Madden NFL 19 - Los Angeles Rams vs. Detroit Lions | 2024 NFL Kickoff Week 1

Straight Ahead we've got what should be an interesting matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Detroit Lions with that let's head inside the Ford Field in Detroit where standing by are the two men who will bring you this one Brandon Goden and Charles Davis first open in 2002 there's a look inside Ford Field here in downtown Detroit the Motor City a few short moments ago these two teams made their way out of the Ford Field tunnels and the noise level in this place just about off the charts they are set for football as the Lions get ready to do battle with the Los Angeles Rams Brandon G and Charles Davis thrilled to be with you from the broadcast booth and partner before we get this thing started what are you going to be watching who gets off to a fast start in horse racing terms they talk about catching a flyer out of the gate who sets the pace and makes the other team Chase Greg zerline now he'll handle the honors to get us started and we are underway from Ford Field this will be taken to the back of the end zone and no run back here this will be a touch back and it comes out to the 25 yd line so here are the Lions now coming out for their opening drive they'll be led out by a former Pro Bowl quarterback out of the University of Georgia Matthew Stafford and his arm strength is often described as out of this world and I've seen some throws out of him that are just really off the charts but sometimes he relied on his arm so much his footwork got in the way LED to some inconsistency I've loved watching him evolve as a quarterback he gets better and better each year and they'll start the drive on the ground with Johnson and he'll fight forward to about the 27 yd line Dante Fowler in on the Stop and the big boys up front in the trenches what do you think of the o line Charles I love them because this is a group that's so cohesive they know what the man next to them is going to do at all times and they operate as a terrific [Applause] unit they'll break the Huddle come up on second and eight at the 27 yd line [Applause] they'll run it now out of the gun and forget about finding a lane he barely had time to look up before he was planted in the back field it'll wind up being a loss of two and that'll make it third down I know the scouting report on him is that he doesn't possess the eye discipline to be an elite linebacker what that means is his ability to read react and make a play but on that one he looked like one of those [Applause] guys to throw throw on third down Stafford he hits rck underneath and they'll bring him down at the 27 yd line give him two yards on that play and that's going to bring up a fourth down there's an example of good situational football being played by a defense they understood what the third down play was the down in distance and made sure that they didn't get anywhere near that bringing up fourth down yeah they were sniffing out that marker didn't want to let him get close to there and now a likely three and out to start yeah I love the way they rallied to the football and got to him and made sure he didn't give up much run after catch so out come the Rams now for their first possession they'll be led out by their quarterback the guy out of California the former cow bear Jared G there's a toughness about Jared gof that maybe he doesn't get enough credit for him his freshman year at Cal team went 1 and 11 his rookie year with the Rams he was 0 and seven as a starter undaunted in either case and has come back each and every time to flash the ability that made him the number one overall pick in the draft when he came out of c and incomplete to open things up Gerald Everett is tied end the intended receiver and that'll bring up second down and the buffet boys the o line hopefully they're ready today listen you got to feed them first but if you do you usually get a great product out on the field and when they play well the quarterback can't wait to feed them afterwards after the incompletion they'll try once more from the 20 yd line on second and 10 yes sir sir yes sir Lou Lou Lou second and 10 GF again it's hauled in by Brandon Cooks and he's got it past the 30 before he's hit and dropped it's a gain of 11 yards that time and it produces a new set of downs in today's football where receivers break tackles make people miss get up field for the extra yardage when you see a play like that where it's caught and he's dropped on the spot that's a big time play by the defense delay of game offense so that'll back him up five the delay of game backs him up five first and 15 close from the gun here's G and Pops free the Collision there Jarred the ball loose and brings up second down and this defensive line will be looking to control the point of attack and that's what they've done throughout this season this is a terrific unit they play together very very well and they don't permit big plays to [Applause] happen so they'll come up after the incompletion for second down to the air again G and under the Lions pressure he's brought down well this is what happens when you get behind the chains as people like to say when you have obvious passing situations hard to vary it up and fool of defense and you hate those situations if you're an O lineman right oh without a doubt because you just know they're coming and you never know exactly how they can be exotic in their blitzes or their athletic ability just takes over to throw is gone bearing it out deep for woods and incomplete he can't hang on would have been a nice catch instead it brings up a fourth down well that certainly looked like something that they discussed all week in practice getting ready for this one take the big shot right out of the gate at worst you'll open up the defense a little bit loosen them up have back on their heels fielded just inside the 20 and when it's said and done it's a 58 yd Punt and the lions will take over so out now come the Lions and our game's hit a little bit of a lull here a little bit of a snag punts on back-to- back drives and Old School coaches don't necessarily mind that didn't turn it over right didn't create a big play for the other team right now what you're looking for is can you gain an advantage in field position and that's what both teams are seeking right now yeah they'll be seeking to gain that Advantage here on this drive nice way to start the drive a gain of 12 and a first down and after that completion you can understand why so many teams in the league are emphasizing speed on defense at every position the tight ends have created so many tough matchups now if you can't run with a tight end and that's caught inside the 30 and he'll go down but not before getting this inside the 30 they give him a gain of 38 well partner I'm not sure how this drive is going to end but how about the way they flip field position there a nice attacking play they picked up a heck of a chunk of yardage they try the left side with Johnson looking for a crease can't find one stopped at the line of scrimmage officially no gain on the play and it's second down and the big meat on the D line we'll see how they do today and I'd hate to be an offensive lineman having to deal with these guys they come in hungry mean and confident they think that no one can block them lady here's Stafford now on second down oh nearly picked and maybe lucky there this guy doesn't drop many defensively third down well he did almost everything right excellent