NFL: Detroit Lions rally from 21 points down to beat Atlanta Falcons at Wembley
Sunday 26 October 2014 17:29, UK
Matt Prater hit a 48-yard field goal as time expired to lead the Detroit Lions to a remarkable 22-21 win over the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium.
Prater split the uprights at the second attempt to cap a sensational comeback from the Lions, who looked bereft of ideas on offense and struggled on defense in dropping 21 points behind to their opponents, who were 2-5 coming into the second game in the 2014 International Series.
But the Falcons looked like a completely different team to the one on a four-game losing streak in the opening quarter, with quarterback Matt Ryan in complete control as they opened up a 14-0 lead.
Ryan found back-up running-back Devonta Freeman for a seven-yard touchdown and then connected with tight-end Bear Pascoe in the back of the endzone for a second short-range score.
Steven Jackson barged his way over for a third touchdown - his third of the season as well - 3:45 before half-time and the Falcons held on to their 21-0 lead at the interval against a Lions offense that was stuttering at best.
But Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wide receivers found some rhythm early in the second half, with Prater first kicking a field-goal to get them on the board at the end of a drive that could easily have ended in seven points.
Comeback
They got their first touchdown with 4:38 left in the third, Stafford hooking up with the ever-dangerous Golden Tate on a 59-yard pass to cut the deficit to 21-10.
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Prater hit another field goal from 20 yards after an awful pass from Ryan led to an interception, and then Stafford found Theo Riddick on a short pass to make it 21-19, his pass to Tate for the two-point conversion failing.
The Falcons took just under three minutes off the clock on their final drive, leaving the Lions deep in their own territory, but Stafford soon had them moving, hitting Tate to move them towards midfield and then Riddick made a superb one-handed catch to put them just about in field-goal range.
They moved down to the 30-yard line on a Jeremy Ross catch and a couple of short gains from Joique Bell, but were then boosted by a massive holding penalty against the Falcons that made life much easier for Prater, who strolled on to the field with four seconds remaining.
The former Denver Broncos star, the third kicker the Lions have used this season, was left with 43 yards for the win but a delay of game penalty pushed it out to 48 - he missed the original attempt that was whistled back, after a bad snap - and he made no mistake second time, soon knocked over as the Lions players rushed on to the field to congratulate him.
Victory leaves the Lions on 6-2 heading into their bye and means the Falcons will need a lengthy winning streak when they return in week 10 to have any chance of reaching the post-season.
