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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) -- Although it was the Silverdome, not the
Big House, Tom Brady still felt comfortable back in Michigan.
The rookie's passing set up Adam Vinatieri's 28-yard field goal
with two seconds remaining, lifting the New England Patriots to a
13-10 victory over the Detroit Lions on Friday night.
"I love coming back here," said Brady, who engineered a number
of comeback wins during his college career in nearby Ann Arbor. "I
wish I could have taken a trip to the Big House, but it really
wasn't on the agenda."
Brady set up the winning kick with a 47-yard pass to Sean Morey.
Brady, who completed 10 of 15 attempts for 129 yards, hit Morey on
a slant in front of safety Ty Talton and he carried it to the Lions
10.
"The safeties just split and Sean made a middle-of-the-field
read," Brady said. "He made a great catch, too."
Vinatieri, who also had a 50-yarder, kicked the winning field
goal on the next play to cap a four-play, 59-yard drive for the
Patriots.
Defensive tackle Willie McGinest returned an interception 49
yards for a touchdown for New England, which beat San Francisco
21-0 on Monday night in the debut of coach Bill Belichick.
"We had a blitz on," McGinest said. "I saw their tackle
taking a deep set, which usually means a screen or draw, so I
dropped back."
Sedrick Irvin scored on a 2-yard run and Jason Hanson kicked a
33-yard field goal for Detroit.
Mike Tomczak, starting for the Lions in place of injured Charlie
Batch, attempted a screen pass to Irvin late in the first quarter
that was picked off by McGinest, who had a clear path to the end
zone.
"The ball was just an errant pass on the screen," Tomczak
said. "They read it really well, and I should have thrown it away.
I just trusted it was going to be there and it wasn't."
The 270-pound McGinest even had time to shift the ball from his
right arm to his left around the 15-yard line as he lumbered toward
his touchdown -- although that move almost allowed Irvin to overhaul
him.
"It wasn't no big deal, man. It's the preseason," McGinest
said.
Michael Bishop, who took over for Drew Bledsoe to start the
second quarter for New England, had his second pass attempt
intercepted by Corwin Brown, setting up Hanson's field goal that
cut the lead to 7-3.
But Bishop was brilliant in running the two-minute drill after
the Patriots took over with 1:32 left in the half, taking New
England 52 yards in nine plays to set up Vinatieri's field goal as
time ran out. Bishop was 3-of-5 passing for 32 yards and also
scrambled 15 yards during the drive.
Bishop, replaced by Brady with 3:57 left in the third quarter,
completed 6 of 14 for 51 yards and rushed three times for 31 yards.
A 61-yard pass play from Stoney Case to Henry Douglas keyed a
nine-play, 80-yard drive capped by Irvin's touchdown plunge, tying
it at 10-10 on Detroit's first possession of the third quarter.
Douglas, a free agent trying to earn a roster spot, finished
with six receptions for 106 yards before leaving with a sprained
ankle.
"That was a typical first game -- up and down," Lions coach
Bobby Ross said. "The biggest problem was our two-minute defense.
We had them in good field position at the end of both halves, and
we let them get three points in the first half and seven in the
second."
Tomczak, a free agent signed during the offseason, played only
the first quarter. He completed 4 of 13 passes for 36 yards.
Bledsoe was 2-of-4 for seven yards.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
New England Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
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