coverage breaks on the football just unable to haul it in and take it the other way so he dropped an interception the key for him now don't dwell on it just move on to the next play now Stafford he's going to take a shot for the end zone and a shot taken on third down un successful fourth down now well that was certainly an aggressive call and an aggressive play instead of just going for the first down took the shot in the end zone went for the touchdown yeah and on third down they said forget about the sticks we want six and crater's kick is on the money it's good and the lions are going to take a three nothing lead so a good kick there and they put the bow tie on it with three points and let's face it everybody wants a touchdown we know that but the NFL defenses are awfully good you're not going to score each and every time be able to knock the ball through the post to take the throw by the way I said bow tie I meant just bow not the tie but yeah either way you got it I just went right past it so now here are the Rams as their offense comes back out and on the last go round they really couldn't get anything going they had to punt from deep inside their own territory which means they going to lose the field position battle as a general rule what they're looking for now is a little more consistency move the ball this a few times on offense get a couple of first downs and hopefully flip the field Yeah just something to build off of that's what they're looking for here as usual the Hallmark of a good run defense linebackers making plays near the line of scrimmage absolutely nowhere to run there just beating the play clock is gone and that is incomplete Robert Woods the intended receiver that time and it's third down I he's a little trigger happy right there and it turned into an ill-advised throw into their Zone well we know he has confidence he'll throw at any place any time anywhere that time it fell incomplete here's g into a double team and it's intercepted picked off by Glover Quinn and they get the football they'll set up shop at their own 49 yd line Glover Quinn came into the NFL as a cornerback but he's mored into one of the better safeties in the league and he just finished this one off with that nice pick after the interception here's Stafford he's got Wilson middle of the field and he's got this down to the 35 16 yds right off the bat and a first down right after the turnover they come out throwing and that means it's a sudden change situation we used to practice it on defense Sudden Change get out there stop the offense but you typically run out there a little bit unsettled I think that's why came right out throwing the football hoping to catch him off balance and he did just a yard on the first down carry so it's second and nine well they didn't get a whole lot out of that one but I think you got to continue to try and run and try and keep a defense honest you mean or else he'll just sit back dare you to throw it on every down yeah you get your quarterback hit a lot that way too now he'll dump it underneath to his running back complete and he gets this one inside the 15 just a yard or two shy of the 10 23 yds on the play just the first quarter but tackling going to be so important going forward they've got to limit plays like that and that's something when you see it happen early in the game and they don't get him on the ground you can always tell that they were concerned about it going in cuz I can just tell you from my days I remember being in college and woring all off seon about our season open opponent and they had a receiver that could shake and bake with the best of them I tackled him on the first pass of the game and the relief was incredible having a pretty decent ball game but if I had missed him long night after the incomplete pass here now is second and 10 now a carry for blunt and he is going to be stopped cold behind the line of scrimmage that'll be a loss of a yard and it leads to a third down I know when I was a kid I always got real excited when I saw those lateral type runs but the best backs that made it happen they put a foot in the ground and just go that didn't happen there that play got swallowed up back to throw Stafford oh it's a touchdown if he holds on instead it's fourth down that's a good job there creating the contact to force the incompletion and now since it's fourth down that should set up a field goal situation and a nice sigh of relief defensively to be able to hold them to three and crader's kick is on the money it's good and that'll make it six nothing here in the first so two first quarter field goal attempts for him and he's converted on both I like the positive right there two for two got the points on the board the negative side is they didn't score touchdowns and of course going forward in this game that's going to be the aim and hopefully he'll be kicking extra points instead Jared gof and the Rams headed back onto the field he'll look to shake off the interception on the opening drive he should at least be comforted that it resulted in three not six and if I were him I would be the guy all the way out on the field greeting my defense now saying thanks a lot you held him to a field goal after I turned it over that's a big defensive stand for them he needs to go out now and make up for what he did on the first drive that throw good for four it's second down I think defensively you're okay with that you're in the first quarter he's going to get some catches but they rally to him quickly and that's what you count on and I like what you just said first quarter can you do it all game long they catch it you tackle and they go down on the spot because when you're able to do that you don't give up big chunks of yardage after the catch now you put the offense in a position where every series they have to work hard to pick up first downs and you tend to stall them out when you do that the last Drive remember similar situation he forced the ball into coverage through the pick he learned better there yeah similar to a golfer this could front with a shot that you just can't make sometimes you have to take your medicine as they say right just pull it down and the Lions pressure too strong down he goes Devon Canard in there to drop him and it'll be a loss of about eight and we say it all the time have to be able to get rid of the ball sooner than that you have to help your offensive line out they're going to protect you as best they can and if you're getting three to five seconds to throw the ball they're doing a really nice job but when you hold it and give up a sack you're really almost discrediting their work going up top for cup so the long attempt Falls innocently to the ground and it brings up third well it certainly appears that they're going to try and keep getting him the football it's the third time they've looked in his Direction unfortunately haven't completed one yet but I'm not sure they're going to shy away from him they feel like they' got something there and they want to capitalize it I think you're right we're only in the first quarter so a lot of opportunities ahead and that is incomplete Not only was the call spot on how about the execution of that defense right there Zone was absolutely locked up tight he was trying to force it in there on third down but if there's a time to force it he felt like he needed to make a play right yeah exactly right third down you got to try and find something there's nothing available there for [Applause] [Music] [Applause] him