Lions 42-29 Seahawks (September 30, 2024) Game Recap

DETROIT – Jared Goff threw a perfect game and set an NFL record by completing all 18 of his passes to help the Detroit Lions beat the Seattle Seahawks 42-29 on Monday night.

“I just gave the game ball to someone else, so I feel terrible,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “I knew he played a great game. I didn’t know he was perfect.”

Kurt Warner had the league's previous record for passes without an incompletion when he went 10-for-10 for Arizona against Houston in 2005.

“It’s a cool thing,” Goff said. “I’m just glad we got the win.”

Goff did throw an incomplete pass, but it was negated by a penalty.

“I thought, 'Does this count?'” He remembered asking himself.

Goff also had a touchdown reception for the first time in his career, caught a pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown and threw one of his two touchdown passes to the All-Pro receiver. Goff and St. Brown become the eighth duo in league history to throw and catch a touchdown from each other.

St. Brown threw a 7-yard pass to Goff on a trick play in the third quarter and caught an 8-yard touchdown from the quarterback in the fourth quarter.

Goff, who threw for 292 yards, completed his first 14 passes in Detroit's previous win at Arizona, setting a personal record that stood for just over a week. He also threw a pass over the middle to Jameson Williams, who outran the Seahawks for a 70-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

The Lions (3-1) asked Goff to throw again from his end zone and he was sacked for a safety with 2:01 left, cutting their lead to 13 points.

The Seahawks (3-1) simply couldn't overcome an injury-depleted defense that couldn't stop Detroit on the ground or through the air.

“It shows we’re not the team we want to be,” Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said.

Macdonald went all-out on fourth-and-4 from the Detroit 39 early in the quarter and receiver Tyler Lockett avoided a first down with pass interference and was called for a pick play that freed up Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a catch.

“They said he picked the guy, but I think we all saw he never contacted him,” Smith said.

Macdonald tried again on fourth-and-goal from the Detroit 3 with 2:09 left, and Geno Smith threw a fourth straight incompletion.

The Lions took advantage and took a 15-point lead with 5:23 left when Goff made a high pass to St. Brown, who dove for the catch and got both feet into the end zone.

Jahmyr Gibbs ran for two touchdowns in the second quarter and finished the game with 78 yards rushing. David Montgomery started things off with a 1-yard touchdown run, capping a 10-play, 93-yard drive that took more than seven minutes of the first quarter and was 80 yards from scrimmage.

Smith was 38 of 56 for 395 yards with a 9-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end AJ Barner in the third quarter, which he extended with a sneak on fourth down. With a minute left, he threw an interception in the end zone to Kerby Joseph, sealing Seattle's first setback of the season.

“Even when we were down 14, we knew we had a chance to come back,” Smith said.

DK Metcalf had seven catches for 104 yards and a costly fumble at the Detroit 37 in the first quarter.

Kenneth Walker, who gained 80 yards on 12 carries, had a career-best three rushing touchdowns.

Injuries

Seahawks: DB Julian Love left the game with a hamstring injury, another blow to a defense without struggling DEs Uchenna Nwosu and Leonard Williams and LB Jerome Baker.

Lions: DB Brian Branch was inactive due to illness, forcing a key player out of the secondary, and Pro Bowl C Frank Ragnow was sidelined with a pectoral muscle injury.

Next

Seahawks: Host the New York Giants on Sunday night.

Lions: Play at Dallas on Oct. 13 after a week off.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL