DETROIT — As the Red Wings continue to string victories together and work on ending a long playoff drought, there might be something equally important going on, within the foundation and structure of the team.

A winning culture, a culture of “team,” and confidence that everyone on the roster can contribute to the Wings winning, is being formed.

Sunday’s 3-2 overtime victory over Washington was an example.

As part of the mothers’ trip over the weekend, coach Todd McLellan and his staff were intent on playing everyone on the roster.

So despite the victory the day before, McLellan scratched forward Marco Kasper and defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker on Sunday, as Mason Appleton, who was activated earlier in the morning off the injured list, came in for Kasper, while Travis Hamonic replaced Bernard-Docker.

Goaltender Cam Talbot got the start Sunday instead of John Gibson, who had a relatively easy workload Saturday afternoon and could have easily played two games in two afternoons.

But McLellan wanted everyone to get a game in front of their mothers.

It worked. And the culture was further emboldened.

“We preach ‘team’ all the time,” McLellan said. “That’s part of our culture. Not just the players, but the training staff and everybody (in the organization). The right thing to do was to give everybody an opportunity to play in front of their moms.

“Now, did we ice our best lineup? We did, we won the game. Some could argue one way or another, but that’s what we believe in and that’s part of our culture. We had to tell Kasp, and how do you pick who comes out? Everybody played well in Washington. Dock (Docker) didn’t deserve to come out. Gibby deserved to go back in net. But we do things as a team.

“We talked to all of those guys and they were very understanding and they were rooting for the ones that went in.

“We ask players to trust us as an organization, as a staff, and we have to pay that back to them, too. We have to trust they can all play or they shouldn’t be here. When we get into this sort of a situation, we believe in everybody that is here, and we gave them a chance to play in front of their moms. I know some would say this is the NHL and you don’t do that — but sometimes you do.”

 

Making an impact

John Leonard has given the Wings a spark since being recalled from Grand Rapids, replacing the injured Patrick Kane.

Leonard’s goal Sunday was his second in two games and extended his point streak to three games (two goals, one assist in that span), marking the longest such run of his NHL career.

“Any time a player comes up, you hope he can have an impact, and especially like how he’s been playing like that in Grand Rapids,” McLellan said. “He does have some experience, he’s played in the league (NHL) before, so it’s not like a whole bunch of nerves. He can settle in and use his tool set.

“He’s been real good since he’s been up here. (Coaches) talk about playing players and not worrying about or being afraid of putting them on the ice, John is like that. In overtime, you’re putting him out there. I know he scored an important goal, but the work he did in the neutral zone, along the boards, that’s something we talked about after the first (period).

“His board work was something that kept the whole play alive and he wound up getting rewarded. We’re happy to have him right now.”

Leonard isn’t putting any sort of extra pressure onto himself.

“I try to take it day by day, practice by practice and shift by shift,” Leonard said. “Whatever happens, happens. I’m just grateful for the opportunity to be here. Whether it’s one more game or whatever the case may be, obviously I don’t know, but day by day, try to make the most of it and work as hard as I can.”

It’ll be at least one more game. McLellan said after Sunday’s victory Kane (upper-body) will not be ready before Christmas. There’s a chance, McLellan said, that Kane could return the first game back, Dec. 27 in Carolina. Kane has missed the last four games.

Ice chips

Moritz Seider’s overtime goal Sunday was his third career overtime goal, tying Danny DeKeyser and Jake Walman, and trailing only Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall in franchise history, who both had four in their career.

… Lucas Raymond has 26 points (seven goals, 19 assists) in his last 22 games after scoring a goal Sunday.

… With two assists, Andrew Copp has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) and a plus-11 rating in his last 10 games.

… Talbot is 4-0-0 this season while making 30 or more saves. Talbot had 31 in Sunday’s victory.

… The Wings lead the NHL with 53 second-period goals. They are 16-1-1 when leading after 40 minutes, and 8-1-1 when doing so on home ice.

DETROIT — A season-altering loss by the Detroit Lions ended in controversy.

The Lions appeared to score a go-ahead touchdown twice in the final 25 seconds of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers but saw both scores nullified by offensive pass interference penalties, including one on fourth down as time expired that featured a lateral to Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

Detroit’s furious comeback attempt, which twice saw them close the deficit in a two-score game, came up just short in a 29-24 loss. With 25 seconds left in the game, Goff rolled right and completed an easy touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was deemed by officials to have gotten open because of a pick run by wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

“The reporting official on that play told me that the offending player picked one of the defenders, creating an opportunity for the offensive player to make the catch,” referee Carl Cheffers said in a PFWA pool report.

Goff called the offensive pass interference penalty on TeSlaa “a bad call.”

“The one where Saint caught it and we thought it was a touchdown, that’s, in my opinion, a bad call,” Goff said. “But listen, man. [The officials] have a tough job and they make calls that go our way all the time, but that one in particular, [TeSlaa] should not hang his head about.”

Then, on fourth-and-goal from the 9 with 8 seconds left, Goff completed a pass to St. Brown, who pitched the ball to Goff right before going to the ground. Goff then leaped into the end zone for a score, but a penalty flag unceremoniously ended the party.

After several minutes of conversation, officials said that the call on the field was a touchdown, but it was nullified by a penalty for offensive pass interference. Since time had expired, the Lions did not have the opportunity to run another play, thus ending the game — and potentially, the season.

“The official who called the foul said that the receiver created separation that gave him an advantage in catching the pass. So, he called pass interference,” Cheffers said. Asked why the on-field conversation took so long, Cheffers added, “It was a pretty complex play.”