here's the Detroit offense now as they head back out onto the field and last time they got three points but it was a chip shot field goal and when you go to the sideline after a chip shot field goal maybe the offense not too happy it's a balancing act isn't it because you're exactly right oh and he's not going to make it out of the end zone the push too strong and that'll be a safety well I think you can go ahead and give your punter an assist on that one pinned them deep and the defense comes through with two points you're exactly right partner this was all set up by a great Punt and if the ball goes in the end zone this never happens some great call give the punt team and the punter some love the conventional football football 101 tells us if you don't get it back to the 20 ydd line on kickoff return that's a disappointment but some of these team special teams coaches with approval by the head coach they give them full authority to go ahead and bring it out and try to be aggressive almost what we call the green light red light there green light means go red light means stop looks like he had green on that play and he works it across the 25 before being tackled a gain of 11 to kick off the drive and it's a quick first down doesn't matter whether it's a Zone coverage or man coverage the drag route can be effective when it's run well 18 now a draw as gof gives to Gurley and he'll work his way across the 30 to the 32 seven yds on the pickup there and it'll leave him with a second and three and nice run here early on it doesn't take a great play caller to realize you want to establish a guy of his caliber with runs like this early CU they will pay dividends as the game progresses on second down here's G working the middle here that's complete to eett the tight end and he'll get it out near the 40 to the 39 it's the first time that they' looked his way tonight and he comes up with a first down on the play we've seen quite a bit of the short passing game here early on first quarter haven't we we have and I think it works a couple of ways for for this team because number one you throw the short game until they stop it and if they're not going to stop you keep throwing it occasionally you'll break a tackle and turn into a bigger gain also if they start to creep up start to press your receivers now you go over the top take it deep and now you get some of those big shots down [Music] field back live now to begin the second quarter with Charles Davis Brandon gard it's the r LS with a football to get us going and they've got it here with a first down this offense finding its legs now here's another first and 10 on first down it's gone and he'll find his Target Woods it's complete and he'll be taken down at the 46 yd line a gain of six there on first six yds was the pickup on the last completion so here's second and four hey a shotgun snap for G he'll throw underneath for Gurley and he'll be brought down just shy of Midfield at the 49 yd line four yards on the pickup and that's going to make it third down and less than a yard and we see another pitch and catch there to the running back this position just continues to evolve they become just as critical to the passing attack as a lot of receivers tight ends because their ability to make people Miss in the open field can really generate big plays for an offense and he's got the first down yardage before being taken down at Midfield officially a gain of just a yard there but they do convert on Third and inches Brandon what were they thinking on defense there that looked like they were playing for the pass that was third and short yeah was an easy pickup because they handed it to him that was way too easy just look like an absolute Under Pressure here and down he goes sack back at about the 43 yd line I'm starting to feel for that quarterback back there I mean you know me normally don't have a lot of empathy for the QB right in this case definitely he's been on constant durest this entire game I don't know how he's surviv him back there and to think there's still a long way to go in this football game here's G and this one's in complete Cooper cup was his intended target and it's third down and Charles got a what this defense has been able to do these last couple of plays yeah they get the sack on first down then they force the incomplete pass now they're just a play away from getting the football right back but it's a big play they've got to hold up and they'll set up the screen to Gurley and he'll go down right around the 47 this time only two on the screen pass there and it'll be fourth down they dialed up the screen pass on third down and for a second it looked like it was all going to come together and they had a chance to pick up a first down but the defense got there and finished it off he's been a busy man here in this first half as he gets it away and a bit of a mistake there this is well into the end zone for a Touchback back onto the field comes the offense let's take a closer look at Kion Johnson and the good news his team's winning the bad news he hasn't had the game that he's hoped to at least to this point here in the second quarter and a lot of that is pride because these types of backs want to be in the center of all the action and leading their team to Victory they'll take the win right now hoping to jump his game up as this one moves on and he probably wants a little bit more of the spotlight going forward and there we saw one of the downsides of blitzing during a run down because sometimes you get out of your gaps you don't fit the Run quite as well because you're headed towards the ball carrier with abandon Stafford and a completion to Wilson and he takes this up to the 40 yd line before being Corral a nice pick up there of 11 yds and it'll move the sticks and there's a completion to the tight in and look at the size of these players nowadays at that spot 6'4 65 and up a lot of guys used to be basketball players somehow came back to football that's really good for the game of football you're getting better athleticism great hand eye coordination guys who know how to control their bodies when they run their routes throwing on first down but this one winds up to be incomplete they decided to take a shot and right down the middle of the field and really they didn't give it as much time to develop did they they want to take that shot somewhere around the 15 yd Mark and the defense able to recover bat at free and down he goes on the pressure from the Rams defense and doic Su coming up the middle gets him there for a loss of about nine tremendous read and reaction by the defensive tackle and frankly partner it's not that often the DTs have that type of easy access says back to the quarterback never bought the play action fake after the sack Stafford of the lions come up on a third and long [Applause] situation now Stafford screen play Johnson it's a gain of 11 but they're still well short it's fourth down I wonder what was going through his mind when he got the play call he just got sacked on the previous play he knows they're coming after him again a little bit of guts to stand in there take the hit and successfully complete the screen pass really well done Brandon Cooks and the rest of the offensive crew trotting back into place out there you would have to think they're going to make it more of a priority to get him the football you're losing here in the second quarter he's been really quiet I think all we have to do and it's too bad we can't