Special Teams made all the difference yesterday in Detroit, as neither the Lions nor the Buffalo Bills were particularly stunning on offense. Kicker Dan Carpenter won the game for the Bills, making three out of four field goals, including the 58-yard beauty that sealed the deal. The game also marked ex-Cowboys QB Kyle Orton's debut under center for Buffalo, as he led his team to a 17-14 victory over the Lions.
If Special Teams won the game for Buffalo, then the kicker from Detroit lost the game for the Lions. Alex Henery went 0 for 3 Sunday, including a crucial 50-yard attempt that would have put Detroit up 17-14 instead of the other way around (via USA Today):
"Carpenter's kick, which cleared the crossbar with four seconds left, came 22 seconds after Detroit kicker Alex Henery missed a 50-yarder that would have given the Lions the lead, his third failure of the day."
Of course, Henery had a lot thrust on his shoulders (via Dead Spin):
"It wasn't all Henery's fault. Matthew Stafford wasn't anything special today, and the offense got worse after Calvin Johnson left the game with an ankle injury."
Detroit seems to have a lot of trouble with depth on offense. When Calvin Johnson goes down, the whole scheme oftentimes shuts down. They will have to learn to rely more on Golden Tate and Reggie Bush in the future.
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