The 49ers (4-1) travel to Ford Field for a 1:00 ET kickoff against the Detroit Lions (5-0).
Matthew Stafford leads the Lions' offense. Jim Schwartz coaches Detroit. Jahvid Best at lead back. Calvin Johnson at WR1. Alex Smith continues for the 49ers. Frank Gore at lead back.
The Lions are the NFL's only undefeated team alongside the Packers.[1][2][3]
Matthew Stafford and the Lions come into Sunday afternoon at 5-0 in Jim Schwartz's third year. Calvin Johnson has caught 10 touchdowns in the first five games. Jahvid Best at running back. The Lions are the NFC North's surprise contender.
The 49ers, at 4-1 with the Buccaneers home blowout fresh, travel to Detroit for the kind of Sunday-afternoon cross-divisional road game where the year-one regime faces the league's undefeated team. Alex Smith's sixth start. Gore at lead back.
Underdog by 3.5 on the road. The Sunday-afternoon road spot is the kind of game where the year-one regime extends the competitive identity against an NFC contender.
Week 6 is the mid-October cross-divisional sort. The Lions (5-0), Packers (5-0), and Bills (4-1) lead. The 49ers (4-1) and Falcons (3-2) compete in the NFC. Around the AFC the Patriots, Texans, and Ravens lead. The Sunday road game is the kind of week the year-one regime faces the league's undefeated team in the kind of cross-divisional matchup the schedule rarely produces.
Through five games the 49ers are 4-1 with a +64 point differential. The Lions are 5-0 with a +85. Matthew Stafford 12 TDs and 4 INTs through 5 games. Calvin Johnson 10 receiving TDs. Jahvid Best 80 scrimmage yards per game. Lions are league's only undefeated team alongside Packers. Smith 977 passing in 5 starts. Vegas opens the Lions as 3.5-point home favorites; total 41.
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 4-1 | W1 |
| New England Patriots | 4-1 | W2 |
| New York Jets | 2-3 | L3 |
| Miami Dolphins | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | 3-1 | W2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3-2 | W2 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 3-2 | W1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2-2 | L1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Texans | 3-2 | L1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 3-2 | L1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 1-4 | L4 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0-5 | L5 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Chargers | 4-1 | W3 |
| Oakland Raiders | 3-2 | W1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2-3 | W2 |
| Denver Broncos | 1-4 | L3 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers | 4-1 | W3 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 2-3 | W1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 1-4 | -- |
| St. Louis Rams | 0-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Redskins | 3-1 | W1 |
| New York Giants | 3-2 | L1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 2-2 | L1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 1-4 | L4 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 5-0 | W5 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5-0 | W5 |
| Chicago Bears | 2-3 | L1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1-4 | W1 |
| Team | Rec | Strk |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 4-1 | W4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3-2 | L1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 2-3 | L1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 1-4 | L2 |
Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Jason Hanson 25 yard field goal | 0-3 |
| Lions | Brandon Pettigrew 16 yard pass from Matthew Stafford ( Jason Hanson kick) | 0-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 49ers | Frank Gore 1 yard rush ( David Akers kick) | 7-10 |
| 49ers | Safety, Matthew Stafford sacked by Aldon Smith. | 9-10 |
| 49ers | David Akers 55 yard field goal | 12-10 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Jason Hanson 24 yard field goal | 12-13 |
| 49ers | David Akers 31 yard field goal | 15-13 |
| Team | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lions | Nate Burleson 5 yard pass from Matthew Stafford (pass failed) | 15-19 |
| 49ers | Delanie Walker 6 yard pass from Alex Smith ( David Akers kick) | 22-19 |
| 49ers | David Akers 37 yard field goal | 25-19 |
Frank Gore ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and the 49ers' defense produced five sacks as the 49ers beat the Detroit Lions 25-19 at Ford Field. Alex Smith threw for 125 yards. David Akers kicked four field goals. Matthew Stafford threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers' defense forced two takeaways. The 49ers improved to 5-1 in the year's signature win.[1][2][3]
Frank Gore ran for 141 yards and a touchdown Sunday afternoon at Ford Field. The 49ers beat the Detroit Lions 25-19 in the kind of Sunday-afternoon cross-divisional road win where the year-one regime's competitive identity, against the league's undefeated team, produced the year's signature performance.