actually see the actual play sheet now from the coordinator because he's looking down at that and saying okay do I put him in different spots do I try and isolate him what routes do I run you're exactly right they've got to get the ball in his hands and get their offense kick started he does have the two catches but pretty quiet so far now a hand off for Gurley and he'll push this forward only to about the 42 yd line the linebacker Kelvin Shepard brings him down well they had that one sniffed out out excellent run blitz stop that one for a short gain what makes a good run blitz a good run blitz the ability to stay on task to follow up your assignment go to the Gap you're supposed to cover and not be deterred by anything else on the handoff it's Gurley pushes past him and he goes out of bounds it looks like right at the 50 eight yds on the run there and that leaves him with third and just a couple even though they gave up more than they wanted to on that play it actually illustrates how well they boted him up throughout the game because that was his longest run of this contest from the 50 it's gone flushed out right they got him in it's woods and he'll go down but not before getting this inside the 30 and a nice gain of 21 yards looked like the defense put pretty good pressure on him but he's able to flush out to his right to try and evade people on the Run had to get on his horse still accurately throws a nice pass for a first first down now a give running left for Gurley and able to push his way forward here for a good little gain he'll get a nice chunk there on the first down run and it's second and four that play wasn't quite as big as the play that preceded it but still got to like the way they're moving the football partner absolutely pretty good room to run on that last play yeah they didn't get a first down but still you'll take runs like that each and every time won't you here's gof now on second down it's a short one here complete to his tight end and they'll bring him down at the 18 yd line first down La G finding higgy this drive it's been a good mix three passing plays three runs hitting on all three of those passes and the last one putting them in the red zone so wouldn't you think play action right here because you've got the ability and had the ability to run it and throw it go play action and take your shot at the end zone Gurley and he's going to fight his way forward here for a modest gain give him five on the carry there and it'll be second down that's a strong pickup right there on first down and as this drive goes on we're seeing an offensive line and running game imposing its will they just do get the play off as he'll look to throw it's caught left side by cooks and he's going to be brought down just shy of the five at the six seven yds on the pickup there and now they've got it first and goal orange orange orange orange on first and goal Gurley and nothing doing he's immediately taken down at the line of scrimmage no gain on the play that time and it sets up second and goal they come up here with another another shot from the 6yd line and it's second and goal now two minutes to play here in the first half we'll come back to Ford Field after [Applause] this we remind you that coming up at halftime we'll take you to Orlando and Jonathan Coachman coach will have highlights and Analysis of this first half one that's featured no touchdowns as of yet on either side so his job's a little bit easier for this half time need to give the coach some highlights here yes we do they'll give it to him up the middle and the hole closes quickly here he can fight only to about the four call it a gain of a couple the defense stiffening here it's third and goal two straight shots on the ground now on third do you go to the air I think the possibility exists and if you're doing it you're probably going play action since you ran it twice but I often think that second down is the time you go play action throw the ball I say commit to the run and think about it being four down territory third and goal Gurley and the hole closes quickly here he can fight only to about the four and now the Lions going to stop us momentarily as they call a timeout as they'll head to the sideline and talk over what to do next no movement from the field goal unit they've got four full yards to go here on Fourth and goal to hit per but they're going to go for it they go ahead and snap it g nowhere to go here he lost the football and this is scooped up by the Lions and a big turnover there as his guys will get the football back and hindsight 2020 I think they probably should have gone for the field goal right the three points would look really good right now but I think what we just saw there analytics really starting to creep into the game because more and more teams are saying the more you go for it the better your odds of getting it the better your odds of scoring six points instead of three they took a chance there it just didn't pay off yeah right here the anti- analytics guys go thumbs up back 55 set lady they go playaction here on first down looking downfield for Jones and that's caught inside the 30 and he takes it all the way down to the 28 yd line now that play will end up on the highlights and you'll see it all over the place but what you won't see the offensive line that bought the extra time that allowed for the big completion downfield those guys made that play possible steps away to his left and he'll slide now to avoid the tackle another nice gain 13 yds that time and another first down partner he was going through his progressions not there not there after about the third one he decided he better pull it down and run for it and he slides down and avoids the hit for good [Applause] measure from the red zone now Stafford out to the flat for renen and here he'll get it down to the seven and before this second down play we'll get a whistle a signal and a timeout as they'll stop the clock with 12 seconds to go in this first half miss a second and two after that last catch good for eight yds [Applause] right here's blun so a nice job to break the one tackle but not much daylight after that as he's brought down only a yard on the pickup so from a good situation on second and two it's now third and one so we've reached half time here in Detroit with the Lions out on top as we'll head down to Orlando that's where we find our man Jonathan Coachman at our EA Sports halime report [Music] coach okay Brandon thanks very much and welcome everyone to this Abridged version of the EA Sports halime report this game's had a little bit of everything thus far and certainly plenty to look forward to as the teams are right back out there for the second half so we'll get right back out there as well as we'll turn it back over to Brandon God all right coach thank you and we welcome every one back for quarter number three and all that worked but he stopped where he ultimately would have been and he simply taken a knee and that's the 25 yd line the Rams offense now they get set and head back onto the field they're down here but very much in this game what what's the tonality of a coach's talk when a game is within Striking Distance like this at intermission typically what they're doing is emphasizing the things that went well in the first half and wanting more of them that sure you've got to go over some of the errors and clean up some things because there's a reason you're down but overall I think they want to stay positive stay up with this team