Running back Kevin Smith singlehandedly jumpstarted the Lions' offense in a 49-35 win on Sunday.
Trailing Carolina 10-0 at the start of the second quarter, Detroit put the ball in Smith's hands on consecutive plays -- and 71 yards later the Lions were in the end zone. The scoring play, a 28-yard screen pass from Matthew Stafford, is the subject of this week's Anatomy of a Play.
On paper, it goes down as a simple screen, but this play was full of moving parts. Before the snap, Stafford sent wide receiver Stefan Logan in motion, as if the Lions were running an end-around. Stafford faked the end-around handoff and the damage was done. The Panthers bit on the play-action, freeing up Smith and a legion of blockers on the opposite side. Smith made the easy catch and simply had to follow the caravan to the end zone.
It wasn't Smith's only trip to pay dirt. He would score two more touchdowns on the ground as he put on a career performance. Re-signed by the Lions just two weeks ago, Smith had 20 touches for 201 yards and three scores. With Jahvid Best still sidelined with a concussion, the Lions needed a workhorse, and Smith's resurgence couldn't have come at a better time.
