ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 25: Matthew Stafford #9 of the Detroit Lions reacts to a call during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 25, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Matthew Stafford and the Lions stunned Atlanta as time expired
The Detroit Lions completed the latest memorable comeback at the expense of the Atlanta Falcons this afternoon. Matthew Stafford, a former University of Georgia star, tossed the winning touchdown to T.J. Hockenson as time expired to help the Lions knock off the Falcons 23-22.
The stunning turn of events came minutes after Todd Gurley tried to stop himself short of scoring for the Falcons but fell into the end zone anyway, extending the game for Stafford to make the comeback attempt. Stafford threw for 340 yards on the afternoon and also hit Kenny Golladay on a big pass just before the touchdown toss to tie it up.
Matt Prater’s PAT conversion boosts Detroit’s record to 3-3, which will do wonders for the short-term job security of head coach Matt Patricia. Atlanta, which has already fired head coach Dan Quinn after he started 0-5, has now blown three fourth-quarter leads this season.