we're just starting the second half and we've got the football let's go ahead and punch it in and then we'll take it from there see how that recipe works on second and 10 G it's a short one here complete to the ti end and down he goes but he takes it up to the 40 15 yds there on the catch and run I got kick out of that one partner you and I talk often about trying to hide receivers in certain situations but a guy of his size can't really hide him but the tight end drag route definitely an effective way to sneak him across the formation for an easy completion and a first down delay of game offense and that'll set him back five so a little bit of a stiffer challenge now first and 15 following the delay of game following the penalty it's gury and hard running is going to get him over the 40 to the 42 and a nice run to get him past the original line of scrimmage a gain of seven it's second and eight now get had a ton of success here so far but you get the feeling that he might be on the verge of popping one yeah even on that one there was a little bit of a hole but it closed quickly at the end to throw on second down is gone and this is incomplete he was looking for Cooper cup there and now it's third down a pretty good coverage there in both of these defenses they've had good coverage throughout this one no doubt about it and in today's NFL where we're used to a bit more scoring this feels almost like a well pitched game in baseball on both sides with the tension continues to build who's going to make the big play and he will be taken down but not before he works it past the 50 it's the first catch of the game for cup and he's got a first down I know many people like to throw to the tight end maybe in a little flexed out position because he creates mismatches with his size but slot receivers do the same thing with their quickness their speed and their route running Savage here's Gurley and he is met at the line of scrimmage and he goes down right there call it no gain on the play and it'll be second down so nothing there but maybe you blame that on the blocking yeah some point you've got a win at the point of attack and on that play that was all the defense they made it happen out of the gun G and he rifles one incomplete Robert Woods former USC man the intended target and it's third down big play coming up here's third and 10 I would expect to see some pressure here had an open man that time but end up putting a little too much heat on it don't you think partner absolutely just needed a touch more air under it instead he fired an absolute bullet and the blitz does come they get seven there but it brings up fourth that's just simply not right to make that kind of a catch that spectacular and not get a first down out of it I guess he can put it on his personal highlight reel however yeah he'll get the catch he'll get the yardage but he doesn't get what he really wants feeling like they're not quite in field goal range yet they're going to go for it on Fourth from the gun here's gone this is caught it's cooks and he's going to have the first down yardage as he's down at about the 30 yd line give them credit they knew what they wanted to dial up on Fourth they executed it for nine yds and the offense stays out there I don't know what they talked about at halftime whatever it was it worked they look like a different team here in the third quarter yeah I doubt that there very many trash cans that got kicked over that type of speech I think what they did was they analyzed what worked in the first half what didn't and figured out a better game plan that's going to go as a loss of a yard and it'll be second down that defensive front four has been very good they have just not let the running game get going have they not at all in fact the entire offense just looking a little bit out of syn in this one yeah sometimes this is why coaches like forward down defensive lineman they feel like they can cover more ground when defending the run and he'll be a little shy of the 25 here at the 26 yd line it's a gain to five and that'll bring up a third down but it's tough to be a defender in today's NFL because there's so many things to count for in today's passing game including the back sneaking out of the back field not quite as bad as a turkey bow where you have the center eligible stuff but still a lot of guys to account for and down inside the 15 shy of the 10 the 15 yds there on the catch and run when this offense can get their tight ends involved they can move the football ball here a nice route able to look it in and picks up the first down 14 now a first down throw wall this is caught and he'll be brought down right on the edge of the goal line at about the one yd line 10 yds on the pickup there and it'll be second down slam route's effective no matter who's running the route and catching the ball but when you have a receiver of that stature you have to be a little bit more precise throwing it you don't have the same catch radius with the bigger targets gol throwing again and he's got it that's cup for a ram touchdown as his guys are in for six and the Rams are in for six and with the rules as touchy as they can be it's so hard to complete a diving catch in the end zone but he just did it pretty well how about him getting his body his hands everything underneath and around the football ball without it hitting the ground and causing some doubt in the minds of the people who have to look at this and possibly review it what a tremendous effort and a great catch zerline out now to kick this one away this will be taken to the back of the end zone and no run back here this will be a touch back and it comes out to the 25 yd line so we got to look at the Lions offense as they get ready for their first possession of the second half they're down in this game a chance for for the offense though to put something on the board get some momentum here in half two try and get things kick started for them and you know at the half they discussed how they were going to get that done this is where scripting comes into play a lot time how many plays do you script coming out of second most most of the time in the first half you're scripting 12 to 16 I think in the second half you're really scripting more like 8 to 10 kind of a starter or an opener whatever they whatever terminology they use just something to get you off to a quick start it's a loss of five there bringing up second [Music] now a play fake here on first down nowhere to escape and he goes down Aaron Donald in there to get him for what'll be a loss of 13 yards well so much for setting the tone of the drive offensively giving up a big sack that loses that kind of yardage not a great start after the sack oh they're staring at a challenge basically from the other side of town it's second and a country mile from the gun here's Stafford catch made right side by Wilson and he'll get it up to the 12 yd line here that catch good for five it's third down I think it's okay there they didn't get a whole lot on that play but it's nice to have a safety valve that's built like this guy big Target guy you can spot pretty easily put it on him when your other targets aren't open the Lions on third down not good 0 for four thus far this will be third and forever back to throw Stafford and this one is incomplete we're into the second half now and this is an offense that continues to struggle to sustain a drive looks like they're just totally out of sync whether they're running the ball passing the