Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — Dan Campbell didn’t get much sleep Sunday night.

It could have been a lot worse.

Not only did the Detroit Lions open the season on Sunday night, they also needed overtime to defeat the Los Angeles Rams 26-20 in a game that ended shortly before midnight.

“Look, it’s hard to sleep after a game, especially when you get home at 1:00 or 2:00 or whatever time it was,” Campbell said Monday afternoon. “Your mind is racing, you’re thinking about all the different things that went right or wrong, and it’s impossible to sleep no matter how tired you are.”

Defensive player Alim McNeill said he didn’t go to bed until 4 a.m. and would alternate between watching game footage and episodes of “Reba” on Netflix.

“He said he did what?” Campbell asked, laughing. “I remember what it was like as a player, so I understand what Mac is talking about. You go through every play.”

The Lions didn’t play like a Super Bowl contender on Sunday night. They led 17-3 early in the third quarter, but Matthew Stafford led another comeback at Ford Field.

Playing behind an injury-plagued offensive line and with key wide receiver Puka Nacua sidelined with a knee injury, Stafford found Cooper Kupp for a touchdown to give the Rams a 20-17 lead with 4:30 left.

“Stafford, man, it’s almost like you don’t want to hit him because I think he plays better,” Campbell said. “He just keeps making plays.”

The Rams could have decided the game when the Lions went three-and-out, but Stafford simply overthrew Kupp with a pass that could have decided the game. When Jared Goff had another chance, he took advantage of a key Rams penalty to drive the ball deep into Los Angeles territory.

Jake Bates, who made his name playing at Ford Field this spring for the UFL’s Michigan Panthers, fired the game-tying field goal. Stafford made the wrong call on the overtime coin toss, giving the Lions the ball.

Then Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson decided to turn the offense over to David Montgomery. The veteran carried the ball five times for 45 yards, including the game-winning 1-yard touchdown.

“You could just feel that No. 5 (Montgomery) was ready to take over the game and that we were going to be able to break through,” Campbell said.

What works?

It’s hard to give Detroit’s front seven too much credit given the Rams’ injuries on the offensive line, but Stafford was constantly under pressure and his running backs managed just 83 yards on 23 carries.

What needs help?

Last season, the Lions got a lot of big plays from Goff that found Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Rams, however, held St. Brown to three catches for 13 yards. Goff only had him in his sights six times, which should improve on Sunday against Tampa Bay.

Replenish stock

Lions coaches, players and fans have been waiting for Jameson Williams to translate his talent into production, and he showed signs of that on Sunday, having five catches for 121 yards, including a touchdown of 52 yards.

Stock down

CB Terrion Arnold, the 24th pick in the draft — taken in Detroit — struggled in his first regular-season game. He picked up two pass interference penalties in the third quarter, one on the Lions 2 and another in the end zone, which helped Stafford begin his comeback.

Injuries

The Lions came out of the game without any major injuries and hope to have DT DJ Reader back from a quadriceps injury for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers.

Key number

1,018 — The number of yards Matthew Stafford has thrown for in three games against his old team, including six touchdowns and one interception. The Rams won the first game of 2021, 28-19, but the Lions have defeated him in the past two games — 24-23 in January and 26-20 on Sunday.

Next steps

Get ready for another rematch of January’s improbable playoff run: this time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL