DETROIT — Matt Stafford hit Anquan Boldin for an 18-yard go-ahead touchdown with 16 seconds left Sunday, leading a scrappy Detroit Lions team over the Washington Redskins, 20-17.
The loss ends the Redskins’ four-game winning streak. The 4-3 Redskins travel this week to London for a matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kirk Cousins and a Redskins offensive unit that had been misfiring for most of the game woke up in the fourth quarter with two touchdown drives to briefly take a lead over the Lions, 17-13.
Cousins scrambled in from 19 yards after the two minute warning, capping off a 76-yard drive.
Stafford and the Lions answered with the game-winner.
Costly fumbles and a general inability to take advantage of field position cost the Redskins all afternoon.
The Redskins’ second drive of the game foreshadowed Washington’s offensive struggles. With the ball on the Lions’ 7 yard line, running back Matt Jones fumbled into the Lions’ end zone. The loose ball was immediately recovered by Lions safety Tavon Wilson.
On the Redskins’ next four drives, they would punch the ball into the Lions’ half of the field each drive only to walk away with a single field goal.
Defensively, the Redskins had given up ground grudgingly until the final minute, when Stafford sliced through a depleted secondary — the Redskins’ shutdown corner, Josh Norman, was on the sidelines with a concussion..
In the first half, Washington limited Detroit to 118 yards, holding Stafford to just 79 passing yards.
But Norman went down after a 52-yard pass reception by Detroit wide receiver Marvin Jones Sr.
Norman landed hard on the Ford Field turf, banging his head on the ground, and left the game. The Lions capped that drive with a one-yard Zach Zenner touchdown.
The Redskins’ first touchdown of the day came on a nine-play, 75-yard drive, highlighted by a 27-yard reception by tight end Vernon Davis, whose gain lined up the Redskins offense on the 1 yard line. Rookie running back Robert Kelley would then catch the short Cousins’ pass for his first career touchdown.
They would immediately follow that drive with a nine-play, 76-yard drive. Running a quarterback read, Cousins opted to keep the ball, scrambling down the right side of the field for 19 yards and the lead.
Cousins finished 30 of 39 for 301 yards with a TD and a fumble. Chris Thompson led all Redskins running backs with 73 yards rushing on 12 attempts. Wide receiver Jamison Crowder led all receivers with 108 yards on 7 receptions.
• Tommy Chalk can be reached at tchalk@washingtontimes.com.
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