DETROIT — There was a moment, early in the fourth quarter Sunday night, when you could feel the crowd really, truly, inexplicably begin to believe that the Lions were going to take down the Patriots.



It came on the first snap after Matt Prater’s field goal put Detroit ahead 23-10. Tom Brady dropped to throw, felt a little delayed pressure off the edge and just whipped the ball 50 yards downfield to no one in particular. The officials huddled. A flag flew. Intentional grounding.



And Ford Field erupted. As the umpire marched the ball back 10 yards to where Brady had let fly that throw, almost every Lions player on the field waved his arm, asking the fans for more. They delivered, bringing a current of sound that had no starting point and no end but simply engulfed the entire building.



“The city was there,” said Detroit defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois. “The city brought the lightning. … I take my hat off to them, because...