ball like we saw there I don't know the Rhythm seems off that's pulled in at the 32 a very good return there give him an even 20 yards and the Rams are going to start this drive in great field position as they take over getting set to go again here on offense Jared gof trots back onto the field he is looking to help his team build their lead after trailing at halftime they've got to like the spot they're in right now they have to love it but as you and I both know cliche aler coming here you're only as good as your last possession but I think that they like as you said the spot they're in and how confidently they're playing at this point but again just a one possession lead looking to expand that now they'll stick to the ground game with Gurley give him 12 yds on that one it earns him a fresh set of downs they're trying to show that they can run the ball and protect this lead give it to The Backs play a little bit of keep away don't you think and that's probably a good philosophy at this point going to make that defense stand up and stop them from the 34 now here's first and 10 super one Super One hold on hold on hold on check che check first down here's the run with Anderson and able to push his way forward here for a good little gain it's a 6yd pick up and it gets him to Second and four let's talk a little football 101 here because one of the keys to advancing the ball down field success on first down huge differences we know between second and four and second and eight and nine again Anderson and he'll take this down just shy of the 25 yd line two yds on the carry there and it's going to lead him to third down that's all about doing the Dirty Work right there defensively second and short yardage that's all about plugging those gaps not giving a running back a crease to run throw and has a nice job to hold him just a couple in force a third down6 they'll run it here's Anderson and down inside the 15 shy of the 10 and a nice carry there of 15 yards partner if you want more carries I think we saw how you get him showed that he's got the fresh legs and he picked up the first down on that run don't just ask for them show them that you're supposed to get the football all runs on this drive so far it's first and 10 now Gurley hand off left and he stopped immediately there no gain on the play there second down well he didn't make Headway on that one but he's had plenty of carries all night long I just wonder if maybe he's a little bit tired from tilting the rock that much got three we got three just beaing the play clock is gone his pass caught at the four and he'll be brought down here at the three yd line they'll get nine there as that sets him up better for third down some think the teams really won't throw a slant route unless you have a receiver has a lot of stature to him but sometimes the little guys they get lost in there people can't really locate them and they run that quick cut on the slant and often times they can turn it into big plays and prior to this third and two play we're going to get a timeout call it's just their first so two remaining as they burn one here in this third [Applause] quarter the Rams on third down they've converted five times in their many chances thus far this time they face a third and two they come out here in the eye they'll try and pick up the First with Gurley and he'll keep working toward that end zone as he's down to about the two yd line he needed two he got one and that's going to leave him with fourth down and a yard well they picked up a portion of it but not all that they needed now that leads to a decision on fourth and one let's see what they decide to do one quarter remains here as we wrap up the week on a Monday night we'll return with more after this break you're watching the NFL on EA Sports back now at Ford Field it's been a very hotly contested game to this point just a field goal separating these two teams as we get set for the fourth [Applause] quarter and here's a big one now trying to hold this lead they're going to go for it here on fourth down G now to throw and that is incomplete boy it looked like he had it and dropped it and that will force a turnover on Downs boy you talk about not playing it safe why were they going for it there Charles it's got to be a full evaluation of their team do they trust their defense in this situation maybe they think they've given all they can in this game they don't have anything do they not trust that the other team's quarterback is just so hot that no matter where they get the ball they go down field remember when bill bellich went for it in that game right against against Indianapolis on the road and everybody said why'd you go for it there I think he just thought to himself on the other side if they get the ball they're going downfield anyway he's trying to end the game right there with his own offense and a short gain here as he gets it up only to about the six just a couple on the ground there and that's going to bring bring up third and about six two yds on the first down carry and Then followed up by two yds on the second down carry well that's definitely not going to be enough to get the job done wasn't the expression three yards in a cloud of dust now they're going to need six on third down to keep the drive [Applause] going throwing on third down Stafford oh he can't hang on to it almost intercepted they they would have loved a first pick of the game there but at least it does get them to fourth down I guess they're in a situation now fourth quarter where they're forced to take some chances but I don't know that that was the type of a chance you want to take and that one could very easily have been intercepted and if it does get picked off that could possibly seal this one good blocking there nearly sprung him as it is it'll go as a 19 yd return and this offense they're going to have excellent field position they take over with a first and 10 on the short side of the field orange orange ball ball 17 17 17 12 super 66 yes sir yes sir yes sir 17 17 17 on first down gone and that's complete to Cooks and he'll be brought down looks like right at the 40 five yds on the catch there brings up second down I got the sense that the defense created a little momentum for him there didn't they did their job Force the punt now nice start to the drive offense has to do their part yeah they certainly do but what a great start for them they got to thank the guys on deep here's G and this will be incomplete he was in search of his tight end Tyler Higby and it's third and five when I watched that play I thought about what my coaches had told me in the past the big teaching Point get your head around locate the football so you can make a play on it while it's in the air that's exactly what he did there that was nice from the gun on third down g a bullet throw but incomplete I'm not sure we could spot any tendency here on this third down they could have run it or passed it either one was available they chose to try and get it through the air but they were unsuccessful 17 17 17 here we go on Fourth G and that's caught left side it's Woods how about them biting off 15 yds there on the fourth down attempt and keeping the drive alive I want to take your rooll partner but up in the fourth quarter and going for it on fourth down and picking it up how about that a big chance that's why football is not for the faint of heart on First and 10 G that's going to be caught and he'll get into the end zone touchdown Rams in for the score and