“We had the original player who had the ball, lose possession of the ball. So, we had to decide if that was a fumble or a backwards pass because of course we have restrictions on the recovery of a fumble inside of two minutes,” Cheffers said. “We ruled that it was a backward pass, so the recovering player was able to advance it and that recovering player advanced it for a touchdown. We had to rule on that and then because of the offensive pass interference, it negates the touchdown.

“Because it is an offensive foul, we do not extend the half. Therefore, there is no score and there is no replay of the down. That’s the way the rule is written.”

St. Brown, several other Lions players, and head coach Dan Campbell all said that the game came down to more than one or two plays.

“I don’t even want to get into it, because it’s not gonna change anything. We still lost,” Campbell said.

St. brown added, “The call, it is what it is. Those are the rules, can’t change them. It never comes down to one play. It’s never just because of that play. There was plenty of plays throughout that game that we could’ve made. We had calls go our way, too, throughout that last drive, so it goes both ways. We just have to execute better. We have a job to do, the refs have a job to do. We’ve just got to do better.”

Regarding the way Detroit lost, Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker said, “Ultimately, yeah, it sucks.”

“There’s no sugarcoating it,” Decker said. “We had so many opportunities earlier in the game. Games come down to two-minute drives in the league, but we put ourselves in that position. We did not play well enough, but we still had a chance to win. That’s the frustrating thing, is that we put ourselves in that position and it didn’t have to be that way.”

As St. Brown pointed out, the Lions benefitted from a fourth-down defensive pass interference call against the Steelers earlier in the drive.

“I think we had a PI on them. Jamo did, going down that drive. We got a call, they got a call. If we don’t get that PI on Jamo, that drive is over. So, some might say that,” St. Brown said. “At the end of the day, like I said, the refs have a job to do and they’re trying their best to do it. We have a job to do out there as players and go make plays. Like I said, we didn’t make enough plays today.”

Still, the shock in Detroit’s locker room was clear. Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who had two sacks, said that he’s “never seen two offensive [pass interference calls] to lose a game like that.”

“I don’t know. I’m sure there will be a discussion between the NFL (about) this game to validate or deny the calls,” Hutchinson continued. “It sucks cause there’s no changing it. I can bitch here all I want about the call, but the fact is, it’s the result.”

The Lions had several paths to the playoffs entering Sunday, but following their loss to Pittsburgh, they now have just one: Detroit needs to win its last two games at Minnesota and Chicago and have Green Bay lose its last two games against Baltimore and Minnesota.

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

 

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

 

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

 

Lions grades: Must-win game against Steelers was lost in the trenches

Lake Orion hosted the 2025 Oakland County wrestling championships on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. Oxford beat out runner-up Clarkston and third-place Rochester Adams for its third county title in the past five years.

DETROIT — Two weeks ago, the Detroit Lions controlled their own destiny to the postseason.

After a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15, they needed some help.

Now? Their playoff odds are all but dashed.

The Lions (8-7) were upset by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, a devastating result in a season that begin with Super Bowl aspirations. Technically, Detroit is still in the hunt. But it’ll need to win its next two games — at the Minnesota Vikings (Week 17) and Chicago Bears (Week 18) — and the Green Packers will have to drop their final two contests, at home versus the Baltimore Ravens (Week 17) and on the road at the Vikings (Week 18).

Numbers vary depending on the service you use, but The Athletic’s 2025 NFL Playoff Simulator gives the Lions a 6% chance to secure one of the NFC’s top seven seeds. That number rises to 24% if Detroit wins its next two outings. The Lions are mathematically eliminated from winning the division.

“I don’t know what all of this is or isn’t. I know we’ve got two left, and I just want to see us finish,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of the Lions’ diminishing odds. “I just want to finish, (play) our style of football with two to go, man. Try to play four straight quarters of good football. Clean football. Efficient football. That’s what I want to do.”

The Lions haven’t won consecutive games since Weeks 4 and 5, when they topped the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively. They were 4-1 after five weeks, but bounced back and forth between wins and losses since then before dropping their second straight on Sunday. It’s the first time in more than three years the Lions have lost two contests in a row within the same season.

In 2024, the only question about the Lions was whether they’d secure the conference’s No. 1 overall seed. In 2023, it was whether they’d win the division. This is territory the team hasn’t been in since 2022.

“We haven’t had that feeling,” quarterback Jared Goff said, when asked how it feels to be on the outside looking in and having to rely on other teams for help. “It’s creeping in on us now. We’ve got to find a way. I think it goes back to what Dan’s message was: Are we who we say we are type of thing? … Are we still going to be what we say we are and show up to work and do the whole thing on a short week?”

Asked to further explain Campbell’s message, Goff said the Lions are going to, “Find out who we are character-wise. Find out what we are made of. We know the percentages and whatnot. We know we are not eliminated, but we need some things to go our way. Find out who we are, see if we can win these last two, and see if we can get in.

“I know we will be dangerous if we can. That’s just the hard part.”

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

Lions grades: Must-win game against Steelers was lost in the trenches

DETROIT — Richard Silva grades the Detroit Lions in their 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

Quarterback

Jared Goff was clearly uncomfortable behind some shoddy protection, being pressured on more than 40% of his dropbacks. The QB didn’t throw an interception, but four times he put the ball in harm’s way, and four times he got away with it. Goff finished with 34 completions on 54 pass attempts for 364 yards and three touchdowns. He wasn’t a difference-maker, nor was he the chief problem in a loss that neutralizes almost any remaining hope for a playoff spot. Grade: C+

