Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions prepared for their Week 18 divisional showdown against Minnesota by beating the San Francisco 49ers 40-34 on Monday night.
Goff threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the final minute of the third quarter after 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 enough for the Lions (14-2) to extend their franchise record for wins in a single season as they defeated 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 spot in the Super Bowl was on the line last January. San Francisco was eliminated from the playoffs last week and Detroit will play Minnesota next week in the regular season finale, with the winner earning the NFC North title and the top seed in the NFC playoffs, and the loser is relegated to a wild card.
The win against the 49ers would only matter if Detroit and Minnesota were to draw in Week 18, with the Lions now poised to clinch 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 remaining after Purdy’s second interception, giving him 117 yards on the night.
The offenses dominated most of the evening, with the teams scoring touchdowns on the first five possessions and Purdy and Goff combining to complete the game’s first 17 passes – 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 threw the ball to Jameson Williams, who darted down the sideline for the final 41 yards and his second touchdown of the first half.
The only stops of the half came when Renardo Green broke up an end zone pass from Goff to Sam LaPorta and when Jake Moody missed a 51-yard field goal in the final 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 stalled when Joseph intercepted an overthrown pass from Purdy.
Goff turned that into a four-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.
Lions: Host Minnesota on Sunday night.
49ers: Visit Arizona on Sunday.
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