DETROIT – The Detroit Lions opened the season by outlasting the Los Angeles Rams with a balanced offense, grinding out yards on the ground and going to the air for some pivotal plays just as they did in their NFC wild-card game.
David Montgomery’s 1-yard touchdown run in overtime lifted the Lions to a 26-20 win over the Matthew Stafford-led Rams on Sunday night.
“Early in the season, a lot of games come down to who makes the fewest mistakes,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We made one less than they did.”
The Lions lost a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter, but extended the game with Jake Bates’ tying 32-yard field goal in the final minute of regulation.
Detroit won the coin flip and took advantage of having the ball, gaining at least 9 yards on its first four plays in overtime to set up Montgomery’s winning score.
The Rams were in a position to spoil Detroit’s season-opening party when Stafford threw a go-ahead, 9-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter.
They just couldn’t make enough plays on both sides of the ball to hold on for the win.
Los Angeles put up quite a fight despite losing Pro Bowl receiver Puka Nacua and two linemen on its banged-up line.
“I’m really proud of this group,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “We had a lot of guys go down and a lot of people stepped up.
“We just came up short.”
The Lions had a 17-3 lead in the third quarter after Jared Goff threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams.
“We had that double move worked out all week and he smoked them on it,” Goff said.
Detroit, though, lost the comfortable cushion because its former star quarterback picked them apart and its current one threw an interception early in the fourth.
John Johnson intercepted Goff’s pass over the middle at the Rams 20, taking away Detroit’s chance to kick a field goal and restore its seven-point lead.
Stafford took advantage, leading a 10-play, 80-yard drive that he capped with the scoring pass to Kupp. He could not complete enough passes late in the fourth to keep the ball and seal the win, leading to a punt that gave Goff another shot from his 31 with 2:11 to go.
“I had a chance to win it,” Stafford said. “Every game, there’s plays you want back.”
The Lions reached the Rams 14 and settled for Bates’ tying field goal that sent the game to overtime.
McVay insisted he did not regret a decision he made in the second quarter.
With a chance to attempt a 40-yard field goal when it was tied at 3, McVay elected to go for it and turned the ball over on downs when Stafford threw an incomplete pass that targeted Kupp.
“We came here to be aggressive and I wouldn’t take that decision back,” McVay said.
Stafford completed 34 of 49 passes for 317 yards with a touchdown and an interception, lobbing a ball in the middle of end zone where Kerby Joseph was waiting early in the second quarter. He took some hits, particularly on his right ankle, and popped up each time and make more plays.
“Give Matt Stafford a lot of credit he played lights out despite taking all those hits,” Campbell said.
Kupp matched a career high with 14 receptions and had 110 yards receiving.
Goff was 18 of 28 for 217 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Williams tied a career high with five catches and set a personal best with 121 yards receiving.
“I’m proud of him,” Campbell said. “He still has a lot of room for growth. That wasn’t his best ball, but he made some plays.”
Montgomery had 17 carries for 91 yards and Jahmyr Gibbs ran 11 times for 40 yards — with both scoring a TD.
Injuries
Rams: Nacua (knee) was hurt in the first half after catching four passes for 35 yards and didn’t return. … LT Joe Noteboom (ankle) was carted off the field in the second quarter after starting in place of Alaric Jackson, who’s serving a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. LG Steve Avila (knee) went down later.
McVay said after the game that he did not have an update on the team’s injured players.
Lions: DT D.J. Reader (leg) and S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) were inactive.
Up next
Rams: Stay on the road and play at Arizona on Sunday.
Lions: Host Tampa Bay on Sunday in a rematch from the divisional round of the playoffs, a game Detroit won 31-23.
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