They needed a win in the worst way.
With their fans bailing on them, their quarterback and head coach in droves, the Detroit Lions needed a tourniquet to stop the bleeding from an ugly three-game losing streak.
But no one wanted it to come like this — with an injury to running back Kerryon Johnson, the rookie who has been arguably the Lions’ best and most important player through the first 10 games of his career.
The Lions got a go-ahead touchdown catch from Kenny Golladay late in the fourth quarter and a fortunate stop on a two-point conversion with 1:07 to play to beat the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field, 20-19, for their first win in nearly a month.