To their credit, the Detroit Lions didn’t stop trying to run on the New Orleans Saints. they kept up the pressure with 22 carries (against 31 pass attempts), and that stubbornness helped accomplish their own downfall by running out the clock late in the game. The Saints won 35-29 with too little time left for Detroit to try a comeback.
That’s according to plan. The Saints defense takes pride in their ability to stop opposing running backs in their tracks, and that was no different on Sunday. The Lions’ leading rusher was Adrian Peterson, who gained just 36 yards on the ground.