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Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints - Wild-Card Playoffs
Game Preview

Fantasy | Game Notes | Results & Schedule | Injury Report | Stat Comparisons | Weather | Team vs. Team History

CIN
HOU		 10
 31
PrePost
DET
NO		 28
 45
PrePost
ATL
NYG		 2
 24
PrePost
PIT
DEN		 23
 29
PrePost
                        

Week: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17
Playoffs: Wild-Card | Divisional Playoffs | Conference Championships | Super Bowl

Final Score Prediction

Saints 37, Lions 30

Fantasy Player Rankings and Projections by Mike Krueger
Detroit Lions
Rank  Player Projections
QB 2 Matthew Stafford Pass: 360, 3 TD Rush: 0, 0
RB 9 Kevin Smith Rush: 60, 0 TD Rec: 4-30, 0
 RB 15 Maurice Morris Rush: 20, 0 TD Rec: 1-10, 0
WR 1 Calvin Johnson Rec: 8-110, 1 TD
WR 12 Titus Young Rec: 4-60, 1 TD
WR 14 Nate Burleson Rec: 5-70, 0 TD
TE 3 Brandon Pettigrew Rec: 6-60, 1 TD
TE 9 Tony Scheffler Rec: 2-20, 0 TD
K 2 Jason Hanson FG: 3/3 XP: 3/3
DEF 8 Defense / ST  
View all Wild-Card Playoffs Rankings or Projections
  
New Orleans Saints
Rank  Player Projections
QB 1 Drew Brees Pass: 370, 3 TD Rush: 0, 0
RB 5 Chris Ivory Rush: 60, 1 TD Rec: 0-0, 0
RB 7 Darren Sproles Rush: 40, 0 TD Rec: 5-40, 0
RB 12 Pierre Thomas Rush: 20, 0 TD Rec: 3-20, 0
WR 3 Marques Colston Rec: 8-110, 1 TD
 WR 11 Robert Meachem Rec: 5-60, 1 TD
WR 16 Devery Henderson Rec: 3-40, 0 TD
TE 1 Jimmy Graham Rec: 7-80, 1 TD
K 1 John Kasay FG: 3/3 XP: 4/4
DEF 7 Defense / ST  

Game Notes

For the first time in NFL history, a playoff game will feature two 5,000-yard passers - New Orleans' Drew Brees (NFL-record 5,476) and Detroit's Matthew Stafford (5,038). The duo's combined passing yardage total of 10,514 yards is the most ever for opposing starting QBs in a playoff game, and will surpass the mark of 8,888 set by PEYTON MANNING (4,500) and Brees (4,388) in Super Bowl XLIV.

Detroit is back in the playoffs for the first time since 1999. The Lions scored a team-record 474 points and gained 6,337 total net yards, the most in franchise history. Stafford set multiple team passing records, including yards (5,038), touchdowns (41) and passer rating (97.2). Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson, who was selected to his second consecutive Pro Bowl, led the NFL with 1,681 receiving yards and had a team-record 16 touchdown receptions. Johnson is the first Lion since Pro Football Hall of Famer BARRY SANDERS (1991) to score 15 TDs in a season.

“The regular season is over and it's the postseason now so our full attention is on the Saints,” says Lions head coach JIM SCHWARTZ. “The playoffs are about advancing and doing whatever you have to do each week to advance.”

New Orleans has won eight in a row and the club has advanced to the postseason for the fourth time in six seasons under head coach SEAN PAYTON. The Saints, who had five players named to the Pro Bowl, had an NFL-record 7,474 total net yards and 5,347 net passing yards. Brees set numerous league single-season marks, among them passing yards (5,476), 300-yard games (13), consecutive 300-yard games (seven), completions (468) and completion percentage (71.2). Running back Darren Sproles had an NFL-record 2,696 all-purpose yards and became the first player in league history to record at least 1,300 scrimmage yards (1,313) and 1,300 kick-return yards (1,383) in a season.


Results and Schedule
Detroit Lions
Week Date Opp H/A Score Dif
1 2011-09-11 TB A W 27-20 +7
2 2011-09-18 KC H W 48-3 +45
3 2011-09-25 MIN A W 26-23 +3
4 2011-10-02 DAL A W 34-30 +4
5 2011-10-10 CHI H W 24-13 +11
6 2011-10-16 SF H L 19-25 -6
7 2011-10-23 ATL H L 16-23 -7
8 2011-10-30 DEN A W 45-10 +35
9   Bye      
10 2011-11-13 CHI A L 13-37 -24
11 2011-11-20 CAR H W 49-35 +14
12 2011-11-24 GB H L 15-27 -12
13 2011-12-04 NO A L 17-31 -14
14 2011-12-11 MIN H W 34-28 +6
15 2011-12-18 OAK A W 28-27 +1
16 2011-12-24 SD H W 38-10 +28
17 2012-01-01 GB A L 41-45 -4
WC 2012-01-07 NO A L 28-45 -17
   
