the game’s score.
And then on the Lions’ second possession, Goff threw ANOTHER interception! OMG! What is happening here? Things had gotten really ugly, really fast. Detroit had another turnover when Reynolds later fumbled on a kick-off return. And then Jared Goff, believe it or not, had yet another interception!
Meanwhile Justin Fields, who had just returned from a 4 week-long dislocated thumb injury, was having the time of his young life. He was tossing passes like a champion, demonstrating perfect play action like a Jared Goff clone, and rushing for 104 yards on 18 carries like the elusive scrambler that he is. He even did a little shimmy-shimmy dance when the Bears seemed to be so far ahead that they could let down their guard.
Jared Goff was playing maybe the worst first three quarters he's ever had as a Lion. It was as though he dropped the “Gee” from his name and just became OFF. Then suddenly things did a full 180 degrees when the Bears decided to go for a field goal. After all, they were ahead by 12 points and only a few seconds over 4 minutes yet to play. It was an opening Goff took advantage of, beginning with Jameson Williams getting behind Chicago’s secondary for a perfect touchdown reception.
Then Detroit’s defense held the Bears to no yards on their first two runs and an incompletion for no more yards and only 15 seconds off the clock.
Detroit’s last drive was dreamlike. The Lions did nothing wrong, marching down the field with confidence and dominance. We knew going into Sunday’s matchup that former Bear David Montgomery had this game circled on his calendar. So, to get that final TD yard, Dan Campbell let him hammer the final nail into his old team’s coffin. After a LaPorta 2-point conversion the Lions are up 29-26. The crowd goes wild.
The Bears got the ball back with only 29 seconds to go. But then Aidan Hutchinson put some frosting on the comeback cake with a strip sack of Justin Fields that led to a Lions safety and the final 31-26 victory. The crowd goes wilder.
Detroit record of 8-2 is the first the Lions have had that statistic since 1962 when Milt Plum was the Lions’ quarterback. On the Lions last 2 drives, Detroit made all the right plays, got all the right stops and racked up an incredible 17 points in a 3-minute barrage that seemed like a feel-good Disney movie come to life.
I do believe in hope. I do believe in hope. I do, I do, I do.

11/06/2023

MOMENTUM SPORTS TOURS
Final two regular season Detroit Lions tours -
Lions vs Denver Broncos - December 17 - $275 each
Lions vs Minnesota Vikings - January 7 - $275 each
Call (616) 249-8687 for reservations
Detroit comes out fresh and healed from the bye week to enter the final stretch of what could be one of the most relevant seasons of Lions history. Every remaining game has huge play-off implications. Tour with Momentum Sports for a Ford Field experience you will never forget.

10/31/2023

IN THE MONDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT, DETROIT OUTSHINES LAS VEGAS. THE LIONS START SLOWLY, BUT FINISH WITH A POWERFUL PERFORMANCE. (26-14)

The Detroit Lions were embarrassed in Baltimore last week. Nobody denies it.
Sometimes, when a team is climbing to the top of the mountain, they will make a wrong turn and fall off a cliff. The weak teams will lay there and lick their wounds, The great teams will get up, dust themselves off, get back on the right track and continue the precipitous ascent.
In the first Monday Night Football game Detroit has been chosen to play since 2018, Ford Field was electrified. Every fan had 3rd-down placard and a bracelet that blinked in unison with all other attending fans’ bracelets. On the eve of Halloween, creative costumes abounded. It was a great fun-filled atmosphere.
However, the Lions initially could not seem to put the pieces of the puzzle together to get into the end zone. Josh Reynolds gave up a fumble inside the Detroit 30-yard line. But then, on the very next play...let me repeat that... on the very next play... Kerby Joseph got the ball right back on a Garoppolo interception and returned it to the 11-yard line.
Three straight field goals gave the Lions a 9-0 lead, which was comfortable until the Raiders got the first TD of the game. Detroit’s defense remained top notch, holding the raiders to a failed 4th down and not allowing a completed pass in the first half.
Finally with 27 seconds to go before halftime, Jared Goff finds Sam LaPorta on a post route for a TD over the middle putting Detroit up 16-7.
Things did get a bit scarier on Halloween eve when Jared Goff made a grave mistake on the second play of the Lions' first drive in the second half. He misdirected a pass to Las Vegas Marcus Peters for a pick-6. Detroit’s still up, but only by 2 points.
Then scarier still when, on second-and-goal from the four, Maxx Crosby ripped the ball away from Craig Reynolds as he dove into the pile of bodies and the Raiders recovered. The call should have been reversed, but it was not.
But then, suddenly, like the break of dawn after a rough night, things got better and better. Jahmyr Gibbs tore off some big runs including a rushing TD, after which he leapt into the crowd of fans creating what is now being known as the Ford Pick-up.
Riley Patterson kicked a 52-yard field goal. And the defense... Oh, my. They put the big fear into Garoppolo with six (6) sacks.
Jahmyr Gibbs led the offense with 189 total yards and a touchdown on 31 touches. Jared Goff had a solid performance, finishing 26-of-37 for 272 yards. The win moves the Lions to 6-2 overall, second best record in the NFC, and 3-0 in primetime games this year. Wow. We love it!

