The first half in final week of the season is the most alive the Lions have looked in weeks. With depleted rosters on both sides, Detroit has found offensive rhythm, relying on 60 rushing yards from Zach Zenner and 84 receiving yards from Brandon Powell, a UDFA from Florida. Defensively, the Lions have shut down Green Bay's offense first with Aaron Rodgers and then DeShone Kizer.
It's the best half Detroit has played in at least a month. Of course, it means little in the grand scheme of anything.
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With his 19th pass attempt Sunday, Matthew Stafford passed Hall of Famer
Joe Montana for No. 20 on the all-time passing attempts list.
Montana had 5,391 attempts in his career with San Francisco and Kansas City. Stafford entered Sunday with 5,373 attempts and has already passed Donovan McNabb and Montana.
He also, with his earlier touchdown pass, tied George Blanda for No. 28 all-time in passing touchdowns. He's one touchdown pass away from tying Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly (237) and three away from Chiefs Hall of Famer Len Dawson (239).
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The Lions closed out their season Sunday by demolishing the Green Bay Packers, 31-0, posting the club's first shutout since Sept. 29, 1996, when they shut out Tampa Bay, 27-0.
It's the first time Detroit has shut out Green Bay since 1973 and the last time the Lions had a four-game winning streak against the Packers was the 1980s.
The shutout came with depleted rosters on both sides -- the Packers didn't have Davante Adams at all and Aaron Rodgers for most of the game while the Lions were missing almost all of their primary skill position players.
But a shutout is still a shutout and something, for Detroit, that hasn't happened for a while.
It likely hurt Detroit's draft position pending the outcome of other games, but it also closed out the Lions' 2018 season on a positive note for players. In particular, Brandon Powell (six catches, 103 yards) and Zach Zenner (21 carries, 93 yards, 1 TD) can use that for a building block to 2019. Detroit finishes its season at 6-10, last in the NFC North.
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Lions owner Martha Ford on the season: "We finished in a good spot...in a good way." She clearly corrected herself to mean she was talking about the final game. It is her first public comments in two years. She said it while walking to the locker room following a 31-0 win over Green Bay.
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http://www.espn.com/blog/detroit-li...ce-2012-lions-headed-for-roster-staff-changes
After worst record since 2012, Lions headed for roster, staff changes.
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http://www.espn.com/nfl/recap?gameId=401030757
Lions beat up on Packers 31-0; Rodgers suffers concussion.
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http://www.espn.com/blog/detroit-li...ol-packers-get-td-pass-from-kicker-on-fake-fg
Watch: Lions fool Packers, get TD pass from kicker on fake FG.
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LeGarrette Blount, when asked about his 2019 plans: "I do want to play again, yeah. I'm not contemplating retiring. We'll see what happens." Blount admitted his season was "pretty up-and-down" and talked about not being consistent. When asked about his inconsistency (on Sunday he rushed 11 times for 15 yards, for instance), he said he just has to be more consistent. But does it, because Blount is 32 years old, concern him because typically backs slow down after 30. "I don't really look that far. I think that's more so something you guys do," Blount said. "I really don't look that deep into it, you know what I'm saying. I think our bodies talk to us more than, like, our brains, you know what I'm saying. Your brain will be like, 'Oh, I want to play for like 55 years.' But your body is only going to let you play for two. "That's just how this game is, you know. And I feel like my body, look at it, at 32 years old, looking like this." Blount had the lowest yards per carry of his career (2.71) and the fewest yards since 2014 (418).
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Lions safety Glover Quin was posing for pictures and generally enjoying himself at Lambeau Field on Sunday. After the game, he said nothing has changed about his status for the future -- it's unknown whether he'll remain in Detroit, end up with another team or retire -- but he took advantage of what could be his last NFL game or last game with the Lions. "Taking a lot of photos, being in Lambeau Field," Quin said. "Like I said, I don't know what the future holds but if it is it, it is a great way to go out. Great way to go out. "So I wanted to take some photos, capture this moment. I did the same thing last year, though, when we was in Detroit. Had a couple photos taken because I didn't know if last year was going to be the last one. And it wasn't. We'll see how this year goes." Quin had one pass defended Sunday against Green Bay. He said he wanted the interception. This year was the first season since 2011 where Quin failed to intercept a pass. It's the first time in his career he didn't force a fumble, recover a fumble or intercept a pass in a season.
As he was leaving Lambeau Field, he tossed his gloves up into the crowd. "It was the last game so threw something out to some of the Detroit Lions fans," Quin said. "I generally do it in the last game. Like I said, I got to approach it like I don't know, because I don't know. "If it is [my last game], I felt like I went out how I wanted to go out. If it's not, I'll do it all over next year. Hopefully be there for 16 more."
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