Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes as the Detroit Lions beat the San Francisco 49ers 40-34 in a high-scoring thriller on Monday Night Football.
After the 49ers' first-half performance, in which they took a 21-13 lead into halftime, the Lions took the lead late in the third quarter on an Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown and didn't give it up as they got revenge for last year. Losing the NFC Championship to San Francisco.
The 49ers (6-10) have already been eliminated from the playoffs, while the Lions (14-2) now head to a final-week showdown for the NFC's No. 1 seed — a first-round bye and home-field advantage during the postseason — against Minnesota Vikings Sunday night.
Quarterback Jared Goff celebrates a Detroit Lions touchdown with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown
Statistics leaders
Detroit Lions:
- Scrolling: Jared Goff, 26/34, 303 yards, 3 TDs
- haste: Jahmir Gibbs, 18 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving: Jameson Williams, 5 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD
San Francisco 49ers:
- Scrolling: Brooke Purdy, 27/35, 377 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
- haste: Isaac Girindo, 9 carries, 34 yards
- Receiving: Ricky Pearsall, 8 catches, 141 yards, 1 TD
Summary of grades
Jahymr Gibbs, who rushed for 117 yards, put the game away with a 30-yard run with less than three minutes remaining after 49ers QB Brock Purdy's second interception of the night.
Both offenses dominated most of the night, with both teams scoring points on their first five possessions of the contest — Purdy and Goff combining to complete the first 17 passes of the game, including a perfectly executed hook-and-ladder play that led to a 42-yard TD for the Lions.
Goff threw a short pass to St. Brown, who immediately sent the ball to Jameson Williams, who marched down the sideline the final 41 yards and scored his second goal of the first half.
The only stops of the half came when Renardo Green broke up a pass in the end zone from Goff to Sam LaPorta and when Jake Moody missed a 51-yard field goal in the final seconds for San Francisco.
Purdy threw a five-yard TD pass to Deebo Samuel on San Francisco's opening drive of the second half before Detroit's defense finally got a stop with the first of Kirby Joseph's two interceptions to Purdy.
Goff turned that into St. Brown's go-ahead run on fourth-and-goal to give the Lions their first lead in the final minute of the third quarter.
Moody would miss another 58-yard field goal that could have tied the game early in the fourth period, while also failing on an extra point attempt after Joshua Dobbs' late consolation score for San Francisco.