10/15/2023

ON A CHILLY, RAINY AFTERNOON, MICHIGAN TURNS UP THE HEAT AND WASHES INDIANA OFF THE FIELD (52-7)

It was apparent that the seasons were changing. Fall was blowing in full force over Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines started slow, punting after losing 8 yards on their first two possessions. Michigan’s defense gave up the first touchdown of the game when, late in the first quarter, Indiana QB Brendan Sorsby, threw a lateral out wide to a receiver that heaved a 44-yard pass to another wide-open receiver.
Completely fooled by the trick play, and now caught in a 0-7 hole at the end of the first quarter, Michigan suddenly awoke from its slumber and didn’t allow Indiana to score another point all afternoon.
The Hoosiers had a great chance to further their first quarter lead after another effective drive into the Michigan red zone. But a great game-changing interception by Michigan defense Rod Moore, after being tipped by Mike Sainristil, stopped Indiana’s momentum cold in its tracks and let the Wolverines take control.
JJ McCarthy came alive in the second quarter, mostly with intermediate passing. He finished the first half 11-of-14 for 153 yards and a gutsy go-ahead TD on fourth-and-goal which included Blake Corum making a key block to keep the pocket clean.
The maize and blue Just steamrolled from there on out. McCarthy was very efficient over the last three quarters, completing 14 of 17 passes for 222 yards with touchdown passes to Wilson, Colston Loveland and Semaj Morgan.
Blake Corum was most effective by being Blake Corum. He ran for 52 yards on 13 carries with two touchdowns. He now has 12 rushing touchdowns this season to rank among college football leaders and 43 in his career, moving past Mike Hart and Denard Robinson and trailing just Anthony Thomas (55) and Tyrone Wheatley (47) in school history.
Donovan Edwards had six carries for 11 yards and two receptions for 33 yards.
After Indiana’s first score, Michigan scored on eight unanswered scoring drives, 52 unanswered points, to win going away, 52-7. The Wolverines have won 19 straight Big Ten games, matching a school record set from 1990-92. They have scored 30-plus points in a program-record 10 straight games, dating to last season.
On the way into the stadium, on the corner of Main St and Stadium Dr, a crossing guard on a microphone who was directing heavy pedestrian traffic, announced boldly, “I predict a Michigan win of 51-7.” But then she rescinded a bit. “That might be a little strong,” she said. However, after the game, she had gained back all her confidence and then some. “That’s my closest prediction EVER!” she boasted proudly.

10/09/2023

RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE. A PRIDE OF LIONS vs. A PACK OF PANTHERS. LIONS ROAR LOUDEST. (42-24)