Running backs

The offensive line bears the brunt of the responsibility for Detroit’s poor rushing offense, but you still would’ve liked to see more from Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery; the duo combined for 16 yards on 11 carries, good for an average of 1.5 yards. Remove a 17-yard rush by Montgomery in the first quarter, and the Lions, as a team, managed minus-2 yards the rest of the way. The only noise from Gibbs came through the air, as he caught 10 passes for 66 yards, including one 13-yard gain in which he used a nifty spin move to shake linebacker Patrick Queen, and a 4-yard touchdown with about four minutes remaining to give the Lions a chance late. Grade: D

Wide receivers/tight ends

Amon-Ra St. Brown made two critical mistakes, dropping a potential explosive gain over the middle before committing offensive pass interference on the game’s final play, negating what would’ve been a miraculous touchdown off a lateral to Goff. Four plays before St. Brown’s infraction, rookie Isaac TeSlaa also committed OPI, though this one was less obvious. Jameson Williams (70 yards) did solid work to lead the Lions, and TeSlaa scored his fifth career touchdown, hauling in a catch between two defenders. Kalif Raymond got into the end zone, as well. Tight ends Anthony Firkser (40 yards) and Shane Zylstra (20) had mild contributions, but it was better than what the Lions were getting from the position previously. Grade: B-

Offensive line

Graham Glasgow’s absence was most felt on Detroit’s first possession of the second half, when Michael Niese, filling in for a briefly injured Kingsley Eguakun, sent a low snap to Goff, who was then sacked for a safety by Kyle Dugger. Goff was sacked three times, and Christian Mahogany, in his first game back from a broken bone in his left leg, appeared responsible for two of them. More troubling for the offensive line was its inability to block for Gibbs and Montgomery; through their first three drives, the Lions had only one successful rush. Unblocked defenders on the backside of the play were a consistent problem. Grade: F

Defensive line

Aidan Hutchinson had a multi-sack performance for the first time since Week 4, but the Lions were gashed on the ground by Pittsburgh’s rushing attack, allowing running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell to combine for 193 yards on 23 tries. Two 45-yard scores were the result of poor pursuit lanes at the second and third level of the defense, but Detroit’s front (mainly on the edge) could do little to slow the Steelers. Grade: F

Linebackers

On Pittsburgh’s first 45-yard rushing touchdown (both were by Warren), Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes were cleared out of the way, and Jack Campbell, despite his best efforts to avoid his block, couldn’t get an angle on the running back. Anzalone was in coverage against Kenneth Gainwell on a play right before halftime that resulted in an improbable touchdown; Gainwell fought through defensive pass interference to score with two seconds remaining in the second quarter, tying the game at 10. Campbell recovered a fumble and was credited with at least four stops, according to live tracking data from Pro Football Focus, as well as two pass deflections. Grade: F

Secondary

Credit to Thomas Harper for forcing a fumble on enormous tight end Darnell Washington, but he struggled as a run defender, missing a tackle and appearing to crash down too hard on at least one of Warren’s touchdowns. The Lions weren’t devastated with explosive passing plays like they have been in recent weeks (apart from D.K. Metcalf beating Rock Ya-Sin for 20 yards on first-and-long), but Rodgers dinked and dunked the Steelers down the field, and he was efficient when it mattered most. The Steelers went 8-for-16 on third down, and each of those conversions came via a pass. That’s despite Pittsburgh’s average distance on those third downs being more than 7.3 yards. The secondary simply didn’t hold up on money downs. Grade: D

Special teams

The Lions were relatively unimpressive in the return game, starting three drives inside their own 30-yard line following a kickoff return, including one possession that began at the 14-yard line. The Steelers weren’t prolific in their returns, either, so it balanced out. Raymond had one solid punt return (13 yards) and kicker Jake Bates made his only field goal, knocking through an attempt from 36 yards out. Grade: C+

Coaching

Dan Campbell won a challenge in the third quarter, overturning Harper’s forced fumble that was initially ruled down by contact. The playcalling on offense felt less than ideal and at times predictable (a couple screens on third long stick out), but much of that had to do with Detroit’s struggles along the offensive line. As left tackle Taylor Decker said: “It gets to the point where, if you’re not getting positive yards on first or second down, what do you want the coordinator to do? What do you want Dan to do, as far as calling plays?” Defensively, coordinator Kelvin Sheppard pushed back this week on the idea that his unit was beaten soundly on the ground in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15. There’s absolutely no doubting it this time around. The Steelers averaged 8.5 yards on 27 rushes. Grade: F

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

 

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

 

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

Can the Lions still make the playoffs after loss to Steelers?

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions’ season isn’t all the way dead just yet.

But following a 29-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field on Sunday, the Lions’ only remaining path to the playoffs is a massive long shot: Detroit (8-7) would have to win its last two games against the Vikings and Bears, and Green Bay needs to lose its final two games against the Ravens and Vikings.

The Lions’ offense was an unmitigated disaster in the biggest game of the season, and the Lions’ defense couldn’t get a stop when the team needed it most. Detroit was gashed on the ground for 8.5 yards per carry and gave up three touchdowns of exactly 45 yards, including two 45-yard runs by Steelers running back Jaylen Warren.

The Steelers (9-6) tried to let the Lions back in it, as kicker Chris Boswell missed a 37-yard field goal in a 29-24 game to give Detroit the ball with 2:05 remaining.

Detroit marched down the field and reached the 1-yard line on a completion to Isaac TeSlaa, but multiple penalties backed Detroit up to first-and-goal from the 16.

On fourth-and-goal from the 9, with the season on the line, St. Brown caught a pass and lateraled it to Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who leaped into the end zone with no time on the clock. The pass interference call nullified the touchdown and ended the game.

Detroit’s old bogeyman, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, looked nothing like his former self, but he made every play that was required to win the game. That’s certainly more than can be said for Goff, who never looked comfortable playing behind first-time starting center Kingsley Eguakun and returning left guard Christian Mahogany.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs was held to 2 yards on seven carries and David Montgomery had 14 yards on four carries. The passing game wasn’t much better; Goff was sacked three times and had little time to throw, even when he managed to stay upright, with most of his 364 passing yards coming in the game’s final quarter.

