The Detroit Lions put themselves in position for their first division win in 30 years with a 42:17 win over the Denver Broncos. Several Lions made history while the referees wrongly denied the Broncos a touchdown.
Broncos @ Lions: At a glance
- After a slow start, the Lions turned things up offensively and scored touchdowns on five drives in a row. The Broncos, on the other hand, only found their way onto the scoreboard after the break.
- Both Amon-Ra St. Brown and rookies Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs each achieved personal statistical milestones with historical significance.
- Once again an offensive offside call prevented a touchdown in the NFL, but this time wrongly.
Broncos @ Lions: The game report
Both teams took a while to get going offensively, with the Lions starting the game with three punts while the Broncos lost a fumble on the first drive by Russell Wilson on a sack. At the beginning of the second quarter, however, the home team woke up and scored three touchdowns in a row.
Quarterback Jared Goff first found tight end Sam LaPorta for a 19-yard touchdown, then Jahmyr Gibbs for nine yards and finally Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 15-yard score. The preliminary decision 19 seconds before the break.
After the break, the guests also sent another sign of life and shortened the lead with a remarkable touchdown pass from Russell Wilson to Lil’Jordan Humphrey from the three-yard line. However, Detroit kept its foot on the gas and immediately scored the next touchdown – Goff to LaPorta from three yards. A strange sequence at the end of the third quarter made the decision. The Broncos entered the red zone again and were about to score their second touchdown.
Wilson threw a short pass to Jaleel McLaughlin, which the referees ruled was stopped inches from the goal line. Javonte Williams then appeared to be stopped by a run from the 1. Both plays looked as if the ball carrier had scratched the goal line with the ball for a touchdown, but Broncos coach Sean Payton waived a challenge on each. Rather, he also played the fourth attempt and this time fullback Michael Burton reached the end zone only to be called back – offensive offside according to the referees. However, TV images did not show guard Quinn Meinerz’s alleged offside position. Payton then decided to kick a short field goal.
And in direct return, Gibbs added a rushing touchdown, which really put the lid on things at the beginning of the final quarter. The rest was cosmetic results.
With this success, the Lions now have their fate in the NFC North completely in their own hands. With three games left and a three-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings, they could even lose both games against the Vikings and still probably win their division for the first time since 1993. If the Seahawks lose against the Eagles on Monday, the Lions would already qualify for the playoffs early.
The Broncos, in turn, fall a full game behind 7th place in the playoff picture.
Denver Broncos (7-7) @ Detroit Lions (10-4)
Result: 17:42 (0:0, 0:21, 10:7, 7:14) BOXSCORE
Broncos @ Lions: Key stats
- St. Brown passed the 90 receptions mark in this game. He is only the third player ever to catch at least 90 passes in his first three years in the NFL. His predecessors are Odell Beckham Jr. and Michael Thomas.
- LaPorta reached several milestones in this game: He is only the third rookie tight end ever with at least 700 receiving yards and seven touchdown receptions after Hall of Famers John Mackey (1963) and Mike Ditka (1961). His nine TD receptions are also the most for a Lions rookie tight end. Nine is also a new tight end season record in Lions franchise history.
- For Gibbs, his touchdown catch in the second quarter was a first as it was his first touchdown reception ever in the NFL.
The star of the game: Jared Goff (quarterback, Lions)
Goff and his offense needed more than a quarter to get going. But once they were on track, the Lions were unstoppable and scored five touchdowns in a row. Goff himself was extremely efficient (0.44 EPA/play) with five touchdown passes and an overall largely error-free performance.
The flop of the game: Offensive Line (Broncos)
The Broncos can usually rely on their offensive line. But in this game she hardly saw any land. Wilson was under constant fire and the run game produced three yards per carry. So it’s hard for this offense to compete in any game.