New Orleans Saints
Week Date Opp H/A Score Dif
1 2011-09-08 GB A L 34-42 -8
2 2011-09-18 CHI H W 30-13 +17
3 2011-09-25 HOU H W 40-33 +7
4 2011-10-02 JAC A W 23-10 +13
5 2011-10-09 CAR A W 30-27 +3
6 2011-10-16 TB A L 20-26 -6
7 2011-10-23 IND H W 62-7 +55
8 2011-10-30 STL A L 21-31 -10
9 2011-11-06 TB H W 27-16 +11
10 2011-11-13 ATL A W 26-23 +3
11   Bye      
12 2011-11-28 NYG H W 49-24 +25
13 2011-12-04 DET H W 31-17 +14
14 2011-12-11 TEN A W 22-17 +5
15 2011-12-18 MIN A W 42-20 +22
16 2011-12-26 ATL H W 45-16 +29
17 2012-01-01 CAR H W 45-17 +28
WC 2012-01-07 DET H W 45-28 +17
DP 2012-01-14 SF A    

Injury Report
Detroit Lions
Probable  DE Cliff Avril (Back)
 CB Aaron Berry (Shoulder)
 FS Louis Delmas (Knee)
 DT Nick Fairley (Foot)
 CB Chris Houston (Hand, Knee)
 WR Calvin Johnson (Achilles)
 CB Alphonso Smith (Foot)
 RB Kevin Smith (Ankle, Knee)
 DT Corey Williams (Hip)
 DE Willie Young (Ankle)
IR  RB Jahvid Best (Concussion)
 SS Erik Coleman (Left Ankle)
 OT Johnny Culbreath (Undisclosed)
 OLB Isaiah Ekejiuba (Shoulder)
 OT Jason Fox (Foot)
 RB Mikel Leshoure (Torn Left Achilles)
Non-Football Related  RB Jerome Harrison (Brain Tumor)
   
New Orleans Saints
Out  OLB Jonathan Casillas (Knee)
 WR Lance Moore (Hamstring)
Probable  SS Jonathon Amaya (Shoulder)
 FS Malcolm Jenkins (Neck)
 WR Robert Meachem (Knee)
 MLB Jonathan Vilma (Knee)
IR  OT Charles Brown (Hip)
 K Garrett Hartley (Right Hip)
 TE David Thomas (Concussion)
 CB Fabian Washington (Hamstring)
Non-Football Related  OC Olin Kreutz (Left Camp)
 DE Greg Romeus (Undisclosed)

Offense Stats Comparison
  DET
 Offense 		 NO
 Offense 		 NFL
 Avg. 		  Adv. 
Points for 29.3 40.8 22.4 NO
Rushing yards 79.8 161.0 121.7 NO
Rushing yards per attempt 4.23 5.44 4.37 NO
Completion % 66.8% 72.1% 60.0% NO
Passing yards 345.0 360.5 225.9 NO
Passing yards per completion 11.81 12.45 11.25 NO
Passing yards per attempt 7.89 8.97 6.75 NO
Interceptions 0.8 0.3 0.9 NO
Fumbles lost 0.3 0.0 0.6 NO
Sacks allowed 2.5 0.8 2.4 NO
3rd down conversions 46.2% 63.0% 37.1% NO
4th down conversions 40.0% 0.0% 40.2% DET
Time of possession 30:34 32:01 30:12 NO
  Defense Stats Comparison
  DET
 Defense 		 NO
 Defense 		 NFL
 Avg. 		  Adv. 
Points against 28.3 17.8 22.4 NO
Rushing yards 95.3 81.0 121.7 NO
Rushing yards per attempt 5.06 4.47 4.37 NO
Completion % 64.8% 61.6% 60.0% NO
Passing yards 319.5 305.5 225.9 NO
Passing yards per completion 11.75 11.64 11.25 NO
Passing yards per attempt 7.61 7.18 6.75 NO
INT return 0.8 0.8 0.9 -
Fumble recoveries 0.5 0.5 0.6 -
Sacks 2.5 2.0 2.4 DET
3rd down conversions 40.3% 29.4% 37.1% NO
4th down conversions 62.5% 11.1% 40.2% NO
Time of possession 29:26 27:59 30:12 NO

Special Teams Stats Comparison
   DET   NO  NFL
 Avg. 		  Adv. 
Yards per punt return 7.9 11.0 9.2 NO
Yards per kick return 24.3 26.2 23.6 NO
Yards allowed per punt return 7.4 6.6 9.2 NO
Yards allowed per kick return 19.7 24.9 23.6 DET
  Misc Stats Comparison
   DET   NO  NFL
 Avg. 		  Adv. 
Penalties 10.3 6.8 6.1 NO
Penalty yards 82.8 66.5 51.9 NO

Note: Team statistics are shown as the average per game through Weeks 12 to 17 of the 2011 season after deducting the best and worst value from the data set. The exception is yards per rush attempt, completion %, yards per pass completion, yards per pass attempt, 3rd and 4th down conversions, special teams and the NFL averages, which are each calculated based on totals through Weeks 12 to 17 with no adjustment.

Weather
Dome Stadium

Team vs. Team History
Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints
 Season   Week   Date   Vis   Home   Score   Winner 
2000 1 2000-09-03 DET NO 14-10 DET
2002 4 2002-09-29 NO DET 21-26 DET
2005 16 2005-12-24 DET NO 13-12 DET
2008 16 2008-12-21 NO DET 42-7 NO
2009 1 2009-09-13 DET NO 27-45 NO
2011 13 2011-12-04 DET NO 17-31 NO

Note: Only playoff games from the 2004 to 2010 seasons are included in the team vs. team history. Playoff games from seasons prior to 2004 are not currently included in the database.