the Rams add on to their lead in order to lead in a game you're going to get plenty of contributors but that's his second touchdown catch of this game he's one of the key guys in this one and you better believe he'll be looking for the hattick here as this one continues to go zerline good with a Pat and the decision to just kick the extra point winds up successful five plays there on that drive and the result for the Rams a touchdown this will be taken to the back of the end zone and no run back here this will be a Touchback and it comes out to the 25 yd line the Lions offense they get ready to head back onto the field these guys had to punt their last possession and that's become too familiar of a refrain too many of these drives just wound up going nowhere well you know how in baseball when the pitcher gets a base hit and he's on base they bring his jacket out to him to keep him warm a lot of times the punter goes to the side puts on sweatpants or a wrap over his leg to keep it warm he might need a massage from the trainer right now from all the work he's getting a good pickup there 26 yds so from Rams territory now it's first and 10 at the 49 yd line out of the gun Stafford throwing the out route Inc complete it's Wilson and he'll get it down to the 47 here give him a couple on the catch it's second and eight one thing I think that's safe to say defensively the tackling has been really good and because of that it's been very very hard for them to move the ball because you're not getting the benefits of run after catch the tackle almost on the spot that means I have to run extra plays harder to move it here's Stafford now on second down that'll be taken in there by Kenny gal and they'll wind up getting this one all the way down inside the 20 give him 30 yds there you know I'm going to lean towards the defender right you know I'm going to do that I know that's a tough situation for him as I see it but the truth of the matter is that ball was not streaking towards him little arc on it he's got to find a way to get his head around and make a play on the football and incomplete he dropped it in the end zone this defense was definitely alert to the possibility of the deep ball and they were more than ready for it they got the lead fourth quarter maybe can expect more passes like that downfield they'll run it with Johnson and he'll get about three as he's taken down at the 14 yd line they know that that old expression it's not my night it hasn't been his so far I don't know if the legs are a little bit heavy sometimes having to hang out all day in play doesn't exactly play to your advantage but it's been a tough go for him and every time he looks up somebody's there defensively that was the same case on that play and this is going to be incomplete Nel Roby Coleman there defensively I think that was a good job there defensively they did allow him to drive all the way down field but once they got their backs to the goal line they really turned up the pressure yeah they let him get all the way down here now the field shrinks they've struggled to convert and that last incompletion brings up fourth and prater's kick is on the money it's good and this is back down to a seven-point game all right so they needed two scores to get back in the game the field goal there maybe not exactly what they wanted but the necessary First Step there's still time remaining and there's enough time to get it done they've got to get it the least three and out here to get the ball back preferably a takeaway and the decision to bring it out a good one as he's up a yard or two shy of the 30 now the Rams offense they work their way back on the field the field goal we just saw has this now at a onore game and on this side of the football things are getting pretty tenuous a little stressful blood pressure up a little bit you think I think up a lot of B ah could you imagine taking the pulse right now might be like a jackhammer out there on that side of the ball but here's what the deal is I think what we've observed is a team that's been playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win and they've got to get back to that and that means opening things up again being a little more free in what they're trying to get done on offense and he overshot him there it's out of bounds incomplete Woods the intended receiver and it's third down I know our Vantage Point might be a little bit better way up here but that looked like an ill advised throw to for me I didn't see anything open and this play just didn't look right from the beginning it did not I thought he might get outside and just Chuck it away dangerous pass in complete oh there's that man again it's complete and he'll be taken down but not before he gets into enemy territory the gain of 19 and picking up the first he's been the go-to guy they needed a big play there on third down went his way it worked out doesn't matter whether they've scouted it or that they think he's going to get the ball he has a knack for find ending his way open and completing the connection yet another carry here tonight for Gurley and he's going to be met at the line of scrimmage and taken down and it appears we've got a member of the Rams shaken up on that last play while the training staff works on him we'll step aside and be right back on second down here's off right side complete that's woods and he'll get it down to the 47 here that throw good for only a couple it brings up third down I always laugh when people say what's the toughest route to defend and I'm like any of them especially if it's a good receiver that makes things very difficult but when you're running a drag route something short shallow going through Defenders using guys almost as as screens in order to get open that makes it oh no he lost the football and the Lions have [Applause] recovered well partner here's where team football gets tested a little bit because I know the defensive guys were over there chilling on the sidelines and all of a sudden they heard the sudden change call because that fumble puts them right back on the field and they've got to go out and finish the game now themselves absolutely nursing that slim lead here in the fourth a costly turnover to throw is Stanford he hits Ric underneath and that play is blown up losing yardage back at the 35 and never good on a pass completion there to go the wrong way lost yardage no for some reason it seems to work better when you throw it downfield or you can move the ball downfield running it that way doesn't it but in this case if you're the defensive guys you're energized executed well and you caused a loss yardage play that's going to feel good and look great in film four yds on the completion and it sets up a third down well they were unable to make anything really big out of that but it's not a bad idea to find your tight end and give him an easy completion and keep moving things forward almost as bread and butter it's a good running back dive play he's going to Loft one deep left side here oh I can't hang on to it almost intercepted they would have loved the first pick of the game there but at least it does get him to fourth down trying to erase that deficit all at once one big shot he took it unfortunately for him incomplete the Rams offense now making their way out to take over and last Drive obviously not what you're looking for you've got the lead you got to protect the football so in other words someone got lucky because they've been moving the ball really well and wearing