HOUSTON – I don’t know how they did it, but the Detroit Lions somehow overcame five interceptions and a 16-point deficit to beat the Texans and win their seventh game in a row.
The hero was Jake Bates, who hit a 58-yard field goal to tie the game in the final minutes and then a 52-yarder to win it with zeroes on the clock.
But make no mistake: The Lions won this game because of their defense, which came up with big stops time and time again to keep the Texans within striking distance when they could have won going away.
Miserable first quarter in all 3 phases
The Lions got off to easily their worst start of the season.
It began with a turnover by Jared Goff, who tried to force a ball out to Jahmyr Gibbs in the flat, even though the play was well covered.
The ball was tipped and intercepted, giving the Texans a possession on Detroit’s 33-yard line.
The lack of a pass rush bit the Lions on that drive, as they allowed conversions on third and 10 and then third and 16 en route to an easy walk-in touchdown for Joe Mixon.
Detroit responded with a three-and-out. Jack Fox, maybe the best punter in the league, followed up with a 40-yard punt that was returned 17 yards to the the 43.
You could kind of tell it was going to be a rough night when even Fox was struggling.
Houston had no trouble marching down the field once again, completing passes of eight, eight, and 36 yards to get inside the five. But a holding penalty and a sack by James Houston forced them to settle for a field goal to go up 10-0.
Welcome back, Jamo
It looked like the Lions were going to punt for the third drive in row after a throwaway and a negative rushing play set up third and 16. But Goff stepped up and delivered a dart to Jameson Williams -- who bobbled the ball but caught it on the second attempt -- for 23 yards to keep the drive alive.
This was Williams' first game back from a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
Williams came up big again three plays later on third and six, catching a 13-yard dart across the middle to move the chains.
Goff took care of the next third down himself, scrambling for two yards on third and 1.
He rolled out to his right two plays later and hit Sam LaPorta for a 20-yard touchdown.
But that’s where the good news ended, at least for the first half.
Another costly turnover
The Lions' defense held the Texans to a field goal on their next possession, thanks to a couple of key plays by Alim McNeill.
But the Lions gave them the ball right back in plus territory, as the ball was knocked out of Goff’s hand on a drop back and tipped around for a second interception.
Houston started at Detroit‘s 36-yard line and drove quickly to the 11-yard line. But once again, Aaron Glenn’s group answered the call and forced a field goal attempt to minimize the damage.
Offensive struggles continue
The Lions went three-and-out once again, and the Texans took over with a chance to add to their nine-point lead before the half.
But the defense continued to keep the Lions in the game, getting a sack on first down and tackling Xavier Hutchinson for a four-yard loss on third and 21.
That gave the ball back to the offense at the two-minute warning, and with the Texans set to receive the second-half kickoff, it felt like an important possession.
But the Lions showed no life. After a pair of runs that went nowhere, Goff threw an incomplete pass to polish off yet another three-and-out.
Being on the field so much finally caught up to the defense, as it took the Texans just six plays to go 66 yards for a backbreaking touchdown.
The Lions went into the half down 23-7. They had just 99 yards of total offense before a garbage time completion seconds before the break.
Goff, who has been nearly automatic in the first half all season, was just 7-for-17 for 91 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions (one on a Hail Mary right at the half).
Signs of life
Carlton Davis made an incredible diving interception on the very first play of the third quarter to give the Lions a possession at Houston’s 31-yard line.
But Goff got picked off for the fourth time when he tried to fit a pass into LaPorta at the goal line. Officials ruled the interception was made at the 1-yard line, and the defense got a quick three-and-out to set up a possession that started at Houston’s 44.
Goff went to LaPorta once again, this time for a 37-yard gain down to the 3-yard line.
Montgomery took care of the rest, scoring on first and goal to bring the Linos within 10. He was stuffed short of the goal line on the two-point attempt, though, so the Lions remained down by two scores.
The Texans took back some momentum with a 32-yard gain on third and 8 after it looked like the Lions might force another three-and-out. But Davis came up with another incredible interception, this time in the end zone as C.J. Stroud went for the dagger to Tank Dell.
Goff’s 5th pick
Gibbs picked up 12 yards on first down, but then Goff threw an ill-advised jump ball toward Williams that was picked off for his fifth interception of the game.
A holding penalty and a sack by McNeill forced another punt, but an illegal block on the return backed the Lions up inside their own 10-yard line.
Gibbs flipped the field with a 33-yard gain on a short swing pass, but then the Lions went run for no gain, run for three yards, run for two yards to end the possession.
Somehow, Lions pull within a score
After the defense forced another three-and-out, the Lions finally put together a scoring drive to pull within three points.
The first key play was a Goff pass to Williams, who went up and caught the ball above his head and held on despite getting blasted by defenders from in front and behind.
Montgomery got the Lions inside the 10 with a big gain on a screen pass, and St. Brown did the rest, running in nearly untouched from 9 yards out.
Jake Bates ties it, then wins it
The Lions forced a punt thanks to a Josh Paschal sack, and the offense began with chunk plays of 15, nine, and 20 yards to get into Houston territory.
But a second-down pitch that went for negative-7 yards doomed the drive, and Dan Campbell called on Jake Bates to try a field goal from 58 yards out.
Bates, the last remaining NFL kicker with at least 10 field goal attempts without a miss, snuck one just inside the right upright to tie the game at 23.
Ka‘imi Fairbairn couldn’t match Bates, missing a go-ahead attempt from 58 yards and giving the Lions a short field with under two minutes to play.
Goff hit St. Brown for a key third-down conversion to set up a 52-yard game winner, and Bates snuck it just inside the left upright this time to send the Lions to their seventh-straight victory.
Standings
With the win, Detroit managed to stay a full game ahead of the Vikings in the NFC North. The Lions are also a game better than the Eagles for the top of the conference.
Next week they’ve got a date with the 2-8 Jaguars with a chance to make it eight straight victories.
