No. 1 pick QB Matthew Stafford experiences it all in Lions’ win vs. Falcons in his pro debut

Lions’ Stafford wins pro debut against Falcons

DETROIT — Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown, an interception and had some passes dropped in his debut with the Detroit Lions.

Jason Hanson’s 47-yard field goal as time expired lifted Detroit to a 27-26 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason opener for both teams.

Stafford, the No. 1 pick of the NFL’s first 0-16 team, completed half of his 14 passes for 114 yards, with a 25-yard TD to fellow rookie Derrick Williams and an interception that Tony Gilbert returned for a score. Keary Colbert dropped Stafford’s first pass and two more.

Daunte Culpepper started and completed 5 of 6 passes for 41 yards for Detroit.

Atlanta’s Michael Turner ran for a 40-yard TD and Matt Ryan was 5-of-7 for 33 yards.

The Lions scratched 16 players, including six projected starters and two of the team’s top three picks, from the lineup with injuries.

Atlanta, meanwhile, didn’t have to replace any of its first-string players.

Culpepper and Stafford didn’t have any of their top three receivers, including Calvin Johnson, and were without first-round tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

That created opportunities for other targets and Colbert failed to take advantage.

Stafford perfectly executed a play-action pass on his first snap as a pro, but Colbert didn’t catch the ball. Stafford’s first chance to convert a third down was ruined by another Colbert drop on the next drive.

Jim Schwartz, heading into his first game as a head coach at any level, said he planned to start Stafford in the second exhibition game but told reporters not to read into anything regarding the QB competition.

In Atlanta, Ryan is clearly the man under center after being drafted No. 3 overall, starting every game last season, becoming Offensive Rookie of the Year, and leading the team to the playoffs.

Turner, who also had a lot to do with the Falcons’ surprising season, had 63 yards rushing on six carries. He ran into a huge hole and through a couple defenders en route to the 40-yard TD that put Atlanta ahead 7-3.

The Falcons added 10-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez and veteran linebacker Mike Peterson and both looked good in limited chances. Gonzalez caught a pass to convert a third down on the opening drive and Peterson had a team-high three tackles in the first quarter.

The Lions took an early lead on Hanson’s field goal midway through the first quarter. Sixth-round pick Aaron Brown gave the Lions a chance to go ahead again with a 32-yard run for a score in the third period and a 45-yard TD reception with 2:05 left.

The Lions got the ball back with no timeouts at their 27 with 1:36 remainder and third-string quarterback Drew Stanton ran for 18 yards to set up Hanson’s winning kick.