DETROIT LIONS (7-4) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (8-3)
SERIES
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LIONS |
SAINTS |
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SERIES LEADER |
10-9-1 |
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STREAKS |
3 of past 5 |
Past 2 |
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COACHES VS. OPP. |
Schwartz: 0-1 |
Payton: 2-0 |
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LAST WEEK |
L 27-15 vs. Packers |
W 49-24 vs. Giants |
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LAST GAME |
9/13/09: Lions 27 at Saints 45. New Orleans QB Drew Brees completes 26 of 34 passes (76.5 pct.) for 358 yards for 6 TDs & 137 passer rating in Saints' victory. |
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LAST GAME AT SITE |
9/13/09 |
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BROADCAST |
NBC (7:20 PM CT): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafayoa (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Dave Sims, James Lofton, Kevin Kiley (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 94 (WW1), 32 (Det.), 93 (NO). XM: 227 (WW1), 225 (Det.), 226 (NO). |
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STATS
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PASSING |
Stafford: 276-443-3,119-26 (3C)-13-90.7 |
Brees: 323-460-3,689 (1L)-27 (3L)-11-103.6 (3L) |
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RUSHING |
Morris: 55-240-4.4-1 |
Ingram (R): 106-420-4.0-4 |
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RECEIVING |
Johnson: 63 (3C)-1,023 (3L)-16.2-12 (1L) |
Graham: 67 (1C)-957 (T3C)-14.3-8 (T3C) |
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OFFENSE |
376.7 |
449.6 (1L) |
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TAKE/GIVE |
+6 |
-3 |
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DEFENSE |
329.5 (3C) |
370.8 |
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SACKS |
Avril: 7 |
Harper: 6.5 |
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INTs |
Houston: 4 (T3C) |
P. Robinson: 2 |
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PUNTING |
Donahue (R): 42.7 |
Morstead: 47.8 (3C) |
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KICKING |
Hanson: 92 (35/35 PAT; 19/21 FG) |
Kasay: 106 (3L) (40/40 PAT; 22/27 FG) |
NOTES
LIONS: QB MATTHEW STAFFORD has 3,119 pass yards, most by Det. QB in 1st 11 games of season. Has 26 pass TDs, tied with HOFer BOBBY LAYNE (1951) for 2nd most by Det. QB in season. Lions are 7-0 when he has 100+ rating...RB KEVIN SMITH aims for 3rd in row vs. NO with rush TD...WR CALVIN JOHNSON leads NFL with 12 TD catches. Joins HOFers LANCE ALWORTH & JERRY RICE as only players with 12+ rec. TDs in 3 of 1st 5 seasons. Since start of 2008, has 41 rec. TDs, most in NFL. Has 1,023 rec. yards & is 1st WR in team history with 1,000+ rec. yards in 3 of 1st 5 seasons. WR NATE BURLESON has 12 catches for 197 yards (98.5 per game) & TD in 2 meetings. T JEFF BACKUS has started 171 consecutive games, tied with HOFer DICK LE BEAU for longest streak in club history. WR TITUS YOUNG ranks 3rd among NFC rookies with 376 rec. yards (29 catches) ...DE CLIFF AVRIL has 5 sacks, 4 FFs & 24-yard FR-TD in past 5...
SAINTS: QB DREW BREES is 2-0 vs. Det., completing 56 of 74 (75.7 pct.) for 709 yards with 8 TDs vs. 1 INT for 135.5 rating. In last meeting, had 6 TDs, completing 26 of 34 (76.5) for 358 yards & 137 rating. Has 20+ comp. in NFL-record 31 games in row. Has TD pass in 38 consecutive games, 2nd-longest streak in NFL history... RB-PR-KR DARREN SPROLES is only player in NFL with 2+ rush TDs (2), 2+ rec. TDs (3) & ret. TD. Rushed for career-high 122 yards & 2 TDs in last meeting (12/16/07 with SD). RB PIERRE THOMAS has TD in 3 of past 4...TE JIMMY GRAHAM leads NFL TEs in receptions (67) & yards (957). Had 2 TDs last week. WR MARQUES COLSTON has 3 rec. TDs in 2 career meetings. WR LANCE MOORE had 2 TDs last week. WR ROBERT MEACHEM aims for 3rd in row vs. Det. with TD (20-yard run & 39-yard catch). In past 2 games vs. Det., WR DEVERY HENDERSON has 7 catches for 199 yards (99.5 per game, 28.4 avg.) & TD...Since entering NFL in 2006, S ROMAN HARPER has 16 sacks, most by DB.
The Lions and Saints enter Week 13 in the middle of the NFC playoff race and will face one another on Sunday night.
Detroit wide receiver CALVIN JOHNSON leads the NFL with 12 receiving touchdowns. He joins Pro Football Hall of Famers LANCE ALWORTH and JERRY RICE as the only players in NFL history to record at least 12 receiving touchdowns three times in their first five seasons.
"We've got to try and get to 8-4," says Lions quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD. "We've got to go down to New Orleans and play a really good Saints team in a tough place on Sunday Night Football. We've got to show up and play well. It's a very good football team and it'll be a challenge for us."
New Orleans is coming off a 49-24 victory over the New York Giants and the Saints have won three in a row. Against the Giants, quarterback DREW BREES passed for 363 yards and four touchdowns - and rushed for another score - and tied Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO for the most career 350-yard passing games (27).
"It's time to get ready for Detroit," says Brees, who has passed for 3,689 yards, the most ever by a player through the first 11 games of a season. "There's never a time to rest and never a dull moment."