Matthew Stafford Explains Final Play

Read more on the final play that gave the Detroit Lions a 23-22 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium

It was not that long ago that Matthew Stafford was regularly leading his team on late fourth-quarter comeback drives.

On Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit's franchise passer was tasked with leading his team 75 yards down the field and with no timeouts left. 

Dagger time. 

Matthew Stafford & Co. were able to execute, and eventually scored the game-winning touchdown. 

With 11 seconds remaining, Detroit ran one last offensive play that saw Stafford find tight end T.J. Hockenson in the end zone to tie the football game. 

A Matt Prater 48-yard extra point sealed the victory on the road. 

“We were sending pretty much everybody into the end zone. Hock (Hockenson) did a great job working the front end line. Sometimes, I can hit that ball right out of break. as Hock goes in there. But, (No.) 45 did a nice job of kind of just squatting on the front end line. So, I had to buy a little bit of time, and then, Hock just kept working the front end line. Got lost, and I was able to shoot it to him and he made a nice catch for a touchdown," Stafford explained postgame.

Detroit's young tight end explained how Stafford extending the play with his feet provided him an opportunity to keep rolling on his route and to eventually get open for the touchdown grab.

“That play was going to be a bang-bang situation at the end. But, you know, they played a different coverage. They played Cover-3, so the middle was all packed. A lot of guys sitting there. And Staff (Stafford) just made a hell of a play, extending that play. And I just kept rolling on my route. And he found me. Worked out," Hockenson described.

The victory marked Stafford's 30th career fourth-quarter comeback and the 36th game-winning drive of his career.

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