By Colton Pouncy, Jourdan Rodrigue and Lukas Weese
The Detroit Lions started their season as a Super Bowl contender in thrilling fashion with a gutsy 26-20 overtime victory against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night in a rematch of last season’s NFC Wild Card Game.
After the Lions went up 17-3, the Rams scored 17 consecutive points to take a 20-17 lead despite dealing with injuries to wide receiver Puka Nacua and several starting offensive linemen. With 17 seconds left, the Lions tied the game at 20 when Jake Bates kicked a 32-yard field goal. David Montgomery, who had 17 carries and 91 yards, capped off an eight-play, 70-yard drive in the first possession of overtime with a one-yard rushing touchdown, giving Detroit the win.
“We’re hard to break and we did what we had to do,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said after the game on his team’s performance.
DAVID MONTGOMERY CALLED GAME.
The Lions defeat the Rams 26-20 in Detroit. It’s their first overtime victory since 2016.
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— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 9, 2024
Lions win while not playing their best
This was far from a clean game for the Lions. Tackling was sloppy. There were dropped interceptions, poor angles to the ball and too many open looks allowing the Rams into Detroit territory. On offense, things were stagnant for a stretch. Before a game-tying field goal, the offense had just seven points in the second half. This will all need to be corrected, especially when you consider the Rams were down some key pieces. But that’s what good teams do — they find ways to win games without their best stuff. When the lights came on, the defense got the stop it needed and the offense scored 10 unanswered to win the game.
Overtime was straight bully-ball, with the offensive line coming alive to pave the way for Montgomery. His game winner from a yard out put the nail in the coffin. — Colton Pouncy, Lions beat writer
A stellar Jameson Williams performance
Jameson Williams was the bright spot in this one. His play kept the Lions in the game until others stepped up. How many times could you say that in the past? This was different. Williams has been different, dating to the spring. He finished with five receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown and picked up an additional 13 yards on the ground — 134 yards of offense total. If he can keep this up, the offense will be just fine. His speed adds a new element to an already strong offense. — Pouncy
Significance of Rams injuries
Losing Nacua, who left the game for a series in the second quarter with a knee injury before trying to return and ultimately exiting in the third quarter for the remainder, is huge. Nacua injured his knee, according to the team, which comes only weeks after a knee injury suffered in joint practice against the Chargers sidelined him for a month this summer. Rams coach Sean McVay would not confirm whether it was the same knee Nacua initially injured (his right).
Perhaps even worse: The Rams lost backup left tackle Joe Noteboom to an ankle injury and left guard Steve Avila to a knee injury. Right guard Kevin Dotson played the entire game but left Ford Field with a walking boot on his left leg. McVay was not able to say whether any player will miss significant time, but Noteboom and right tackle Warren McClendon were already depth for missing starters Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein.
When Avila left the game, the Rams put rookie Beaux Limmer at center and shifted center Jonah Jackson to left guard (the position they initially signed him in free agency to play). Third-string left tackle AJ Arcuri, who was elevated off the practice squad this weekend and replaced Noteboom, had a holding penalty that nullified a late touchdown by receiver Jordan Whittington. — Jourdan Rodrigue, Rams beat writer
The play the Rams would like to have back
The play quarterback Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp most want back was a third-and-10 incompletion with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter, the Rams up 20-17. Stafford was under pressure but stepped into the throw and the play was there — had he not overthrown Kupp, it would have been a big gain (or even a touchdown) that Stafford said was “the game”.
That long third down was initially set up by a false start by reserve right tackle McClendon, creating a second-and-17 that Stafford and the Rams offense had to work back from. Stafford left the field after the play with both hands clasped over the top of his helmet, visibly upset with himself. — Rodrigue
(Photo: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)
