The Detroit Lions’ offense hadn’t seemed like itself through three weeks of the regular season. The most they had scored in regulation through three games was just 20 points.
But against a Seattle Seahawks defense that had been dominant in their first three games, Detroit’s offense came alive. The Lions put up a total of 42 points, and Jared Goff was a perfect 18-of-18 for 292 yard and two touchdowns—plus a touchdown reception on the way to a big Lions win.
Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense gave the Lions a tough test and took Detroit to the wire, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the home team.
Detroit walked away with a victory, and moved to 3-1 to start the season, as they head into their Week 5 bye.
First quarter
The Lions won the toss and opted to receive, a change in strategy from their normal deferring ways. The strategy did not work, as the Lions quickly went three-and-out. Jared Goff was sacked on third-and-6 after failing to find anyone open.
The Seahawks didn’t fare much better on their offensive drive. While it opened with a 20-yard strike from Geno Smith to DK Metcalf, Seattle failed to get another first down, and punted back to Detroit, pinning the Lions at their own 7-yard line.
The Lions offense started to get its mojo back on the ensuing drive. Starting with an 11-yard run to David Montgomery, Detroit was quickly out of their own end zone. Then Goff found Jameson Williams for 10 and Amon-Ra St. Brown for 17 to move into Seahawks territory. Two more rushes from Montgomery earned 20 yards and Detroit found themselves in the red zone. Then Jahmyr Gibbs split the defense for 19 yards down to the Seahawks’ 4-yard line. Three plays later, Montgomery plowed in from 1-yard away for an early 7-0 Lions lead.
The Seahawks were driving inside Lions territory, but Jack Campbell put an end to that. As Metcalf was fighting for extra yards, Campbell blasted Metcalf, jarring the ball loose, and Carlton Davis returned the fumble all the way to the Seahawks’ 14-yard line.
A pass to Brock Wright set the Lions up first-and-goal from the 3-yard line as the game moved over to the second quarter.
Second quarter
On the first play on the next quarter, Gibbs went untouched for the touchdown and a Lions 14-0 lead.
The Seahawks would answer, though. Aided by a questionable holding call on Davis when Detroit had gotten a third-down stop, the Seahawks would strike with a 29-yard pass to Metcalf down to the 1-yard line. Kenneth Walker punched it in there to make it 14-7 Lions.
The Lions offense went right back to work and quickly moved into Seahawks territory thanks to a Sam LaPorta 9-yard gain, plus a 15-yard facemask penalty. Detroit worked their way into a third-and-3 from the Seahawks’ 19-yard line, and ran a beautiful play-action pass to LaPorta all the way down to the 6-yard line. Two plays later, Gibbs punched it in for this second touchdown of the day and a 21-7 Lions lead.
With just over five minutes left in the half, the Seahawks tried to cut into the lead. They were set back initially thanks to this sack from Malcolm Rodriguez.
But a nasty lateral play on third-and-16 kept the drive.
But the trick play wasn’t enough for the Seahawks to score. A third-and-10 pass to Metcalf went incomplete, and Seattle punted back to Detroit with 1:01 left at their own 15-yard line. A crazy sack from Derick Hall ended any chance of the Lions adding to their lead.
Seattle had one more opportunity to score with 14 seconds from their own 39-yard line but no time outs. The Seahawks would attempt a 62-yard field goal, but it came up short to keep it 21-7 at halftime.
Third quarter
The Seahawks got the ball first and immediately got into a fourth-and-1. They opted to go for it despite being deep in their own zone, but they picked it up with a QB sneak. They then converted a third down to Metcalf for a 10-yard gain on third-and-8. A 16-yard pass to Noah Fant moved Seattle into the field goal position. Then a pass interference call on Davis moved them inside the 10-yard line. Smith found tight end AJ Barner for the 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-14 Lions just over five minutes into the half.
Montgomery got the Lions drive off to a hot start with an absolutely ridiculous 40-yard catch and run, breaking several tackles along the way.
Then Goff found Tim Patrick for a 23-yard gain down to the Seahawks 7-yard line. If that wasn’t enough razzle dazzle, Amon-Ra St. Brown took an end around… then PASSED BACK to Jared Goff for a 7-yard touchdown and a 28-14 Lions lead.
Seattle got several explosive plays on the next drive to make it a one-score game again. They started with a 28-yard run from Kenneth Walker. Then on a third-and-8, Smith somehow escaped a sack and found Jaxon Smith-Njigba for an 11-yard gain. Smith followed that up with a 29 yard pass to Tyler Lockett, and eventually Walker finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Seattle opted to go for two, but Smith’s pass to Metcalf fell incomplete. 28-20 Lions.
It took the Lions one play to strike back. Goff found Jameson Williams on a crossing route and there was no one catching him for a 70-yard touchdown pass. 35-20 Lions.
Seattle would not go quietly, though. A 23-yard run from Walker immediately moved them into Lions territory. And a WR screen to Laviska Shenault erased a DJ Reader sack to move Seattle down to the 21-yard line at the end of the third quarter.
Fourth quarter
Two plays in, the Seahawks pitched it to Walker, who reversed field and scored on a 21-yard touchdown. 35-27 Lions.
Detroit offense finally slowed with a costly three-and-out. On third-and-1, Detroit ran a toss play to Montgomery, but the Seahawks were all over it and it lost Detroit 2 yards. They proceeded to punt.
Seattle proceeded to methodically work their way back downfield. But on a fourth-and-3, the Seahawks committed offensive pass interference, forcing them to punt the ball away with nine minutes left.
Goff started the drive out promisingly with a 29-yard pass to Patrick. Then a play to LaPorta gained another 30 on a screen pass, and suddenly the Lions were first-and-goal from the 10-yard line. But an offensive pass interference on the Lions immediately pushed them back. On third-and-goal from the 8-yard line, Goff found St. Brown for the score and a 42-27 Lions lead with 5:23 left.
In a race against time, Seattle quickly drove into Lions territory. But when they got into a fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line, coverage locked up, and Smith couldn’t find anyone, causing a turnover on downs.
The Lions, however, didn’t quite put the game away. Goff took a safety, giving the Seahawks a tiny bit of life. 42-29 Lions.
Seattle would get the ball back with 1:54 left and one timeout, need two touchdowns to win. But Kerby Joseph would put an end to that with a fantastic pick.
