The 30-year-old quarterback Jared Goff completed 26 of his 34 passes, finding Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Amon-Ra St Brown for touchdowns as the Detroit Lions overcame a deficit to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 40-34 in California. The Lions have now won 14 of 16 games this season. The Lions host the Minnesota Vikings, who are also 14-2, on Sunday to determine who will win the NFC North and receive a first-round bye in the playoffs.
The Lions’ triumph over the 49ers was a kind of retaliation for losing the NFC Championship the previous season, which kept them from making it to their first Super Bowl.
The 49ers’ quarterback, Brock Purdy, raced for another touchdown after passing for a career-high 377 yards and three touchdowns. But although his team led 21–13 at the interval, he was intercepted twice in the second half.
For the first time since the 2020 season, the 49ers have missed the postseason after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2024 Super Bowl.
