Detroit Lions vs San Francisco 49ers highlights: Hayne makes strong NFL return

Match Result:

The 49ers put up a fight, but the Lions get the convincing win at home and are now 6-9 as San Francisco falls to 4-11.

The QB play was good on both sides – Blaine Gabbert finished 22/33 for 225 yards and 2 TDs, while Matthew Stafford finished 29/37 for 301 yards and 2 TDs – but Detroit is simply the more talented team, and it showed today.

The 49ers actually had the edge on the ground, thanks to 73 yards off 11 carries by DuJuan Harris and a solid all-around performance by Jarryd Hayne, but it wasn’t enough to win.

In his first game back since being put on the practice squad in October, the Aussie managed 27 yards off nine carries, while catching five passes for 20 yards.

For the Lions, Calvin Johnson put up 77 yards and a score off six receptions. The game came down to defense, aggressiveness and efficiency – the 49ers had two sacks, while the Lions had three and a forced fumble.

The 49ers were 1/11 on third down, while the Lions were 4/12. The 49ers failed to pick up the first down on fourth down twice, while the Lions converted their only fourth down conversion off a smart fake punt play, and while they didn’t pick up the two point conversion, it was still a good effort for them to try and get those extra points.

Good showing by Detroit, and this win has to have them feeling positive about a possible bounce back season next year.

Final Score:
Detroit – 32
San Francisco – 17

Match Preview:

The Detroit Lions and the San Francisco 49ers face off as Jarryd Hayne is back on the 49ers active roster and looking to make an impact. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 5:00am AEDT.

The San Francisco 49ers are currently 4-10, sitting at the bottom of the NFC West with one of the worst records in the NFL. Their last win came in week 13 against the Chicago Bears, and they’re currently on a two game losing streak that very well could extend to three on Sunday.

A big reason the 49ers have suffered all year could very well be due to injuries. They have 11 players on injured reserve, with the majority of those being big names to boot.

Colin Kaepernick, Reggie Bush, Carlos Hyde, Mike Davis, Antoine Bethea and Glenn Dorsey are just some of the names that are permanently out of action for San Francisco this season, and no doubt the lack of depth caused by these injuries hasn’t helped their situation.

They have helped one man’s situation though, and that man is Jarryd Hayne. The running back was cast off to the practice squad back in October, his fate unknown as to whether he would ever play another snap in the NFL.

Now, he has been reactivated for the game against the Lions, and if he makes the 46 man cut on game day, he could end up playing.

San Francisco would be wise to activate Hayne, as they need all the help they can get right now. After quarterback Colin Kaepernick was delegated to IR, Blaine Gabbert took over as starter, but hasn’t done much better.

The running back situation is even more dire, after their three main running backs were injured, Shaun Draughn took over and put up a measly 263 yards on 76 carries for a touchdown and a 3.5 yard per carry average.

Carlos Hyde finished his season with 470 yards on 115 carries, scoring four touchdowns and managing 4.1 yards per carry.

The 49ers have an astounding 16 players on the injury report for week 16. Center Marcus Martin (concussion), running back Shaun Draughn (knee), linebacker Michael Wilhoite (ankle) and guard Alex Boone (knee) are all out.

Safety Jaquiski Tartt (knee), wide receiver Torrey Smith (back), tackles Joe Staley (knee) and Erik Pears (knee), defensive tackles Arik Armstead (shoulder) and Quinton Dial (shoulder), cornerbacks Tramaine Brock (hamstring) and Dontae Johnson (ankle) and linebackers Aaron Lynch (concussion), Ahmad Brooks (shoulder), NaVorro Bowman (shoulder) and Eli Harold (shoulder) are all probable to play.

The Detroit Lions aren’t in a much better situation at 5-9, joint last in the NFC North with the aforementioned Bears, although they did win last week against the New Orleans Saints.

Despite their woeful record, Matthew Stafford has had a pretty good season, throwing for 3,663 yards, 27 touchdowns, 13 interceptions with a 66 per cent completion rate. The only point of concern would be his offensive line play – he’s been sacked 38 times through 15 games.

Ameer Abdullah has managed 514 yards on 125 carries, scoring two touchdowns and averaging 4.1 yards per carry. Joique Bell has put up 289 yards on 80 carries for three touchdowns and a 3.6 yard per carry average. Calvin Johnson has once again reached 1000 receiving yards, putting up seven touchdowns in the process and 13.9 yards per reception.

The Lions have eight players on the injury report, and all are questionable to play – linebacker Josh Bynes (foot), wide receiver Calvin Johnson (ankle), tackle Michael Ola (knee), safety Glover Quin (concussion), guard Larry Warford (quadricep), cornerback Dwight Bentley (illness) and defensive tackles Haloti Ngata (neck) and Caraun Reid (ankle).

Both teams are bringing up the back end of the NFL, but with the Lions showing signs of life last week against the Saints, I can see them extending their winning streak as Matthew Stafford throws three touchdowns while Ameer Abdullah rushes for one more as Detroit comfortably gets the win at home. If Jarryd Hayne plays, expect a big game from the Aussie.

Will Jarryd Hayne prove to San Francisco that he should stay on the squad in 2016?

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