The Detroit Lions faced a big hole, one that was largely Matthew Stafford's creation. But Stafford dug them out, with an assist from his defense, and the Lions won a 49-35 shootout over the Carolina Panthers in Detroit.
NFL Scores Week 11, Panthers Vs. Lions: Matthew Stafford Guides Lions To Victory In Shootout, 49-35
Matthew Stafford threw Detroit into an early hole, but his five touchdowns helped the Lions get out of it against the Panthers.
Stafford threw two early interceptions, but recovered to throw for 335 yards and five touchdowns. No Detroit receiver had more than seven catches, and all five touchdown passes went to different receivers, but Calvin Johnson, who led the Lions with 89 receiving yards, caught none of them.
Kevin Smith had one of those touchdown catches, and added 140 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Cam Newton’s day was statistically significant (280 passing yards and a touchdown, and two rushing touchdowns), but his four interceptions prevented the Panthers from pulling out the win on the road.
Kealoha Pilares' 102-yard kickoff return in the first half helped Carolina build a 24-7 lead, but it evaporated midway through the third quarter in the midst of 21 straight second-half points by Detroit.
The win pushes Detroit to 7-3 on the season. Carolina falls to 2-8 with the loss.
For more on the Lions, visit Pride of Detroit. For more on the Panthers, visit Cat Scratch Reader. SB Nation has you covered for the rest of Week 11’s NFL action, too: check out all the Week 11 NFL news and scores and Week 11 fantasy stats, and Week 11 NFL video highlights in our dedicated StoryStreams, and head to SB Nation’s NFL hub any time for plenty more on the league.
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