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Giants 23, Lions 20

dana gauruder, the sports xchange

DETROIT -- Josh Brown kicked a 45-yard field goal in overtime, and the New York Giants handed the reeling Detroit Lions their third consecutive loss, 23-20 on Sunday at Ford Field.

New York forced overtime when safety Will Hill intercepted a deflected pass from Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown with less than five minutes left in regulation.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning completed 23 of 42 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown. He didn't have his favorite target, wide receiver Victor Cruz, who underwent knee surgery earlier in the week.

New York wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan made his first career touchdown reception, a 20-yarder, late in the first half. He finished with six catches for 80 yards.

Detroit running back Joique Bell gained 91 yards on 20 carries and scored a touchdown. He also caught 10 passes for 63 yards. Stafford completed 25 of 42 passes for 222 yards but was intercepted twice and did not throw for a touchdown. Over the past five weeks, Stafford was intercepted 11 times and fumbled twice.

The Lions (7-8) blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fifth time in their past six losses. They fell 18-16 to the Ravens on Monday night when Baltimore's Justin Tucker kicked a decisive 61-yard field goal.

Defensive end Nick Fairley led the Lions' defense with a sack for a safety and a forced fumble.

The teams combined for five turnovers, which was no surprise. The Giants (6-9) lead the NFL with 41 turnovers, while the Lions are second on the list with 34 giveaways.

Michael Cox's 56-yard return of the overtime kickoff gave the Giants excellent field position, but Fairley forced a fumble from running back Andre Brown that defensive end Willie Young recovered on the Detroit 28.

After the Giants forced a punt, they gambled on fourth-and-7 at the Detroit 42. The decision paid off when Manning found Jernigan for a 15-yard completion. That led to Brown's game-winning kick.

Detroit was in control until Stafford's fourth-quarter pass deflected off tight end Joseph Fauria's hands and into the arms of Hill with 4:57 remaining. Hill returned it along the sideline to the game at 20-20.

Bell scored on a 1-yard plunge with 9:06 left in the third quarter, pulling Detroit within 13-10. Jeremy Ross' 50-yard punt return set up the touchdown.

Fairley made it a one-point game when he sacked Manning in the end zone with 1:01 remaining in the quarter.

Following the Giants' kickoff, Detroit drove 63 yards and took the lead on rookie running back Theo Riddick's 2-yard run, the first touchdown of his career. Stafford found Fauria for the two-point conversion, giving the Lions a 20-13 advantage with 11:50 left.

Late in the first quarter, Josh Brown's 41-yard field goal put the Giants on top. Detroit kicker David Akers responded with a 37-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

Jernigan's score with 2:19 left in the half gave New York a 10-3 lead. That scoring drive followed a fumble by Lions running back Reggie Bush that safety Antrel Rolle recovered and returned to the Detroit 49.

The Lions also self-destructed late in the half, as a holding penalty nullified a 25-yard gain before Stafford was picked off by defensive end Justin Tuck. A delay-of-game penalty against safety Don Carey moved the Giants into field-goal range, and Brown blasted a 52-yarder with nine seconds left to give New York a 13-3 halftime lead.

NOTES: Giants QB Eli Manning's 26 interceptions, including Sunday's fourth-quarter giveaway, are a franchise record. Manning shared the previous record of 25 with Charlie Conerly (1953) and Frank Filchock (1946) ... DE Jason Pierre-Paul (shoulder) and G David Diehl (knee) were inactive for New York. Diehl's replacement, Brandon Mosley, suffered a broken hand during the first quarter. ... The Lions played without starting CBs Chris Houston (toe) and Rashean Mathis (illness) and TE Brandon Pettigrew (ankle). Detroit CB Bill Bentley suffered a head injury during the second quarter and did not return. ... Detroit's most recent victory over the Giants was a 28-13 road win on Oct. 24, 2004. ... The Giants last lost 10 or more games in 2004, when they finished 6-10 for their most recent losing record prior to this season.