Golden Tate shines in Lions' 24-17 win over Jets
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The Detroit Lions have been looking for a reliable complement to Calvin Johnson for years, and in Golden Tate they may have finally found one.
With Johnson hobbled and confined to mostly decoy duty Sunday, Tate matched a career-high with eight catches for 116 yards and Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score as the Detroit Lions beat the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, 24-17.
Stafford scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown with a 1-yard scramble on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Tate made two first-down catches on that 14-play, 90-yard drive for the Lions.
He made a juggling 11-yard catch on third-and-10 to help the Lions dig out of bad field position near the own end zone.
Stafford completed 24 of 34 passes for 293 yards and clinched the game with a 7-yard scramble for a first down just after the two-minute warning.
The Lions finished the game with just three healthy running backs after Joique Bell left with a brain injury and Montell Owens and Theo Riddick could not finish because of hamstring pulls.
The Jets (1-3) opened the game in dominating fashion, running the ball downfield on a 14-play drive.
But they finished that possession with a field goal and the Lions' tightened up defensively.
Chris Ivory, the workhorse on the opening drive with 52 yards rushing, finished with just 84 yards on 17 carries and the Jets didn't score their first touchdown until midway through the third quarter.
Jeremy Ross beat rookie safety Calvin Pryor deep for a 59-yard touchdown in the second quarter and rookie first-round pick Eric Ebron caught the first touchdown pass of his career, 16 yards, just before halftime.
The Jets cut their deficit to 17-10 midway through the third quarter on Geno Smith's 11-yard touchdown pass to Eric Decker, but the Lions marched 90 yards on the ensuing drive to swing momentum back their way.
Johnson, who missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with an ankle injury, had just two short catches for 12 yards Sunday and played only about half the snaps.
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Birkett writes for the Detroit Free Press