Alex Smith threw for 125 yards. David Akers kicked four field goals. Joshua Morgan caught a touchdown. Vernon Davis caught five for 40. The 49ers' offense produced 25 points. The kind of Sunday-afternoon cross-divisional road game where the offensive identity, in Smith's sixth start, was firmly in the conference's contender mix.
Matthew Stafford threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns. Calvin Johnson caught two for 27 (held down). Jahvid Best ran for 23. The 49ers' defense generated five sacks of Stafford and forced two takeaways. The kind of Sunday-afternoon cross-divisional road win where the year-one regime's competitive identity, in the signature win over the undefeated Lions, was the year's high. 5-1 with the bye next.
49ers 25, Lions 19. Margin: +6. Six-game record: 5-1, +70 differential.
A 25-19 cross-divisional road win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The 49ers improve to 5-1 with the year's signature win.
How it unfolded
Gore ran in a touchdown to give the 49ers an early lead. Akers kicked field goals. Stafford threw a touchdown to Tony Scheffler. The 49ers led 15-10 at halftime. The third quarter was an Akers field goal. Stafford threw a touchdown to Brandon Pettigrew. The 49ers led 18-17 entering the fourth. Akers kicked two more field goals to make it 25-19. The Lions' final possession ended in a sack.
The turning point
The 49ers' defense holding Calvin Johnson to two catches. With the league's MVP-candidate receiver expected to produce the kind of big-play numbers the Lions' offense had been built around, the 49ers' secondary held Johnson to 27 yards. The defensive performance defined the day.
By the numbers
Smith 13-of-20 for 125 with a TD. Gore 27 carries for 141 (his fourth 100-yard game in five weeks) with a TD. Morgan 4 catches for 41 with a TD. Davis 5 catches for 40. Akers four field goals. Stafford 27-of-45 for 293 with two TDs. Calvin Johnson 2 catches for 27. The 49ers' five sacks and two takeaways.
Personnel watch
Gore's fourth 100-yard game in five weeks. Calvin Johnson held to two catches. The defense's five sacks of Stafford. The kind of Sunday-afternoon cross-divisional road performance where the year-one regime's competitive identity, in handing the Lions their first loss of the year, was the year's signature win.
What it means
5-1 with the bye next week. The Sunday-afternoon cross-divisional road win is the kind of result that, against the league's undefeated team, has the year-one regime firmly in the conference's top tier. The bye gives Harbaugh time to reset for the November and December stretch.
| Player | C/A | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | |||||
| Alex Smith | 17/32 | 125 | 1 | 1 | |
| DET | |||||
| Matthew Stafford | 28/50 | 293 | 2 | 0 | |
| Player | Att | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Frank Gore | 15 | 141 | 1 | 55 |
| Kendall Hunter | 8 | 33 | 0 | 9 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | 2 | 21 | 0 | 12 |
| Alex Smith | 2 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Bruce Miller | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Anthony Dixon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DET | ||||
| Jahvid Best | 12 | 37 | 0 | 13 |
| Maurice Morris | 5 | 20 | 0 | 11 |
| Matthew Stafford | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Player | Rec | Yds | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SFO | ||||
| Michael Crabtree | 9 | 77 | 0 | 27 |
| Ted Ginn Jr. | 2 | 24 | 0 | 18 |
| Delanie Walker | 2 | 11 | 1 | 6 |
| Vernon Davis | 2 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| Frank Gore | 2 | 5 | 0 | 8 |
| DET | ||||
| Calvin Johnson | 7 | 113 | 0 | 41 |
| Jahvid Best | 6 | 73 | 0 | 32 |
| Brandon Pettigrew | 8 | 42 | 1 | 16 |
| Nate Burleson | 4 | 34 | 1 | 14 |
| Titus Young | 1 | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Will Heller | 1 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Maurice Morris | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8 |
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Find the thread Start the threadCanonical title: [Rewatch Party] 2011 W6 - 49ers at Detroit Lions - Game Thread