Making matters even uglier was the fact that Pittsburgh was without two of its top sack-getters, T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig.

Excluding a one-play drive to end the first half, four of the Lions’ possessions ended in a three-and-out, including their first two drives of the second half. Detroit’s offense held the ball for just 51 seconds during a tumultuous third quarter.

The Lions fell behind two scores, 22-10, on Warren’s first 45-yard touchdown run with 12:23 left in the game. Detroit responded with a 27-yard touchdown by Kalif Raymond that brought the game to within a score, but a few moments later, the Steelers put together a drive that was emblematic of the collapse by Kelvin Sheppard’s defense down the stretch.

After an illegal block pushed the Steelers to first-and-20 to start Detroit’s most important defensive series of the season, Rodgers immediately hit a 20-yard completion to DK Metcalf. One play after that, Warren ran wild again for a 45-yard score.

Detroit again got within a score, using a 4-yard receiving touchdown by Gibbs to make it 29-24 with 4:11 remaining. But on the very first play of Pittsburgh’s next possession, they picked up two first downs in as many plays, including a 20-yard end-around to tight end Jonnu Smith on the first play of the series.

After the Lions went three-and-out on their opening possession, Pittsburgh took the game’s first lead with 9:21 left in the first quarter as Boswell nailed a 59-yard field-goal attempt to put the Steelers up 3-0.

Detroit nearly took a lead with 2:07 left in the first quarter. The Lions gambled on fourth-and-goal from the 3, but Goff’s throw to St. Brown was broken up at the goal line, resulting in a turnover on downs.

The Lions got on the board and tied the game with 10:10 remaining in the second quarter. A promising drive was derailed by atrocious run blocking, as Alex Highsmith picked up his second tackle-for-loss when stopping Montgomery in Steelers territory. Detroit couldn’t recover and settled for a 36-yard field goal from Jake Bates to make it 3-3.

After both offenses were stuck in the mud for much of the first half, both teams scored their first touchdown in the final 1:55 of the second quarter.

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

Isaac TeSlaa made a sensational effort to hang on to a pass through contact for his fifth touchdown of the season, a 20-yarder that put Detroit up 10-3.

But the Steelers answered right back on a drive in which they converted third downs of 10, 11 and 10 yards before Kenneth Gainwell made a miraculous catch while falling down to tie the game with 0:02 left in the second quarter. Gainwell, with Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone draped all over him, made the catch while laying on his side, got up, and ran the ball into the end zone for the score.

The Lions’ defense had a momentum-swinging play to begin the second half as Anzalone and safety Thomas Harper stripped Steelers tight end Darnell Washington at the 4-yard line. Washington was initially ruled down on the play, but after Lions coach Dan Campbell challenged the call, officials deemed that the ball came out and was clearly recovered by Lions linebacker Jack Campbell.

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

Only three plays later, however, Michael Niese — in for Eguakun — delivered a low snap to Goff, who Steelers safety Kyle Dugger immediately sacked for a safety that yielded the Steelers a 12-10 lead with 9:42 remaining in the third quarter.

On the ensuing possession, the Steelers traveled 64 yards in 17 plays while bleeding 9:44 off the clock, adding a 23-yard field goal from Boswell to go up 15-10 with 14:58 left in the game. The Lions held the ball for just 51 seconds during the third quarter.

Warren bought some insurance for the Steelers with a 45-yard rushing touchdown to go up by two scores with 12:23 left in the game, which came in handy when the Lions converted on fourth-and-2 with a 27-yard passing touchdown to Raymond that made it 22-17 with 8:39 left in the game.

The Detroit Lions faced an old foe at Ford Field in a must-win Week 16 NFL contest.

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers made many weekends miserable for supporters, back when he ruled the NFC North playing for the Green Bay Packers.

Now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rodgers does not have the same caliber of weapons, but has led the AFC North squad to eight victories, prior to another crucial matchup against the Lions.

“I think, look, there’s a lot of short passing, ball out type of throws,” Dan Campbell said in a pregame interview with Dan Miller. “He’s been really efficient that way. But I know this, he’s finding the open receivers, he’s progressing fast and he’s not taking any hits, I can tell you that.”

Detroit has been essentially forced into playoff mode right now, as Campbell’s squad is still on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff race.

The offense and defense did not have anywhere close to their best performances in a critical game for Detroit’s playoff hopes.

After 60 minutes of hard-fought action, the Lions could not overcome a poor run defense and a third-quarter that was dominated by the Steelers, even though there were exciting, heart-pounding moments.

Detroit was called for a late pass-interference, on the brink of a game-winning touchdown.

Here are several takeaways from the Lions’ 29-24 loss:

 

Lions veteran tight end sparks offense, but no points scored in first quarter

Detroit went three-and-out on its first offensive drive, after the Steelers won the opening coin toss and elected to defer.

Pittsburgh got on the board first on its first offensive possession. Aidan Hutchinson derailed the drive when he was able to sack Rodgers for a nine-yard loss. Kicker Chris Boswell connected on a 59-yard field goal to give the Steelers an early 3-0 lead.

On Detroit’s next offensive possession, tight end Anthony Firkser, who has had multiple stints in Motown, was targeted often. Jared Goff was able to connect with the 30-year-old on three tosses for 34 yards.

Near the goal line, Campbell again elected not to kick the field goal, opting to go for it on fourth down.

Unfortunately, Detroit was not able to convert on a fourth-and-goal play-action call, as cornerback Joey Porter Jr. broke up the pass play intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Lions’ run game struggles early

Detroit, like many NFL teams, want to establish the run on a weekly basis.

