The Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.–So far, so good for Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions.
Eli Manning and the N.Y. Giants are heading in the opposite direction.
Stafford threw for two touchdowns, and rookie Jamal Agnew broke the game open with an 88-yard punt return, as the Lions beat the Giants 24-10 last night.
The Lions (2-0) sacked Eli Manning five times while Stafford put together another big game in sending the Giants (0-2) to a second-straight disappointing performance.
Star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. returned from a sprained left ankle but New York still struggled offensively.
“We did a nice job of getting in the end zone early and our defence did what they do,” Stafford said.
Stafford found Marvin Jones for a 27-yard touchdown in the first quarter and passed to Eric Ebron for a go-ahead seven-yarder in the second.
Matt Prater added a 56-yard field goal just before halftime that bounced off the upright, helping the Lions to a 17-7 lead at the break.
Ezekiel Ansah had three sacks as Detroit joined Atlanta and Carolina as the only unbeaten teams in the NFC through Week 2.
The Lions made the playoffs last season but finished the year with four-straight losses.
Beckham, a three-time Pro Bowler who missed the Giants’ season-opener against Dallas, had four catches for 36 yards in limited action.
Manning threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram on the first play of the second quarter, but the rookie tight end was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for a seemingly obscene gesture.
It allowed the Lions to get the ball at the Giants’ 45 after the ensuing kick-off went out of bounds and Stafford drove them for a second score.
New York closed to 17-10 on Aldrick Rosas’ 25-yard field goal early in the second half, but it wasted a chance for a TD.
The Giants had first-and-goal at the one but then got pushed back to the 11 on a holding penalty on a first-down run.
“We talked about playing complete, complimentary football,” said Ben McAdoo, who led the Giants to their first playoff berth since 2011 last season in his first year as head coach.
“By no stretch of the imagination did we do that tonight.
“We’ve got to do better,” he stressed. “We’ve dug ourselves in a hole. No one feels sorry for us.
“We’ve got to find a way to get better and get better in a hurry.”
Agnew then helped clinch the game for Detroit with his big return with 12:56 left, faking out New York punter Brad Wing on his way to the end zone.
It was the fifth-longest punt return in team history.
Manning was 22-for-32 for 239 yards for New York while Stafford was 15-for-21 for 122 yards.
