NFL scores and highlights: Detroit Lions beat San Francisco 49ers in high-scoring thriller Monday night | NFL news
Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes as the Detroit Lions topped the San Francisco 49ers 40-34 in a high-scoring thriller on Monday Night Football.
After the 49ers impressed in the first half, leading 21-13 at the break, the Lions took the lead late in the third quarter on an Amon-Ra St Brown touchdown and would not relinquish it as they avenged last year’s NFC Championship Game loss to San Francisco.
The battered 49ers (6-10) have already been eliminated from a return to the playoffs, while the Lions (14-2) now head into the final week’s showdown for the top seed in the NFC — a first-round bye and home-field advantage through the postseason — vs. Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night.
Statistics leaders
Detroit Lions:
- Passage: Jared Goff, 26/34, 303 yards, 3 TDs
- hurry: Jahmyr Gibbs, 18 carries, 117 yards, 1 TD
- Receiving: Jameson Williams, 5 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD
San Francisco 49ers:
- Passage: Brock Purdy, 27/35, 377 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
- hurry: Isaac Guerendo, 9 carries, 34 yards
- Receiving: Ricky Pearsall, 8 catches, 141 yards, 1 TD
Scoring summary
Jahymr Gibbs, who rushed for 117 yards, capped the game with a 30-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes remaining after 49ers QB Brock Purdy’s second interception of the night.
Both offenses dominated much of the night, with the two teams scoring touchdowns on the first five possessions of the contest — Purdy and Goff combining to complete the game’s first 17 passes, including a perfectly executed hook and ladder play that led on a 42-yard TD run for the Lions.
Goff threw a short ball to St. Brown, who immediately passed the ball to Jameson Williams, who scampered down the sideline for the final 41 yards and his second score of the first half.
The only breaks in the half came when Renardo Green intercepted a pass in the end zone from Goff to Sam LaPorta and Jake Moody missed a 51-yard field goal in the final seconds for San Francisco.
Purdy threw a five-yard TD pass to Deeb Samuel on San Francisco’s opening drive of the second half before Detroit’s defense finally made a stop with the first of two Purdy interceptions by Kerby Joseph.
Goff turned it into a St. to Brown 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 would have tied the game early in the fourth, while also failing on an extra point attempt after Joshua Dobbs’ late consolation goal for San Francisco.