Coming into the game, Campbell’s squad was 8-1 when recording at least 100 yards on the ground. Early in the game, Detroit struggled to establish the run.

On multiple occasions, Steelers’ defenders found their way into the backfield to disrupt run plays.

Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer and Alex Highsmith were able to disrupt Detroit’s rushing attack, making life difficult for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

Detroit tied the game on their third offensive possession. Jake Bates connected on a 36-yard field-goal to cap off an eight-play, 44-yard drive.

Goff went 10-of-14 for 104 yards through the middle of the second quarter and three possessions. Jameson Williams was able to record a couple of receptions early in the second quarter.

Tempo aids Lions’ offense to get into gear

Late in the second quarter, Detroit’s offense got into rhythm by boosting the tempo. On Detroit’s fifth offensive possession, Goff found Isaac TesLaa, Gibbs and Williams to move the football down the field.

Detroit was finally able to get into the end zone just after the two-minute warning, as the veteran signal-caller connected with TeSlaa on a 20-yard touchdown reception.

The scoring drive spanned six-plays and 62 yards and took just over two mins to take a 10-3 lead.

Pittsburgh had one final possession prior to the end of the first half.

Steelers tie game on fluky play

For most of the first-half, defense dominated the day. Both teams struggled to put together consistent drives, with the score being knotted at three points with two minutes to play in the second quarter.

Aidan Hutchinson was his usual dominant self, recording two sacks in the first half. However, the touchdown drive by the Lions ignited an offensive spark late in the second quarter.

Detroit appeared to have the Steelers bottled up, but Rodgers kept the drive alive with a 13-yard completion to Adam Thielen to convert a third-and-10. Two plays later, the Steelers scored a touchdown on what was a nearly indescribable and improbable play connection between Rodgers and Kenneth Gainwell.

Rodgers appeared to underthrow Gainwell, and the running back somehow found a way to corral the pass while going to the ground. He was not touched down by contact after controlling the pass, and as a result raced into the end zone.

Thomas Harper halts Steelers’ momentum to start second half

Detroit’s defense struggled coming out of halftime, allowing the Steelers to both run and pass the football effectively.

Thielan, Metcalf and Jaylen Warrren were all instrumental in assisting the Steelers move the football.

Rodgers led the team deep into Detroit territory when safety Thomas Harper made a momentum-changing play.

Harper knocked the football loose from Washington’s possession and the football was recovered by linebacker Jack Campbell.

After Detroit challenged, the officials ruled the football was knocked loose prior to Washington hitting the turf.

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

Steelers sack Goff for a rare safety, eat up clock in third quarter

Unfortunately for Detroit, their next drive after the fumble recovery started on their own 3-yard line.

Goff tossed the ball out of bounds, which was then followed by short toss to Gibbs. On 3rd-and-8 from their own five-yard line, the 31-year-old was sacked in his own end zone by Steelers safety Kyle Dugger.

After the safety, the Steelers took a 12-10 lead and marched down the field on the ensuing possession.

In the third-quarter, Detroit only ran three offensive plays, as the Steelers ate up the clock on a drive that lasted 17-plays and ate up nearly 10 minutes.

Detroit trailed 15-10 when they next had an opportunity on offense early in the fourth-quarter.

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

Lions’ defense was a disaster in second half

After Warren extended the Steelers’ lead to 22-10 on a 45-yard touchdown scamper, Detroit was able to respond with a solid offensive drive of its own.

Goff spread the football evenly and was even able to successfully convert a critical fourth down.

Veteran Kalif Raymond was targeted often, including on a 4th-and-2 call, trailing by 12.

Raymond was targeted and scampered 27 yards after the reception to trim the Steelers’ lead to five, 22-17.

Unfortunately, Detroit’s defense, needing a stop when trailing by five, gave up another 45-yard touchdown scamper to Warren.

Gibbs found the end zone in the fourth quarter to trim the Steelers lead to 29-24, giving the defense one more opportunity to make a stop.

The Steelers missed a 37-yard field goal that would have made it 32-24.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

Continuing to cling to playoff hopes by their fingertips, the Lions knew they needed to win out to cash in on any of those hopes. Instead, they were run over by the visiting Steelers in Sunday’s game, losing 29-24 when they couldn’t cash in on a scoring opportunity in the waning seconds.

Takeaways from disastrous defensive effort that sinks Lions in 29-24 loss to Steelers

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Freshman Trey McKenney led a balanced attack with 17 points and No. 2 Michigan overwhelmed La Salle 102-50 on Sunday.

The Wolverines also had four other players in double figures as they reached the 100-point mark for the sixth time this season and the fifth time in the last six games.

Aday Mara had 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and Elliot Cadeau also scored 14 points. L.J. Cason contributed 13 points and Morez Johnson Jr. chipped in 10 as a dozen Wolverines scored.

Yaxel Lendeborg added eight points with six rebounds and a team-high five assists for the Wolverines (11-0), who are off to their best start since the 2020-21 season.

Jaeden Marshall led the Explorers (4-9) with 15 points. Josiah Harris added eight points for La Salle, which shot 28% from the field.

Cadeau had 13 points as the Wolverines led 54-33 at halftime.

La Salle took its last lead at 10-9 on an Edwin Daniel layup. Michigan then took command with a 22-2 run fueled by its defense. All but five of those points came off Explorers turnovers. McKenney had a pair of 3-pointers during that span and Lendeborg capped it with a layup after a Johnson Jr. steal and assist.

Michigan maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way as La Salle never crept closer than 12 points.

There has been just one previous meeting between Michigan and La Salle, which occurred at the 1975 Las Vegas Holiday Classic. The Wolverines secured an 86-71 victory.

