The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Detroit Lions, 27-19, at Candlestick Park on Sunday night. San Francisco's defense stifled the Detroit offense for much of the night and a methodical fourth-quarter touchdown drive led by Alex Smith helped to put the game away. For most of the game, kicker Jason Hanson was Detroit's only offense -- the veteran hit four field goals to keep the Lions in the contest well into the fourth quarter.
Lions Vs. 49ers Final Score: Defense Propels San Francisco To 27-19 Victory
Hanson’s final field goal brought Detroit to within eight at 20-12 with over nine minutes remaining in the game. Following that score, San Francisco essentially iced the game with a methodical touchdown drive that spanned 13 plays, 79 yards and more than six minutes. Detroit answered that with a touchdown drive of its own, but that proved to be too little, too late.
The 49ers got the scoring started with a touchdown strike from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis in the first quarter. Detroit answered with a pair of field goals but went into halftime down 14-6. The two teams traded field goals in the second half until that final, decisive touchdown drive by San Francisco.
The big winner: San Francisco’s defense
The 49ers did a great job stalling Matthew Stafford and the Detroit passing attack all night. The Lions were limited to just 19 points and Stafford, who was one of the league's most prolific passers in 2011, had trouble establishing any sort of rhythm in the opening half.
The big loser: Matthew Stafford
Stafford had a dreadful first half, as he was just 7-16 for 67 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. He was able to throw the ball more efficiently in the second half, but he wasn’t productive enough to deliver the win.
Odds: San Francisco covered the spread, which had the Niners favored by anywhere from 6.5 to 7.5 points.
Fantasy outlook: Vernon Davis
The San Francisco tight end accounted for both of his team’s touchdowns on the night and finished with 73 receiving yards on five receptions. That’s the kind of performance that will make any fantasy owner happy.
What’s on the schedule?
The Lions face the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, and the 49ers will meet the Minnesota Vikings.
For more coverage of Sunday night’s game, check out Lions blog Pride Of Detroit and 49ers blog Niners Nation. For all your pro football needs, stay tuned to SB Nation’s NFL hub.
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