Detroit Lions: 6 Players Who Made the Biggest Difference in Sunday's Win

On Sunday, the Detroit Lions very nearly sealed themselves a trip to the NFL Playoffs with a gutsy come-from-behind victory in Oakland against the Raiders. The win guarantees them a winning season for the first time since 2000, and one more win in either of their last two games will stamp their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 1999.

To say it was an important game is understating it, but with their season very much on the line, the Lions delivered their fourth comeback victory of 13 or more points this season, the most ever by an NFL team in one year.

While one player (I think you know who) looms over all the rest, here are five other players that were absolutely vital in getting the Lions to this point, where they very much control their own destiny.

Justin Durant

The Lions' defense didn't really have a stellar day. Once again, their opponent rushed for more than 100 yards on the day, and Oakland's Carson Palmer shredded the secondary to the tune of 32-for-40 passing for 367 yards and one touchdown. But the damage may have been even worse if not for one key play made by OLB Justin Durant.

Burned by Raider wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey, who was streaking for the endzone, Durant got his hand in there and forced a fumble and a turnover on what looked to be a staggering blow to the Lions' chances. That's at least three points the Raiders lost in one heads-up play by their linebacker and a contribution easily forgotten in the subsequently wild fourth quarter. Durant was one bright spot in a defensively underwhelming game.

Nate Burleson

While it's another receiver getting all the accolades, Nate Burleson had a terrific day catching the ball as well. Racking up seven receptions for 81 yards, including an amazingly perfect 39-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, Burleson was enough of a threat to free up the biggest star of Sunday's game.

Burleson isn't the big star on the Lions, but he is a consistent performer who has cemented himself as a great number two option for Matthew Stafford and showed why again on Sunday. Cutting through the defense on his touchdown reception was one of the nicest plays made in a game full of great offensive plays. His mobility and acceleration made him a vital asset keeping the Lions in the game early.

Cliff Avril

Once the Lions had seemingly completed their incredible comeback, the Raiders decided to fight just as hard to set up a would-be game-winning field goal. With two timeouts in their pocket, an impotent pass rush by the Lions, and the best kicker in the league, it was hardly unfeasible for the Lions' last minute efforts to come to naught.

But then, Cliff Avril swarmed in on and took down Palmer, forcing the Raiders to use their final timeout just to have a chance. Just as with Justin Durant, it was the injury-depleted defense making a huge play when they absolutely needed it. And this one might have been the biggest defensive play of the season for the Detroit Lions.

Ndamukong Suh

By his (or really any) standards, Ndamukong Suh had a rather quiet first game back from his two-game suspension. He only was credited for one tackle on the day and spent the rest of it under a constant Raider double team that was quite effective in stifling the young defensive tackle.

But Suh made one of the biggest plays of the year for the Lions when he blocked a potential game-winning field goal as time expired. Sure, it was a long shot, with an NFL record 65-yard attempt by Sebastian Janikowski, but if there's one guy in the NFL that would make that kick, it's Janikowski. Except Suh managed to get a finger on the ball as it passed over his head, changing its trajectory so it went well off the mark.

As far as that ball went, even blocked, it's not that hard to see an untipped ball robbing the Lions of this win. And for that alone, Suh makes this list.

Matthew Stafford

Yes, his number one option helped an awful lot in creating the opportunity, but after a horrendous third quarter led into an even more disastrous beginning to the fourth quarter, Matthew Stafford took a page from Tim Tebow and got red hot really quickly.

His line is impressive enough taken by itself with no context: 391 yards. four touchdowns, no interceptions. Yes, he threw it 52 times to get those numbers, but the Lions relying heavily on the pass is nothing new. Still, add that to leading two of those touchdown drives in a span of five minutes with the latter drive taking merely 95 seconds off the clock despite having no timeouts and you have a performance for Lions lore.

Stafford showed remarkable poise and determination in a season where, despite early success, such qualities had come into question. In one more "biggest game the Lions have played in years," Stafford stood tall and delivered in the clutch.

Calvin Johnson

I don't know if there are enough superlatives to describe Calvin Johnson on Sunday. He had been stifled for a month and a half and suddenly exploded into a career game when the Lions needed him most, with 214 yards on nine catches to go with two touchdown receptions, including the go-ahead score.

But the touchdown wasn't even the most impressive catch on that incredible drive. No, Megatron basically was the offense on the drive. After getting some breathing room out to their own 18, Stafford found Johnson for 21 yards on a brilliant sideline catch out of bounds, then went right back to him for another 48. Johnson also induced another 17 yards on a pass interference call before getting in the endzone with a six-yard score.

So, on the game-winning and season-saving drive that went 98 yards (108 if you consider the holding penalty), Johnson was responsible for 92 of them and the touchdown catch. Simply awe-inspiring.