Lions were capable of entertaining, just not contending

Remember when Darius Slay stole back the ball against Philadelphia? And Matthew Stafford rifled that touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin against Washington? Or when Matt Prater hit that 58-yarder as time expired in Minnesota? And then Golden Tate flipped into the end zone in overtime? They came back to win eight games in the fourth quarter or overtime, an NFL record. Their odds of doing that were more than 1 in 32 billion.

Detroit Lions replay: 10 observations from the 17-6 loss to the Giants

When Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay departed Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, New York receiver Odell Beckham Jr. became a wrinkle that was difficult to scheme against. ALLEN PARK — Here are 10 thoughts on the Detroit Lions’ 17-6 loss to the New York Giants after going back over the coaches’ film of the game: 1. The Lions weren’t ready to play this game at the level they’d need to to beat another playoff team in its building.