Lions Become Kings of Road

The Detroit Lions have learned to win on the road.

Michael Vick is still trying to get a handle on the West Coast offense.

After going three years without a road victory, the Lions won for the second time on the road this year with a 17-10 victory Sunday over Vick and the previously unbeaten Atlanta Falcons.

Detroit (3-1) harassed Vick into three turnovers, including a fumble in the final minute that sealed the victory.

“This is a whole different team,” cornerback Fernando Bryant said. “We don’t care what happened in the past.”

Joey Harrington threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Az-Zahir Hakim on a fourth-and-five play, and Artose Pinner scored on a one-yard dive with 1 minute 57 seconds left in the first half, the Lions’ first rushing touchdown of the season.

Detroit set an NFL record by losing 24 straight road games over the previous three years but opened the season with a 20-17 victory in Chicago.

Now, it’s getting to be a habit.

“I love the resiliency of this team,” Coach Steve Mariucci said.

The Falcons (4-1) were denied the first 5-0 start in franchise history, along with Jim Mora taking the first loss of his head coaching career. The only other time Atlanta began 4-0 was 1986.

“We’ll handle this like we handled the wins,” Mora said. “You’re going to have some adversity in the NFL.”

Just ask Vick. Once again, he looked uncomfortable in the Falcons’ new West Coast offense. He fumbled three times, losing two of them, and also had a pass intercepted that led to Detroit’s go-ahead touchdown.

“I was caught up looking for receivers and got careless with the ball,” Vick said. “The bottom line is I should have had the ball tucked away.”

Late in the first half, he threw an interception that linebacker Alex Lewis returned 33 yards to the Atlanta two.

Even Detroit’s running game could handle it from there. Pinner, in his first career start, was stuffed twice before plunging into the end zone for a 14-7 lead.

Vick completed 18 of 29 passes for 196 yards and ran five times for 29 yards. But, for the third week in a row, he didn’t do a whole lot of positive things for the Falcons.

“Who knows? Maybe in the 10th or 11th year I’ll be comfortable with it,” Vick said of the new scheme. “But for now, I’ve got to keep working, keep working.”

San Francisco 31, Arizona 28 -- Tim Rattay threw two touchdown passes and converted two two-point conversions in the final 4:35 at San Francisco, and Todd Peterson kicked a 32-yard field goal with 11:37 left in overtime to give the 49ers their first victory of the season.

Brandon Lloyd made a diving 23-yard touchdown catch with 1:07 left in regulation, then wrestled the ball away from two defenders for the tying conversion.

Tight end Eric Johnson had another productive game with career-bests of 13 catches for 162 yards and the other late touchdown. The 49ers (1-4) mounted their improbable rally after falling behind, 28-12, on Arizona’s two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Rattay, who completed 38 of 57 passes for 417 yards, engineered two late scoring drives against the Cardinals (1-4), who hadn’t given up an offensive touchdown in 13 quarters.

Tampa Bay 20, New Orleans 17 -- Brian Griese completed 16 of 19 passes for 194 yards and the decisive touchdown at New Orleans to lead the Buccaneers to their first victory of the season.

Tampa Bay (1-4) had averaged only 12.3 points in its first four games.

Deuce McAllister’s return, after sitting out two games because of a sprained ankle, boosted the ground game for the Saints (2-3). McAllister ran for 102 yards in 21 carries, but fumbled twice -- one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Leading, 13-7, at halftime, Tampa Bay opened the second half with a rare offensive score. Griese hit Ken Dilger with a 45-yard scoring pass to give the Buccaneers a 13-point lead.