them down in this case though giving up the football doesn't make them very happy they can't wait to get back out there and atone for it yeah try to atone for for here on this drive he'll get eight on the scramble there it'll be second and a couple I like his thought process and his ability to move and get down field but what I didn't like was the final decision to go out of bounds they want to keep the clock moving instead they give the defense an extra timeout here comes a 20th carry for Gurley space to maneuver at the 40 he gets it across the 50 and down to the 48 good yardage as he rumbles for 24 and a first ah he's still rumbling isn't he still looking fresh in this one despite the heavy workload but you and I both know well conditioned and he did tell us that he thrives on being at his Peak late in ball games 17 1 on first down it's G escaping the pressure right and he'll find his Target Woods it's complete a good pickup there a 22 this is is something you got to be wary of defensively I mean just because they're in the mode of trying to burn some clock doesn't mean they won't pass it and they got good yardage out of that one yeah and really when you're looking at it now they've got a fresh set of downs look for second down if they want to take another shot and try and loosen things up that'd be the time to do it now Gurley and they've got it in the red zone now down at about the 19 a solid run on first down gain of seven leaves him with a second and three I know the game's not over but there's got to be a sense of satisfaction right now for the guy carrying the football a bunch today 99 yards and he has enough time to go over this entry Mark well you got to give it to him again right yeah there's no doubt about it you're not worried about losing yardage here you're not worried about any of that you just want to get him to the promised land for every Runner 100 yds or more in a game and they'll bring him down at the 18 yd line that catch good for only a yard and it'll be third down that was an okay hook up there with his tight end but unfortunately they didn't get the kind of yards they had hoped for that's going to bring up third down hey he hey [Applause] hey so it's Rams football here as we get you reset they're facing a critical third down now as they try to hold on to this lead and this this is a big third down and you'd have to think we'd see a timeout right away if they can't stop him here third down now it's CJ Anderson and he picks up the first down yardage as he takes this one down to the 15 and now right out of the two-minute break we'll get a timeout used defensively with a minute 56 to go not totally Home Free yet but it's looking good as they come up first and [Applause] 10 they run again on first down Anderson and that play going absolutely nowhere as he's belted before he could get out of the back [Applause] field maybe just a slight detour on what's been a strong Drive here's second and 11 on second down Anderson and he'll take this one down near the 15 and now we're going to get a timeout defensively so another stop 150 left in the football game here comes the eighth play of the drive and they need a full 10 yds on third down gof now to throw that is caught at the seven yd line and he'll be taken down at the 2yd line they're able to convert on third down and that sets up a first and goal tell you what he's been able to put the ball in some tight spots all game long that throw no different yeah a lot of people would call it a gutsy type of a throw I think he looks at it as I can do it so it's not that big of a deal to me and I'm going to keep firing it's first and goal and a late touchdown at this stage could officially salt this one away and with a play clock running out Shawn McVey will take a timeout that'll leave them with just one remaining in this fourth quarter of [Applause] play and we're back the offense had a chance to talk things over we'll see what they come up with here on this next play it's first and goal and a late touchdown at this stage could officially salt this one away they'll try and push it in with Gurley and he takes it across for a Rams touchdown Todd Gurley taking it in from two yds out and the Rams add on to their lead well that was absolutely ideal for them wasn't it trying to Salt this game away I think one of my kids just graduated in am of time they had the football that was absolutely impressive everybody wants those salt away the game drives what makes them successful well when you're able to mix run pass when you're able to control the football and stay ahead of the chains I'm using every cliche I know but that's how you get it done because you're not taking negative plays and that way you're able to run what you want to run when you get a chance to call it this will be taken to the back of the end zone and no run back here this will be a Touchback and it comes out to the 25 yd line now the Lions offense they get ready to head back out there and with this deficit you can't have too many more drives like the last Drive where you had to punt it away you know what I would tell my offense right here the punter doesn't exist guys he doesn't even exist he's not a team anymore I just cut it all right so You' got to go out and create some offense for us here and give us some points no way does that guy get on the field on this drive poor punter yeah he it wasn't his fault but Hey listen there some there got to be casualties at times we're trying to win a [Applause] game the Lions on third down it has been a disaster over for eight thus far this is third and four set lady a shot gun snap for Stafford and he'll find G that's complete and he will have a first down out here at about the 40 eight yds on the pickup there and it moves the sticks and the spike will come with 34 seconds to [Applause] go big [Applause] 20 set L and now whistles and a flag and I think we got a jump here encroachment defense a free five yards as the defense jumps I know it's an anticipation game for them but it's also a reaction game and they reacted poorly on that one lady Stafford looks to throw again jumping it off for Johnson and he'll get it into enemy territory just across Midfield at the 49 it's a pickup of six and good enough to move the chains and now he clocks it with 19 seconds remaining the Rams going to be forced to use their third and final timeout and as the two teams talk it over on their respective Sidelines we take a [Applause] break throwing again it's Stafford caught on the right right side by Jones and they'll wind up getting this one all the way down inside the 20 that goes for a gain of 31 and they are able to spike it cutting it close but two seconds left on the clock and incomplete as the clock stops here with just one second to go in this football game set one last throw here for Stafford and he's going to go down he sacked back at the [Applause] 24 but Charles it's great to win at home in the NFL when you win on the road it's a little extra special isn't it it is because let's face it in most cases you're not expected to go on the road and win in the National Football League just doesn't usually compute so to get out there get that done and then head back to your city with one in your in the victory column oh that's a fantastic feeling [Music] so that'll do it for us for Charles Davis and all our crew I'm Brandon Gard you've been watching the NFL on EA Sports with that we say good night from Detroit [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music]