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'Mr. Perfect' Jared Goff flawless in Lions' 42-29 victory over Seahawks

Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News on

Published in Football

DETROIT — "Mr. Perfect" has never been a more apt nickname for Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

On Monday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks, Goff went 18 for 18 for 292 yards and two touchdowns (with a receiving touchdown to boot) as the annual high-scoring affair finally swung in favor of the Lions, 42-29.

Goff finished the game flawlessly, including a 70-yard passing touchdown to Jameson Williams that gave the Lions a 35-20 lead with 2:52 left in the second quarter and a receiving touchdown on a third-quarter trick play that ended with wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown as the passer.

Detroit enters the Bye Week with a record of 3-1.

Goff was sacked for a safety with 2:01 left in the game, which gave Seattle the ball back in a 13-point game. Despite several penalties helping Seattle down the field, the Lions defense stood tall and Lions safety Kerby Joseph iced the game with an interception in the end zone.

Lions running back David Montgomery had 12 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown and one reception for 40. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs had 14 carries for 78 yards and two touchdowns and St. Brown had six receptions for 45 yards and a receiving touchdown to go with his first career passing touchdown.

The Lions’ defense was shredded on the ground for the first time this season, as former Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker tallied 80 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. He had two touchdowns in the 2023 meeting in Detroit, bringing him to five career touchdowns at Ford Field. The third-year pro Former Michigan tight end AJ Barner added a touchdown for Seattle (3-1).

Seattle quarterback Geno Smith was asked to throw early and often. He went 38-for-56 passing for 395 yards and a touchdown. Seattle had 516 yards of offense compared to 389 for Detroit. The Lions were penalized 12 times for a total of 101 yards.

Walker had 1-yard rushing touchdowns in the second and third quarters before breaking free for a 21-yard score with 14:48 to go in the fourth.

The Lions and Seahawks played three consecutive seasons entering 2024 and totaled 79.3 points per game in those meetings, all Seahawks victories. Detroit had lost six consecutive games to Seattle entering Monday night.

Goff threw an incompletion to the end zone during the fourth quarter but it was overturned with an offensive pass interference penalty on the Lions.

After a three-and-out on the opening drive, Montgomery and Gibbs combined for 59 yards on the second possession to gash the Seahawks' defense and take a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Montgomery, his fourth of the season from that distance. The Lions marched 93 yards in 12 plays for the lead.

The Seahawks moved into Lions territory on their second drive but it was cut short by a turnover. DK Metcalf made a catch over the middle and was fighting through tacklers until Lions linebacker Jack Campbell tackled him and popped the ball loose. Lions cornerback Carlton Davis recovered the fumble and returned it to Seattle's 14-yard line, where the Lions made it first-and-goal a few plays later to end the first quarter.

Jahmyr Gibbs made it 14-0 at 14:58 of the second quarter after reserve left guard Kayode Awosika paved a way into the end zone from four yards out.

 

The Seahawks rebounded to cut the deficit in half on their first drive of the second quarter, thanks in part to some bad penalties by the Lions. After making a big pass breakup on Metcalf, Davis was flagged for defensive holding on third down to extend the drive. Then, James Houston — given a big opportunity with Marcus Davenport out — was flagged for an offsides penalty that was declined. And after the Lions gave up a 29-yard pass to Metcalf, they had 12 men on the field to give Seattle second-and-goal at the half-yard line.

Walker finished off the scoring drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown for his third career touchdown at Ford Field in as many visits.

The Lions kick-started their next drive with a 9-yard completion to Sam LaPorta that yielded a 15-yard face-mask penalty and gave Detroit first-and-10 at Seattle's 38-yard line. Another throw to LaPorta (this one for 13 yards) and a 10-yard run by Gibbs put Detroit in goal-to-go, where Gibbs eventually ran it in from a yard out to make it 21-7 with 5:11 left in the second quarter.

One week after the Lions scored a touchdown off a hook-and-ladder, Seattle picked up a critical third-and-16 with a crafty downfield lateral of its own. Jaxon Smith-Njigba caught a ball over the middle and threw it overhand to Zach Charbonnet near the sideline, who took it an additional 16 yards for a new set of downs at Seattle's 39-yard line.

Seahawks kicker Jason Myers came up short on a 62-yard field-goal try before the half. Khalil Dorsey returned the kick and drew a face-mask penalty, but the half ended there.

Seattle cut the deficit to 21-14 on the opening drive of the second half. After Smith converted fourth-and-1 from its own territory with a quarterback sneak, Metcalf drew a pass interference call on Davis that left the veteran Detroit cornerback absolutely incensed and gave 21 free yards to the Seahawks. On first-and-goal at the 9-yard line, Smith found former Michigan tight end AJ Barner for his first career touchdown.

Montgomery showed absurd contact balance after catching a pass on Detroit's first play of the next drive and got the possession started with a 40-yard reception that put Detroit first-and-10 at the Seahawks' 30. After Detroit got it to second-and-goal at the 7, the Lions ran a trick play that ended with St. Brown throwing a touchdown pass to Goff for a 28-14 lead at 6:57 in the third quarter.

Smith pulled a rabbit out of his hat on multiple occasions to keep the ensuing Seahawks drive alive, including one on third-and-8 and another on second-and-16 to put Seattle at the Detroit 16. After a 10-yard completion to Jake Bobo put Seattle at the 1, Walker punched it in from a yard out for his fourth career touchdown at Ford Field to make it 28-20, Lions, after Seattle failed to convert a 2-point conversion.

Detroit answered the Seahawks' score on its first play of the next drive as Goff found Jameson Williams on a crosser, and Williams outran everybody for a 70-yard touchdown to go back up two scores, 35-20, with 2:52 left in the third quarter. Walker returned to form on the following drive and added his third score of the day on a 21-yard rush with 14:48 left in the game.

The Lions extended their lead to 15 with 5:23 in the fourth on an 8-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown.

Seattle moved deep into Lions territory before the two-minute warning but turned the ball over on downs when a fourth-down attempt to Lockett was defended by Terrion Arnold.

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