Final
Titans look to rebound against winless Lions
Nov 24, 2008 - 7:26 PM TENNESSEE (10-1) AT DETROIT, THURSDAY 12:30 pm ESTDETROIT (Ticker) -- The Tennessee Titans became the last NFL team to lose a game this season. They look to bounce back against the league's only team that has yet to win.
With their bid for a perfect season derailed by the New York Jets, the Titans have a quick turnaround with a visit to the winless Lions on Thursday.
Tennessee allowed a season-high point total in the 34-13 loss to the Jets, dropping them to No. 2 in the league for fewest points allowed for the season.
And while the Titans still hold a comfortable three-game edge atop the AFC South, they need to keep an eye on the surging Indianapolis Colts, who have won four straight and host Tennessee in the season finale.
The Jets scored 24 second-half points to pull away from the Titans, who saw their running game struggle for the third consecutive game.
Rookie Chris Johnson has been limited to 118 yards in his past three games while backfield mate LenDale White had just 65 yards in that span, including just one carry for minus-one yard against the Jets.
Quarterback Kerry Collins has carried the load in that time, rallying Tennessee to a pair of come-from-behind wins, but he labored against New York, finishing 21-of-39 for 243 yards and a score - with most of the yardage coming after the game was decided.
"The offense is going to take responsibility for this one," Collins said. "The defense certainly gave us a chance and we didn't do it."
The Titans are 3-0 against teams from the NFC North and 5-0 on the road, which does not bode well for the reeling Lions, who absorbed their 11th straight loss in last weekend's 38-20 defeat to Tampa Bay.
Detroit squandered a 17-0 first-quarter lead against the Bucs and head into its annual Thanksgiving Day game winless for the second time in eight seasons. The Lions were winless on Thanksgiving in 2001 en route to a 2-14 campaign.
"We had a lead and then we had some very basic breakdowns," Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. "We gave up two big plays and you just can't do that. It is just some basic things."
Among the basics was allowing Tampa Bay to score 35 unanswered points, adding to Detroit's NFL-worst total of 346 points allowed.
Detroit is 33-33-2 all-time on Thanksgiving Day, including a stretch of four straight defeats.
- NFL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TAMPA BAY 0 21 14 3 38
DETROIT 17 0 3 0 20 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: DET - TD, CALVIN JOHNSON 15 YD PASS FROM
DAUNTE CULPEPPER (JASON HANSON
KICK), 8:53. Drive: 7 plays, 71
yards in 3:23. Key plays: Culpepper
8-yard pass to Fitzsimmons on
3rd-and-5 to Detroit
Nov 23 4:09 PM - NFL
FG TAM
MATT BRYANT 48 YD
TAMPA BAY 38
DETROIT 20 12:48 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Buccaneers 38, Lions 20 4th - 12:48Nov 23 3:43 PM - NFL
END, 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TAMPA BAY 0 21 14 35
DETROIT 17 0 3 20 END, 3RD QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: DET - TD, CALVIN JOHNSON 15 YD PASS FROM
DAUNTE CULPEPPER (JASON HANSON
KICK), 8:53. Drive: 7 plays, 71
yards in 3:23. Key plays: Culpepper
8-yard pass to Fitzsimmons on
3rd-and-5 to
Nov 23 3:34 PM - NFL
FG DET
JASON HANSON 40 YD
TAMPA BAY 35
DETROIT 20 2:43 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Buccaneers 35, Lions 20 3rd - 2:43Nov 23 3:27 PM
TD TAM RONDE BARBER 65 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 35, Lions 17 3rd - 9:01Nov 23 3:12 PM
TD TAM RONDE BARBER 65 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 35, Lions 17 3rd - 9:01Nov 23 3:12 PM- NFL
TD TAM
RONDE BARBER 65 YD INTERCEPTION RETURN
(MATT BRYANT KICK)
TAMPA BAY 35
DETROIT 17 9:01 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Buccaneers 35, Lions 17 3rd - 9:01Nov 23 3:12 PM