Up next

La Salle: Hosts George Mason on Wednesday, Dec. 31

Michigan: Hosts McNeese State on Monday, Dec. 29.

CHEROKEE, N.C. (AP) — Emma Shumate scored 22 points, leading seven in double figures, and No. 24 Michigan State routed Indiana State 115-66 on Sunday at the Cherokee Invitational.

Shumate matched her career high in points and made a career-high seven 3-pointers. Kennedy Blair had 11 points and 10 rebounds. She came up a little shy of a triple-double, dishing out seven assists.

Isaline Alexander scored 15 points, Sara Sambolic 14, Jalyn Brown 13, Grace VanSlooten 12 and Rashunda Jones 10 for Michigan State (10-1).

Jayci Allen scored 13 and Kennedy Claybrooks 10 for the Sycamores (4-6).

VanSlooten scored all of her 12 points in the first quarter, all of them in a row as the Spartans turned a 3-2 lead into a 15-6 advantage. Michigan State scored the last nine points of the quarter and led 34-15 heading to the second. They were outscored 28-25 in the second quarter but led 59-43 at the half.

The Spartans scored the first 11 points of the third quarter on the way to a 28-11 advantage for the period. Six 3-pointers, four of them by Shumate, highlighted the fourth quarter.

Michigan State is 5-0 all-time against Indiana State.

Up next

On Monday’s day two of the event, Michigan State will play the winner of Sunday’s later game between Mississippi and Old Dominion. Indiana State draws the loser.

DETROIT (AP) — Moritz Seider scored at 4:36 of overtime and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Sunday to sweep a home-and-home series.

Detroit won 5-2 in Washington on Saturday. The Red Wings have won seven of their last nine.

After the Capitals killed a penalty early in overtime, Seider ripped a slap shot past Charlie Lindgren late in the extra session.

John Leonard and Lucas Raymond also scored for the Red Wings, and Cam Talbot made 31 saves.

Ethen Frank scored twice for Washington, and Charlie Lindgren stopped 24 shots. The Capitals lost for the fifth time in six games.

Frank opened the scoring with 5:43 left in the first, beating defenseman Albert Johansson down the right wing, then cutting inside to slide the puck through Talbot’s legs.

Detroit tied it at 8:37 of the second on Raymond’s power-play goal. The Red Wings took a 2-1 lead with 6:14 left in the period when Alex DeBrincat flipped the puck at the net, and it deflected off Leonard’s leg and past Lindgren. DeBrincat had an assist for his 550th NHL point.

Frank tied it at 9:38 of the third, scoring his 10th NHL goal with a shot through traffic.

Detroit’s Elmer Soderblom left late in the first period after being hit in the face by Washington defenseman Jakob Chychrun’s pass. Soderblom was bleeding heavily when assisted off the ice by Detroit trainers, but returned midway through the second period with a full shield.

Up next

Capitals: Host the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.

Red Wings: Host Dallas on Tuesday night.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Olivia Olson had 23 points and No. 6 Michigan rolled past Oakland 97-54 on Sunday.

Syla Swords had 18 points and Brooke Quarles Daniels scored 11. Te’Yala Delfosse and Ashley Sofilkanich had 10 points apiece. Mila Holloway had seven assists to surpass 200 for her career. The Wolverines (10-1) reached the 90-point mark for the sixth time this season.

Michigan scored 29 points off 27 Golden Grizzlies turnovers. Wolverines opponents are averaging 25.8 turnovers per game. The Wolverines also converted 21 offensive rebounds into 31 points and their reserves outscored Oakland’s bench 26-0.

Lianna Baxter led the Golden Grizzlies (3-9), who have lost five straight, with 14 points. Angie Smith had 13 points and eight rebounds and Makenzie Luehring also scored 13.

Olson and Swords combined for 25 first-half points as Michigan built a 54-27 halftime lead.

The Golden Grizzlies committed turnovers on their first three possessions. The Wolverines forced 15 turnovers before the break, converting them into 17 points. They also scored 18 points off 11 offensive rebounds.

Michigan has won nine straight against Oakland.

Up next

Oakland: Visits Robert Morris on Dec. 29.

Michigan: Visits Oregon on Dec. 29.

The post Detroit Evening Report: Executive order could bring big savings for Michigan cannabis businesses appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Anthony Davis added 15 points and the Dallas Mavericks recovered to beat the Detroit Pistons 116-114 in overtime Thursday night after blowing an 18-point third-quarter lead.

Flagg, who will turn 19 on Sunday, is averaging 25.4 points over his last eight games. The Mavericks (11-18) have won six of their last eight.

Cade Cunningham had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his third triple-double this season for the East-leading Pistons (21-6), who have gone 6-4 following a 15-2 start. Jalen Duren had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Davis’ alley-oop from Flagg put Dallas ahead 114-112 with 3:10 left in overtime. After Cunningham’s bank shot tied it with 1:49 remaining, Davis’ dunk with 1:32 accounted for the final points.

Cunningham’s floater with seven seconds left missed, leaving him 2 for 7 in overtime. Duren grabbed the rebound, missed a shot beneath the basket, and Davis grabbed the rebound with 0.9 seconds left.

The Pistons played without two starters much of the night. Ausar Thompson was ejected late in the first half after disputing a foul and making contact with official John Goble, and Duncan Robinson left after injuring a knee early in the third period.

Cunningham received a technical foul in the final minute of the first half, and Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff got one as thee were leaving the court at halftime.

Davis, who missed Dallas’ previous game with a left calf contusion, shot 7 for 18 from the floor after missing his first eight shots.

