Detroit — Matthew Stafford took a helmet to the ribs, but Detroit Lions fans had their heart ripped from their collective chests and stomped on during a nationally televised demolition, courtesy of the New York Jets and rookie quarterback Sam Darnold.
The Jets came into Ford Field the underdog, fell behind 7-0 on the first play of the game, before roaring back for a 48-17 in Matt Patricia’s head coaching debut.
The night started so promising for the Lions, as the defense that had been maligned for its listless preseason performances, capitalized on a rookie error by Darnold.