TD TAM CLIFTON SMITH 70 YD PUNT RETURN (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 28, Lions 17 3rd - 11:31Nov 23 2:52 PM
TD TAM CLIFTON SMITH 70 YD PUNT RETURN (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 28, Lions 17 3rd - 11:31Nov 23 2:52 PM- NFL
TD TAM
CLIFTON SMITH 70 YD PUNT RETURN
(MATT BRYANT KICK)
TAMPA BAY 28
DETROIT 17 11:31 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Buccaneers 28, Lions 17 3rd - 11:31Nov 23 2:52 PM - NFL
HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TAMPA BAY 0 21 21
DETROIT 17 0 17 HALFTIME
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: DET - TD, CALVIN JOHNSON 15 YD PASS FROM
DAUNTE CULPEPPER (JASON HANSON
KICK), 8:53. Drive: 7 plays, 71
yards in 3:23. Key plays: Culpepper
8-yard pass to Fitzsimmons on
3rd-and-5 to Detr
Nov 23 2:28 PM
TD TAM JERRAMY STEVENS 24 YD PASS FROM JEFF GARCIA (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 21, Lions 17 2nd - 3:00Nov 23 2:09 PM
TD TAM JERRAMY STEVENS 24 YD PASS FROM JEFF GARCIA (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 21, Lions 17 2nd - 3:00Nov 23 2:09 PM
TD TAM JERRAMY STEVENS 24 YD PASS FROM JEFF GARCIA (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 21, Lions 17 2nd - 3:00Nov 23 2:09 PM- NFL
TD TAM
JERRAMY STEVENS 24 YD PASS FROM JEFF GARCIA
(MATT BRYANT KICK)
TAMPA BAY 21
DETROIT 17 3:00 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Buccaneers 21, Lions 17 2nd - 3:00Nov 23 2:09 PM
TD TAM IKE HILLIARD 36 YD PASS FROM JEFF GARCIA (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 14, Lions 17 2nd - 4:40Nov 23 2:02 PM
TD TAM IKE HILLIARD 36 YD PASS FROM JEFF GARCIA (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 14, Lions 17 2nd - 4:40Nov 23 2:02 PM
TD TAM IKE HILLIARD 36 YD PASS FROM JEFF GARCIA (MATT BRYANT KICK)
Buccaneers 14, Lions 17 2nd - 4:40Nov 23 2:02 PM- NFL
TD TAM
IKE HILLIARD 36 YD PASS FROM JEFF GARCIA
(MATT BRYANT KICK)
TAMPA BAY 14
DETROIT 17 4:40 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Buccaneers 14, Lions 17 2nd - 4:40Nov 23 2:02 PM - NFL
TD TAM
WARRICK DUNN 13 YD RUN
(MATT BRYANT KICK)
TAMPA BAY 7
DETROIT 17 11:19 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Buccaneers 7, Lions 17 2nd - 11:19Nov 23 1:46 PM - NFL
END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
TAMPA BAY 0 0
DETROIT 17 17 END, 1ST QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: DET - TD, CALVIN JOHNSON 15 YD PASS FROM
DAUNTE CULPEPPER (JASON HANSON
KICK), 8:53. Drive: 7 plays, 71
yards in 3:23. Key plays: Culpepper
8-yard pass to Fitzsimmons on
3rd-and-5 to
Nov 23 1:39 PM - NFL
FG DET
JASON HANSON 38 YD
TAMPA BAY 0
DETROIT 17 0:11 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Buccaneers 0, Lions 17 1st - 0:11Nov 23 1:37 PM
TD DET DANIEL BULLOCKS 44 YD FUMBLE RETURN (JASON HANSON KICK)
Buccaneers 0, Lions 14 1st - 4:40Nov 23 1:28 PM
TD DET DANIEL BULLOCKS 44 YD FUMBLE RETURN (JASON HANSON KICK)
Buccaneers 0, Lions 14 1st - 4:40Nov 23 1:28 PM- NFL
TD DET
DANIEL BULLOCKS 44 YD FUMBLE RETURN
(JASON HANSON KICK)
TAMPA BAY 0
DETROIT 14 4:40 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Buccaneers 0, Lions 14 1st - 4:40Nov 23 1:28 PM
TD DET CALVIN JOHNSON 15 YD PASS FROM DAUNTE CULPEPPER (JASON HANSON KICK)
Buccaneers 0, Lions 7 1st - 6:07Nov 23 1:20 PM
TD DET CALVIN JOHNSON 15 YD PASS FROM DAUNTE CULPEPPER (JASON HANSON KICK)
Buccaneers 0, Lions 7 1st - 6:07Nov 23 1:20 PM
TD DET CALVIN JOHNSON 15 YD PASS FROM DAUNTE CULPEPPER (JASON HANSON KICK)
Buccaneers 0, Lions 7 1st - 6:07Nov 23 1:20 PM- NFL
TD DET
CALVIN JOHNSON 15 YD PASS FROM DAUNTE CULPEPPER
(JASON HANSON KICK)
TAMPA BAY 0
DETROIT 7 6:07 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Buccaneers 0, Lions 7 1st - 6:07Nov 23 1:20 PM
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