Detroit outscored Dallas 30-15 on second-chance points with 25 offensive rebounds. But the Pistons shot a season-worst 18.2% on 3-pointers (6 for 33).

Before the game, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said there’s still no schedule for the return of nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving following ACL surgery last March. “In another month, we’ll give you an update,” Kidd said.

Up next

Pistons: Host Charlotte on Saturday.

Mavericks: Visit Philadelphia on Saturday.

Senior Da’ron Mason’s huge outing helped lead Bloomfield Hills to a 75-49 win Thursday evening over Berkley.

The Wayne State commit dropped 33 points and Ryan Hunt added 21 to help the Black Hawks improve to 5-0 on the season.

The Bears fall to 1-4 on the season with the road defeat.

More boys basketball

LAKELAND 49, OXFORD 40 >> Junior Chase Carson scored a team-high 14 points and Austin Porcasi added 13 Thursday as the Eagles improved to 4-1 on Senior Night.

MADISON HEIGHTS LAMPHERE 45, BIRMINGHAM SEAHOLM 40 >> Jack Robinson had 11 points, as did Gavin Abbott, who hit the go-ahead 3-pointer that helped the Rams win their fourth in a row and improve to 5-2 on Thursday. The Maples (2-4) have nine days off before their next game at the North Farmington Holiday Extravaganza.

TROY 51, FRASER 31 >> Hayden Oriol scored 15 of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter of the Colts’ victory on Thursday. Will De Armit added seven points in the Colts’ win, which gives them a 5-1 record on the year.

Girls basketball

ROCHESTER 49, TROY 25 >> Rochester knocked down seven triples in the first half, including four by Kelly Cook, and the Falcons moved to 3-1 at home Thursday. Stella Marlow added 10 for Rochester, while Olivia Jasniewicz scored a team-high 13 for the Colts (3-1).

Photo gallery of Rochester vs. Troy in an OAA girls hoops crossover

MILFORD 44, LAKE FENTON 32 >> Ashlyn Lutz had three 3-pointers as part of a 30-point night and teammate Cara VanGoethem added six in a Lady Mavs (3-1) home win Thursday.

LAKELAND 50, OXFORD 43 >> Aubrin Miller poured in 28 points and Peyton Baer scored 13 to lead the Eagles (3-2) past the Wildcats (2-2) for a senior night win on Thursday.

ROCHESTER ADAMS 46, ROYAL OAK 29 >> The Highlanders improved to 2-1, while the Ravens, led by 11 points from Allie Hills and four blocks by Lydia Dickens, fell to 1-3 after Thursday's OAA crossover contest.

TROY ATHENS 43, BIRMINGHAM SEAHOLM 26 >> The Red Hawks bounced back from their first loss of the year to Lake Orion by beating the Maples at home on Thursday and improving to 3-1.

BERKLEY 48, WARREN COUSINO 33 >> Freshman forward Niqco Shoulders led with 14 points as the Bears (1-3) collected their first victory on Wednesday.

BRANDON 58, BURTON BENDLE 22 >> Junior Ella Rizzo filled the stat sheet with 21 points, six steals and rebounds each, and a handful of assists in Thursday's win. Sophomore forwarded Maddie Heverly added eight points and 10 boards and Elin Austin swiped it consistently for six steals in the home victory by the Blackhawks (2-2).

WALLED LAKE CENTRAL 49, OAK PARK 37 >> Sophomore Eleanor Heitsch finished with a game-best 17 points as the Vikings (1-3) got their first victory on the season Wednesday night. Naveah Butler, also a sophomore, scored 14 in the Knights' (1-1) road defeat.

Hockey

ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY'S 9, GROSSE POINTE SOUTH 1 >> Emmett Pilch opened up the scoring, then Thaddeus Raynish's team-leading 14th and 15th goals were among the others for the Eaglets (8-2), who beat the Blue Devils at home on Thursday.

ROCHESTER UNITED 5, PORT HURON NORTHERN 2 >> A first-period goal by Connor Cichocki (14th of the season) and a shorthanded one by Ethan Haselhuhn ensured United (10-2) never trailed Thursday night at McMorran Arena.

RIVERVIEW GABRIEL RICHARD 8, BROTHER RICE 1 >> Logan Jardine assisted Alex Slapak for the lone goal by the Warriors (3-6) on Thursday.

NOVI 2, LIVONIA 1 >> The Wildcats outshot the Red Stallions 43-11 as Cori Hastoy and Lucas O'Brien each hit for goals in Novi's second win of the season on Wednesday.

WALLED LAKE UNITED 3, LAKES UNITED 1 >> Gavin Grondin gave Lakes (4-5) an early lead, but Brady Martel, Cooper Auten and Brady Frelich all scored in the third to seal the comeback for Walled Lake (5-4) on Wednesday evening.

DEXTER 3, DETROIT COUNTRY DAY 2 >> The Dreadnaughts handed the Yellowjackets (9-1) their first loss of the season on Wednesday in spite of goals by Michael Curis and Henry Hannibal.

TROY UNITED 11, FARMINGTON UNITED 1 >> Following a scoreless opening period on Wednesday, Farmington (4-8) got a goal from Ethan Apostolovski, then Troy (11-2) scored three in the second period to take the lead for good.

The Rochester Falcons defeated the Troy Colts 49-25 in the OAA Red/Blue crossover game played on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 in Rochester Hills.

ALLEN PARK – It was a big Catholic League boys hoops affair on Thursday night when Cabrini welcomed in Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes for the first of two much-anticipated matchups this season.

Lakes came in having alternated wins and losses through each of their first five contests, amounting to a 2-3 start to the campaign while looking to rebound from a loss vs Bloomfield Hills Roeper their last time out.

Cabrini meanwhile is enjoying one of their better starts to a season in program history, having won their first six games by an average of just over 15 points.