Actually, it was the fans in the stands that roared the loudest. Another sold-out Ford Field. Eminem was in the house. Calvin Johnson was in the house. Great time to be a Detroit Lions fan. And the home team did not disappoint. On their first drive, on their 3rd play, David Montgomery broke loose for a 42-yard TD score. Then on Carolina’s next possession, Aidan Hutchinson made a Sportscenter Top Ten one-handed interception off a Bryce Young screen. Sam LaPorta turns it into a TD 5 plays later. The Lions are up 14-0 in their first 8 plays, and they never looked back. Hutchinson now has four career interceptions, the most by any defensive lineman in NFL history through their first two seasons. He is tied with Ndamukong Suh for third all-time sacks in Lions history through two seasons, with 14.
Shortly thereafter, cornerback Will Harris recovered a Miles Sanders fumble which the Lions turned into a touchdown for a 21-7 Lions lead.
Before Carolina could get their heads around what was happening. Jerry Jacobs, with a perfect zone read on a Young pass, picked it off for the 3rd turnover of the day.
On the very next Detroit play, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson dialed up a reverse flea flicker for a 31-yard score, LaPorta’s second of the day. 28-7 Lions. Sam LaPorta’s production has been the most by a rookie tight end since Travis Kelce nine years ago. He is the first Detroit rookie tight end since Jim Gibbons in 1964 to have multiple touchdowns of over 30 yards in a season.
Jared Goff played like a future hall-of-famer as well, completing 20 of his 28 passes for 236 yards with three touchdowns, including one rushing touchdown in the 4th quarter, no interceptions and a passer rating of 132.4. He's thrown at least two touchdown passes in 14 of his last 16 games at Ford Field.
The 2023 Detroit Lions are making an early case of being one of the best teams in the franchise's long history.
Detroit’s defense is especially impressive. For the first 5 games, the Lions have only allowed 342 rushing yards, the least by the franchise since 1932, the Detroit’s third season, when it was still located in Portsmouth, Ohio.
This season also marks only the second time in franchise history Detroit’s offense has produced over 350 yards per game (again, over the first five games). The first came in 1954 with Bobby Layne as quarterback.
And here’s one more stat... Sunday marked the first time in 61 years the Lions had three passing and three rushing touchdowns in a single game.
The NFC North-leading Lions are 4-1 (tied for the 3rd best record in the NFL) for the first time since 1991 and are alone atop the division in October or later for the first time since 2016. They have won 12 of their last 15 games dating to last season.
My Goodness! The Lions are on a roll! How much better can this team be? Stay tuned. I'll let you know.

09/25/2023

DETROIT LIONS SOUNDLY DEFEAT THE PREVIOUSLY UNDEFEATED ATLANTA FALCONS (20-6) IN A STATEMENT-MAKING GAME

Last week, the Lions played their hearts out, but still wound up on the wrong side of an overtime game that was determined by a couple of inches and the flip of a coin. Literally... the flip of a coin. Suddenly no one wanted to hear about how good the Detroit Lions really are. So, the Lions decided to turn the volume up. Way up.
The game started a little slowly. Like two heavyweight fighters throwing a few light punches trying to size each other up. Finally, Detroit took the initiative. It was the defensive side of the ball that stepped up by forcing an Atlanta punt on two consecutive sacks on two consecutive snaps. Riley Patterson’s 37-yard field goal put the game’s first points on the Jumbotron.
Early in the second quarter, Jared Goff, with a perfectly deceptive play action, lofted a 45-yard touchdown pass to a stunningly open Sam LaPorta. The rookie tight end stud is a major piece Detroit’s unbelievably spot-on draft class.
Detroit’s other TD came late in the 4th after being set by two breakout rushes of 12 and 20 yards by rookie running back Jaymyr Gibbs, another great draft pick. Those runs set up Jared Goff who, off a brilliant fake to Gibbs, kept the ball himself for a 3-yard scamper across the goal line to give the Lions a 3-score lead. It was the first time Jared Goff scored a rushing touchdown as a Lion.
Detroit's Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with nine receptions for 102 yards.
The Detroit Lions made a statement this game, but it was the defense that yelled the loudest. The home team’s defense had a stack of sacks. Seven in all. Two of them by Aidan Hutchinson. His second sack proceeded a strip fumble which he recovered, a move that put the game way out of reach for any unlikely Atlanta comeback.
Yet another rookie draft class standout, Brian Branch, stepped up to lead the team with 10 tackles. He was showing up everywhere. Detroit's defense did not allow a Falcon’s touchdown. The last time Detroit gave up six or fewer points was its 31-0 win over the Packers in Week 17 in 2018.
Atlanta’s first round draft pick, rookie Bijan Robinson, had 10 carries for 33 yards and four catches for 27 yards after he had 255 yards of offense in his first two games with the Falcons.
The first home victory of the year at Ford Field is a real feather in the cap for Detroit’s players and coaching staff. It is a feather that was plucked from a falcon.