SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions tuned up for their Week 18 division showdown against Minnesota by beating the San Francisco 49ers 40-34 on “Monday Night Football.”
Goff threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the final minute of the third quarter following the first of Kerby Joseph’s two second-half interceptions against Brock Purdy in a rematch of last season’s NFC title game won by San Francisco.
That proved to be enough for the Lions (14-2) to extend their franchise record for wins in a season as they beat the 49ers (6-10) on the road for the first time since 1975.
The stakes for this game were minuscule compared to the last meeting between the teams when a berth in the Super Bowl was on the line last January. San Francisco was eliminated from playoff contention last week and Detroit plays Minnesota in the regular-season finale next week with the winner earning the NFC North title and the top seed in the NFC playoffs, and the loser being relegated to a wild card.
The win against the 49ers would only matter if Detroit and Minnesota tie in Week 18, with the Lions now set to earn the No. 1 seed in that unlikely scenario.
Jahymr Gibbs put the game away with a 30-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes left following Purdy’s second interception, giving him 117 yards on the night.
The offenses dominated for much of the night, with the teams scoring touchdowns on the first five possessions and 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 Goff.
He threw a short pass to St. Brown, who immediately pitched the ball to Jameson Williams, who streaked down the sideline for the final 41 yards and his second TD 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 closing seconds for San Francisco.
Purdy threw a 5-yard pop pass for a TD on San Francisco’s opening drive of the second half before Detroit’s defense finally managed a stop when Joseph intercepted an overthrown pass by Purdy.
Goff turned that into a 4-yard TD pass to St. Brown on fourth-and-goal to give the Lions their first lead at 31-28 late in the third quarter.
Moody missed a 58-yard field goal that could have tied the game early in the fourth quarter for his ninth missed field goal of the season. Moody also missed an extra point after Joshua Dobbs scored on a TD run in the final minute.