David Montgomery scored on a 1-yard run in overtime to give the host Detroit Lions a 26-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.
Montgomery ran five times for 45 yards during the game-winning drive. He finished with 91 yards on 17 carries.
Detroit’s Jared Goff passed for 217 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Jameson Williams caught five passes for 121 yards and a touchdown for the Lions (1-0), who also defeated the Rams, 24-23, during the wild-card round of last season’s playoffs.
Matthew Stafford passed for 317 yards with a touchdown and an interception for Los Angeles (0-1). Cooper Kupp caught 14 passes for 110 yards and one touchdown.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua didn’t play in the second half due to a knee injury.
Detroit held a 10-3 halftime lead.
The Lions took the lead with 1:57 remaining in the first half on Jahmyr Gibbs’ 1-yard scoring run.
Detroit prevented a Rams score when Kerby Joseph picked off Stafford’s pass in the end zone with 15 seconds left in the half.
The Lions made it 17-3 early in the third quarter on Goff’s 52-yard scoring strike to Williams, who beat one-on-one coverage along the left side.
The Rams answered with an 11-play, 70-yard drive, capped by Kyren Williams’ 2-yard plunge into the end zone that trimmed their deficit to 17-10 with 3:33 left in the third quarter. A defensive pass interference penalty near the goal line prolonged the drive.
Tyler Johnson turned a short pass from Stafford into a 63-yard gain on the final play of the third quarter. After a defensive pass interference penalty placed Los Angeles at the Lions 1-yard line, a Rams holding penalty wiped out a Jordan Whittington touchdown run. Los Angeles settled for a 26-yard field goal by Joshua Karty.
John Johnson’s interception at the Rams 20 halted Detroit’s next possession. The Rams then put together a 10-play drive, finished off by Stafford’s 9-yard TD pass to Kupp for a 20-17 lead with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter.
The Lions forced a punt and got the ball back at their 31 with 2:11 remaining. An 18-yard reception by Sam LaPorta and a Rams personal foul penalty put Detroit in Los Angeles territory. Jake Bates made a 32-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to force overtime.
–Field Level Media
