ALLEN PARK, Mich. - Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford credited offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter for an aggressive play-call late in the second quarter that resulted in a 25-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Calvin Johnson.
With 17 seconds left on third-and-17, the original plan was to run four slants, but Cooter changed his mind.
"He said, 'Aw, screw that. Let's go be aggressive,'" Stafford said. "He called four verticals, and I was fired up for it. I loved it."
Sure enough, Stafford threw a touchdown to Johnson on the play, giving the Lions a 24-7 lead at halftime instead of a short play forcing them to settle for a field goal.
"He's young in his job, but he's not afraid," Stafford said of the 31-year-old coach. "He's aggressive, and that's fun. That rubs off on guys when a guy is aggressive and trusts us as players to go out and make good decisions."
--Lions owner Martha Firestone Ford and her family greeted head coach Jim Caldwell with applause in a Ford Field basement hallway after the game.
"I think the family's always excited about victories, and this one is no different than the others that we've had," Caldwell said. "I think that they're appreciative. They're looking for a winner here, want to build a winner and want to do everything possible to make certain that that indeed happens.
"It was just a show of appreciation. Mrs. Ford generally shows her appreciation after games."
--Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah relished his opportunity to play against Lane Johnson, the Eagles' right tackle who moved to left tackle after Jason Peters got hurt in the first quarter. Philadelphia took Johnson fourth overall in 2013, one pick before the Lions selected Ansah.
"I didn't think this question was coming," Ansah said. "But I was looking forward to playing against Peters. And then he got hurt.
"They moved Lane over there and, yeah, I think I took it (the draft sequence) personal."
Ansah finished with 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
