The Lions stayed on the ground to start the quarter, feeding Aaron Brown for four yards When Matthew Stafford tried to go up top to tight end Brandon Pettigrew, Rams safety James Butler broke up the play with a huge hit.

When the Rams showed blitz on third down, they prompted a motion penalty on the Lions. On third and 11, the Rams blitzed again — and the Lions beat them with an outlet pass to Maurice Morris for another first down.

The Smith moved the ball into the red zone with a 12-yard run. The Lions had a first down at the Rams 12.

But a dropped pass, then Chris Long’s stuff of Kevin Smith put the Lions in third-and-10. Safety James Butler picked off a deflected pass in the end zone. That was the good news.

Then came out of the end zone, then ran back int the end zone . . . and suffered a safety. That wa the bad news.

I’ve been a sportswriter since 1979. That ranks among the most spectacularly incompetent things I have ever seen. Butler is supposed to be a leader on this team and just found another way for this team to fail.

The Rams’ lead shrunk to 3-2 and they had to kick the ball back to the Lions. Yikes!

The Lions went right back to work with Matthew Stafford’s hitting a quick 19-yard pass to Kevin Smith for another first down (The Rams were lucky not to get a 15-yard penalty for a faskmask grab.

Detroit beat another Rams blitz with another quick pass, hitting Aaron Brown for a first down. So far, Scott Linehan is winning the tactical game.

But the Lions keep dropping passes, so Detroit had to punt the ball away again.

Bulger brought the Rams back down the field, completing two passes to Keenan Burton for two first downs.

Then the Lions dumped Steven Jackson for a four-yard loss by sniffing out the play and sending half their defense to spot where the Rams wanted to run. Then they blitzed Bulger into an incompletion (and near interception.)

On third and 14, the Rams had no chance to convert — and they didn’t.

James Butler had an easy interception opportunity during the next defensive sequence. He could have returned that ball a ways, too.

But the ball caromed off his stiff body and fell to the ground. Again, this guy is supposed to be a team leader.

So the Lions were able to pin the Rams on their own 8-yard line with their punt.

Steven Jackson rumbled 26 yards to get the Rams out of their hole.

Randy McMichael, back in the game, caught a 9-yard pass from Bulger to move the ball up to the 44 at the two-minute warning. Another completion to Burton earned another first down.

A completion to Danny Amendola over the middle earned another first down and moved the Rams into Detroit territory.

McMichael tried to undermine the drive with a false start penalty. Then he got those yards back with a reception. Then he couldn’t quite hang onto a high pass down the middle.

Then Bulger caromed a pass off Avery’s shoulder pads. On fourth-and-8 in loooooong field goal range, coach Steve Spanguolo opted to go for it.

Bulger looked over the Rams defense, then called a time out. Then Spags pulled out the stops.

Josh Brown came out to try a 54-yard field goal. But no! The Rams ran a fake instead — with holder Donnie Jones flipping the ball to Josh Brown, who rolled out and flipped the ball to the unattended Daniel Fells.

Fells rumbled 36 yards for the TD and the Rams had a 10-2 lead.

Now THAT is taking a shot. When playing it safe doesn’t work, why not gamble? When you are winless, what more do you have to lose?