Despite facing San Francisco in a rematch of last year's NFC title game – a game with little on the line – coach Dan Campbell's Lions played with their signature intensity.
Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes as the Lions geared up for their crucial Week 18 clash against Minnesota by defeating the 49ers 40-34 on Monday night.
"We only know one way to play: go all out and win," Goff declared. "This is the team that ended our season last year. Many of our guys were on that field and wanted payback, even though this game held little significance for either team."
Compared to their last encounter, where a Super Bowl berth was at stake, the implications of this game were minimal.
San Francisco's playoff hopes were dashed last week. Detroit's upcoming game against Minnesota will determine the NFC North champion and the conference's top seed. The loser will become the first 14-win wild-card team in NFL history.
"It's like something out of a storybook," Campbell remarked.
A Vikings loss on Sunday would have handed Detroit the division title and the No. 1 seed. However, with the Vikings winning, the victory over the 49ers only matters if Detroit and Minnesota tie in Week 18, a scenario that would give the Lions the top seed.
Campbell admitted he considered resting his starters but decided against it, believing it would be unfair to both the unprepared backups and the starters who would still need to play. The gamble paid off, as the Lions secured the win without any injuries.
"I ultimately decided that playing them was the right call," he explained. "We owed it to the team. It was a tough decision. More than anything, we wanted to improve on areas where we fell short last week, and we did."
Goff connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for a go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of the third quarter, capitalizing on the first of Kerby Joseph's two second-half interceptions against Brock Purdy.
This proved decisive as the Lions (14-2) completed a perfect regular season on the road, defeating the 49ers (6-10) away from home for the first time since 1975 and avenging last season's playoff loss.
"I still carried that grudge from last year," Joseph admitted. "We were so close, yet we came up short."
Jahymr Gibbs sealed the victory with a 30-yard touchdown run with under three minutes remaining, following Purdy's second interception. Gibbs finished the night with 117 rushing yards.
Both offenses were firing on all cylinders for much of the game. The teams scored touchdowns on their first five possessions, and Purdy and Goff combined to complete the first 17 passes of the game, including a perfectly executed hook-and-ladder play that resulted in a 42-yard touchdown for Goff.
Goff threw a short pass to St. Brown, who immediately lateraled to Jameson Williams, who then sprinted down the sideline for the final 41 yards and his second touchdown of the first half.
The only stops in the first half occurred when Renardo Green broke up a Goff pass intended for Sam LaPorta in the end zone and when Jake Moody missed a 51-yard field goal attempt for San Francisco in the closing seconds.
Purdy threw a 5-yard touchdown pass on San Francisco's opening drive of the second half before Detroit's defense finally forced a stop when Joseph intercepted an overthrown pass by Purdy.
Goff capitalized on the turnover, throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown on fourth-and-goal, giving the Lions their first lead at 31-28 late in the third quarter.
Moody missed a 58-yard field goal attempt that could have tied the game early in the fourth quarter, marking his ninth missed field goal of the season. Moody also missed an extra point after Joshua Dobbs scored on a touchdown run in the final minute.
"We couldn't slow them down enough on defense," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan lamented. "They have a very good offense, but we needed to do a better job containing them. That was the difference in the game. We were forced into a shootout, and I believe our two turnovers were the deciding factor."
