Lions Beat Patriots 35-10 as Gibbs Runs for 153 Yards
The Detroit Lions beat the New England Patriots 35-10 on Sunday, and Jahmyr Gibbs was the engine. The running back gained 153 yards on the ground, scored two rushing touchdowns and added at least 95 yards receiving, according to The Guardian's NFL scoreboard report.
That receiving total matters for a simple reason. Gibbs became the first NFL player since running back Priest Holmes in 2002 to post more than 150 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns and at least 95 receiving yards in one game. Running backs who both carry the ball and catch it are harder to plan for, because a defense has to respect the run and the short pass at the same time.
Detroit's offense moved early. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a 56-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to give the Lions a 7-3 lead. Quarterback Jared Goff then found Isaac TeSlaa for a 12-yard score to make it 14-3. St. Brown added a 28-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, and the score reached 28-3.
Gibbs closed out the scoring. He took a 50-yard catch, then ran for five yards on the next play to find the end zone. In the fourth quarter he broke free for a 28-yard touchdown run that made it 35-10. St. Brown finished with two touchdown receptions.
Goff threw three touchdown passes, but he also threw two interceptions, which are passes the defense catches. He completed 20 of 31 attempts for 303 yards.
New England's day started badly. Quarterback Drake Maye hurt his ankle on the opening drive of the game. Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson had just sacked Maye, which means he tackled the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. Hutchinson appeared to hurt his knee while celebrating that play.
The result leaves Detroit at 7-2 and extends its winning streak to five games. For New England, the loss drops the Patriots to 5-5. They have now lost back-to-back games and three of their past four.
For Lions fans, the afternoon showed a team that can win with St. Brown working underneath, Gibbs carrying the load and Goff making enough plays to keep the defense honest. For Patriots fans, the next question is Maye's ankle. The team has not, in the reporting so far, said how long he will be out.
The Lions' record is now the best of the two teams. The schedule keeps moving, and Sunday's win gives Detroit momentum heading into the next stretch of games.