It was a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle between the co-champions of the Intersectional 2 Division a year ago. The first contest of this winter’s season series ended with the host Monarchs coming out on top, 59-50, thanks to a late rallying effort.

“Well, the first half was a ton of turnovers, poor shot selections, and we just couldn’t hit free throws,” Cabrini head coach Joseph Osmulski said after the win. “In the second half, I think we only had like five turnovers at the most. Made our shots, made our free throws, played great defense.

“Everything we put in at halftime, they executed to pull this one out.”

The sentiments from Osmulski proved to be valid after his Cabrini team found themselves trailing going into halftime and needed a huge second half to remain perfect on the season.

“I just kind of told them, ‘you know, we’re 6-0, and if you want to be 7-0 and you want to hit our goals, tonight’s a good night to do it,’” Osmulski explained. “Credit to them, they came out and took the challenge.
So that was a good thing.”

It was Lakes who came out hot early on Thursday, jumping out to a 6-0 lead that spanned over four minutes in the first quarter. Cabrini eventually caught fire themselves, ending the opening stanza with an 11-5 stretch to knot the game up at 11 all after one.

The second quarter was all Lakers, who put together their best stretch of the night with 17 points in the frame. If not for an Evan Bergdoll three-pointer at the buzzer, it would have been a near double-digit lead for the visitors, who instead settled for a 28-22 lead going into the intermission.

Coming out of the half, it was a fever dream of runs with both teams trading blow after blow.

The Bergdoll triple before halftime kick-started what was 11 unanswered for Cabrini to take a two-point lead, only for WOLL to respond with a 9-0 stretch of their own.

The Monarchs, though, countered back again with an 11-0 spurt, capping off what was a 19-point third quarter and taking a 41-37 lead into the final frame.

In the fourth, the hosts held tight to their lead, not letting their conference rivals get back in the game while extending the margin in the process en route to a seventh straight win to open the campaign.

“We played hard,” Lakes head coach  Michael Miller said. “We missed some shots late, and got a few bad breaks going the wrong way, and the game turned from one or two points to seven or eight pretty quick.

“So tough to come back from that.”

In a victorious effort, leading the way for Cabrini was senior Lander Emerick with 17 points. His fellow classmate Bergdoll finished with 14 points, while junior Noah Roman joined each of them in double figures with 11 points. That trio of Monarchs combined to sink six of the team’s eight made threes on the night.

For WOLL, senior Jack Miller and junior Lukas Tedder combined for 43 of the team’s 50 points in the loss. The former led all scorers in the contest with 23 points.

UP NEXT

Cabrini (7-0, 2-0 CHSL-Intersectional 2) will get a long break before they play host to Detroit Universal Academy on Jan 5.

It is a much-needed break for the Monarchs, says Osmulski.

“Well, first off, most of our team’s football guys,” Osmulski said. “So we need to get a nice break after the run they had. But we just got to keep the mojo going.

This is the first time the school’s ever been 7-0,” Osmulski continued. “And the boys want to win, so we just got to keep it going.”

For Lakes (2-4, 1-1 CHSL-Intersectional 2), they are going to look at bouncing back after a long break as well when they go on the road to face Clawson on Jan. 6.

For coach Miller and the Lakers, it is about finding their consistency.

“We’ve had some scratches all year long,” Miller said. “We’ve had some few good minutes here, a few good minutes there, and then we have lows where we don’t play as well. I thought today we played much better for a full game, so I think that’s going to serve as well moving forward.”

Photo gallery of Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes vs Allen Park Cabrini in a CHSL boys hoops matchup

The regular season co-champions of the Catholic League’s Intersectional 2 Division from a year ago held their first of two scheduled matchups this season Thursday night when Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes trekked down to Allen Park Cabrini.

Lakes came in having traded wins and losses through each of their first five contests, amounting to a 2-3 start to the campaign and hoping to rebound from a loss vs Bloomfield Hills Roeper their last time out.

Cabrini meanwhile is enjoying one of their better starts to a season in program history, having won their first six games by an average of just over 15 points.

A strong second half ultimately helped the hometown Monarchs rally back and remain undefeated with a 59-50 victory over the visiting Lakers.

Photo gallery is courtesy of Cory Linsner.

CHICAGO (AP) — Alex DeBrincat scored twice and had an assist, John Gibson earned his second shutout in three starts, and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 on Saturday night.

Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist and Emmitt Finnie also scored for the Red Wings, who have won four of five.

Chicago dropped its fourth game in five.

The Red Wings had the run of the ice from the start, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first 4:35. DeBrincat opened the scoring from the right slot at 55 seconds, then set up Kane for his 498th career goal, a backhand from the right crease past goaltender Arvid Soderblom, less than four minutes later.

Finnie made it 3-0 on a slot rebound at 14:23 of the second, caroming in a saved shot of Lucas Raymond. DeBrincat added an empty-net goal with 3:46 remaining.

Gibson made 26 saves in his 26th career shutout. His best save was against Frank Nazar, without a goal for more than a month, to start the third period. The Blackhawks have been shut out three times in their last 11 games.

Soderblom stopped 20 shots and picked up his sixth loss in 10 starts.

Chicago star forward Connor Bedard missed the game because of the right shoulder injury in the last second of Friday’s game at St. Louis. No diagnosis has been revealed, but he isn’t expected to travel on the team’s road trip to Canada next week.

Rookie Nick Lardis, called up from Rockford of the American Hockey League and placed on the third line, had a couple of offensive chances in his first NHL game.

Up next

Red Wings: Host the New York Islanders on Tuesday.

Blackhawks: At Toronto on Tuesday.

— By TIM CRONIN, Associated Press