Pats, Brady defeat Lions elite defense
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady celebrates his second touchdown pass to Timothy Wright in the first half of an NFL game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2014, in Foxborough, Mass. Credit: AP / Steven Senne
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- For the second straight week, the Detroit Lions had a chance to show that they deserve to be mentioned among the NFL elite, playing a good team on the road.
And for the second straight week, they failed miserably.
Tom Brady shredded the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense for 349 yards passing and two touchdowns and the New England Patriots dominated the Lions at Gillette Stadium, 34-9.
The Lions (7-4) failed to score a touchdown for the second straight week and have reached the end zone just once in the last 11 quarters.
Sunday, they were held to four field goal attempts and reached the red zone just twice, the second time on a 9-yard scramble by Matthew Stafford on fourth-and-10 early in the fourth quarter when he slid short of the first-down marker.
Brady, meanwhile, moved the Patriots (9-2) surgically down the field and at will in the first half, when he threw for 233 yards and had a 127.3 passer rating.
After punting on their first two possessions, New England scored on four straight drives.
Brady found Tim Wright open in the end zone for touchdown passes of 4 and 8 yards, LeGarrette Blount scored on a 3-yard run after a long Danny Amendola punt return, and Stephen Gostkowski a 35-yard field goal on the final play of the first half after the Lions twice left Rob Gronkowski open streaking down the middle of the field.
Gostkowski added a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Blount capped the scoring with a 1-yard run with 1:53 to play after C.J. Mosley was called for a personal foul on another field-goal attempt.
The Lions entered today's game allowing an NFL-best 15.6 points per game and hadn't given up more than 24 points all year.
Brady finished 38 of 53 passing for the Patriots, Edelman had 11 catches for 89 yards, and Brandon LaFell added nine catches for 98 yards.
Stafford completed just 18 of 46 passes for 264 yards for the Lions, who fell a game behind the Green Bay Packers (8-3) in the NFC North.
Joseph Fauria, Corey Fuller and Jeremy Ross dropped touchdown passes for the Lions, and Calvin Johnson (4 catches, 58 yards) and Golden Tate (4 catches, 97 yards) found little operating room for the second straight week.
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