The Detroit Lions had this game won.
Then they didn’t.
Then they somehow won it anyway.
Detroit blew a 21-0 second-half lead, watched New Orleans storm all the way back to force overtime, and then survived one final gamble from the Saints to escape with a 31-30 overtime victory.
Jahmyr Gibbs powered Detroit on the ground. Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown delivered when the Lions needed them most. Tyler Shough recovered from two interceptions to nearly complete an incredible comeback. And after everything that happened, the entire game came down to one two-point conversion.
Detroit’s Defense Dominates Early
The first half belonged to Detroit’s defense.
Neither offense found much consistency, but the Lions repeatedly shut down New Orleans whenever the Saints appeared ready to build momentum.
Detroit finally broke through behind Jahmyr Gibbs.
Sam LaPorta picked up 19 yards through the air before Gibbs ripped off runs of 21 and 10 yards. A completion to Jameson Williams brought Detroit close to the goal line, and Gibbs finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Detroit led 7-0, and that would remain the score through halftime.
New Orleans had opportunities, but couldn’t turn them into points. Tyler Shough also made a costly mistake with an intentional-grounding penalty that killed another drive.
Turnovers entered the picture as well. New Orleans forced a Gibbs fumble, while Shough threw an interception to Chuck Clark, but neither team immediately turned those mistakes into points.
A late Saints drive ended with Shough being sacked, sending Detroit into halftime with a 7-0 advantage.
The Lions Explode Out of Halftime
New Orleans couldn’t have started the second half much worse.
Shough threw his second interception, this time on a terrific play by Derrick Barnes.
Detroit finally made him pay.
Gibbs immediately broke loose for an 18-yard run. Goff connected with LaPorta, and the Lions eventually worked their way down to the 1-yard line.
Gibbs punched it in again.
14-0 Lions.
Detroit wasn’t finished.
Goff then led an all-passing drive and found Amon-Ra St. Brown for a touchdown.
Suddenly it was 21-0.
Detroit had complete control. New Orleans had turned the football over three times and hadn’t scored a point.
It looked over.
New Orleans Refuses to Go Away
The Saints finally woke up.
New Orleans broke through with a touchdown run to cut the deficit to 21-7, and Detroit followed with a three-and-out.
The Saints struck again.
This time Shough found Devaughn Vele for a touchdown, and suddenly a game that had looked like a blowout was 21-14.
New Orleans added a field goal in the fourth quarter.
21-17.
The Saints had scored 17 unanswered points.
Detroit’s offense, which had looked ready to put the game away in the third quarter, suddenly couldn’t create enough separation. The Lions eventually managed a late field goal to push their advantage back to seven.
24-17.
All Detroit needed was one stop.
They couldn’t get it.
The Saints Complete the Comeback
Shough had thrown two interceptions earlier in the afternoon, but he kept attacking.
And Chris Olave became his biggest weapon.
With New Orleans needing a touchdown, Shough hit Olave on a massive deep completion, immediately moving the Saints into the red zone.
Moments later, Shough found Juwan Johnson for a touchdown.
Extra point good.
24-24.
New Orleans had done it.
The Saints had erased a 21-point deficit, and the game was headed to overtime.
Goff and Amon-Ra Deliver in OT
Detroit had watched everything unravel, but when the Lions needed one more touchdown, two of their biggest stars delivered.
Goff moved Detroit down the field before finding Amon-Ra St. Brown for the go-ahead touchdown.
Detroit had the lead again.
But under the NFL’s overtime format, New Orleans still had an opportunity to answer.
And they did.
Shough moved the Saints down the field before finding Noah Fant for a touchdown.
31-30.
New Orleans now had a decision.
Kick the extra point and keep playing, or put the entire game on one play.
The Saints chose the latter.
One Play for the Game
New Orleans kept its offense on the field and went for two.
Convert, and the Saints complete an unbelievable comeback and leave Detroit with a victory.
Fail, and the Lions survive.
Shough dropped back.
Incomplete.
Game over.
Lions 31, Saints 30.
After blowing a 21-point lead, Detroit escaped by stopping one final play.
Gibbs Was the Engine
Amon-Ra delivered two touchdowns, including the huge score in overtime, but Jahmyr Gibbs was the engine of Detroit’s offense.
Gibbs finished with 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns, repeatedly giving Detroit explosive plays on the ground.
Whenever the Lions needed offensive momentum, Gibbs seemed capable of providing it.
Goff protected the football and delivered when Detroit needed him most, while Amon-Ra once again proved why he remains one of the most dependable weapons in football.
Shough and Olave Nearly Steal It
Tyler Shough’s afternoon was a roller coaster.
His two interceptions helped Detroit establish its huge advantage.
Then he nearly brought New Orleans all the way back.
Shough finished with 411 passing yards and three touchdowns, refusing to stop attacking despite his early mistakes.
And Chris Olave was phenomenal, finishing with 182 receiving yards and repeatedly stretching Detroit’s defense. He produced some of the biggest plays of the comeback and gave Shough a reliable target whenever New Orleans desperately needed one.
The Saints lost, but coming back from 21-0 on the road and taking the game down to a two-point conversion in overtime showed some serious fight.
Detroit Won, But This Should Have Never Reached Overtime
Detroit gets the victory.
That’s what matters most.
But there is plenty to clean up.
A team with legitimate playoff expectations cannot routinely turn 21-0 home leads into overtime coin flips. Detroit dominated defensively early and appeared to have complete control before New Orleans completely flipped the game.
Still, there is something to be said for surviving.
Gibbs delivered a monster performance. Goff protected the football. Amon-Ra delivered twice. And when everything came down to one final play, Detroit’s defense finally made the stop it desperately needed.
The Saints almost pulled off an unbelievable comeback.
Almost.
Final: Detroit Lions 31, New Orleans Saints 30 (OT).
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