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Lions 30, Washington 27: A 'Have-Not' Loss

Lions 30, Washington Football Team 27: A Last-Second 'Have-Not' Loss In Detroit
Mike Fisher|
Lions 30, Washington 27: A 'Have-Not' Loss
Lions 30, Washington 27: A 'Have-Not' Loss

The Washington Football Team and the Detroit Lions entered Sunday at Ford Field with at least one privately-held thing in common: They looked at their opponent as a "have-not.''

Adrian Peterson essentially said as much before the game when the now-Lion, former-WFT'er and future Hall-of-Famer cited the Detroit schedule - this one against Washington followed by two more teams with losing marks, Carolina and Houston - as "opportunities.''

“There are still opportunities for us to do some great things to get this ship going in the right direction,” A.D. said.

That's not to say either team was going to "take the other lightly'' - just that both teams believed they could "take the other.'' That's all.

And Detroit 30, Washington 27 tells you which team was correct.

The Lions leap to 4-5, an achievement that isn't as much about playoff contention as it is job retention, as the embattled Matt Patricia is on the hot seat in Motown. Meanwhile, Washington drops to 2-7, and yes, it still has a shot to win the NFC East and host a playoff game because of the putrid state of the division.

“We’re still in it,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said before the game. “Let’s be realistic. What’s the best record in our division? See my point?”

WFT was also "still in it'' in terms of this game, despite a 24-3 early deficit.

But a larger point looms: WFT's three-game have-not sandwich featured the Lions, then the Bengals next week, and then at Dallas for Thanksgiving. All winnable ... for a team capable of winning.

But Washington - most notably in two losses to the Giants - the very definition of a have-not team that can beat almost no team unless its clad in burgundy and gold - is not capable of winning. Once WFT fans cease in celebrating the comeback here, that sad truth settles in.

The situation at QB for Washington is fascinating, with Alex Smith, who here made his first start in two years since breaking his right tibia and fibula - maybe a better story than he is a player. In the comeback, Smith (38 of 55 for 390 yards) did pile up numbers. 

But no receiver was really ever able to get loose from the Lions, leaving the scoring production to runners Antonio Gibson (two TDs) and J.D. McKissic (one TD).

The game came down to clutch field goals ... and the ability to prevent them. Dustin Hopkins hit his to tie the game for WFT with 21 seconds left. But WFT's defense (with a roughing flag Chase Young for popping QB Matt Stafford unnecessarily) couldn't prevent the Lions from setting up Matt Prater's 59-yard game-winning bomb.

Coach Ron Rivera called Young's error "a teachable'' moment.

Said Young: "Rookie mistake. It happens.''

Peterson, 35, spoke before the game about seeking revenge against his former Washington employer, but that didn't really play out. He was a minor factor. 

The biggest factor? Neither of these teams really know how to win just yet. The have-not Lions stumbled into a victory. The have-not WFT stumbled out of one.

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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983, is the author of two best-selling books on the NFL.

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