Lions vs. Seahawks score, takeaways: Jared Goff has historic night as Detroit hands Seattle first loss

Two NFC contenders squared off on 'Monday Night Football'

Both the Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions entered "Monday Night Football" in Week 4 banged up, but it was Detroit who was able to capitalize on its opponents' injuries to the higher degree in a 42-29 victory. Seattle has now fallen from the ranks of the unbeaten. 

Detroit (3-1) was without safety Brian Branch, its leading tackler (22 tackles) who was put on the injury report with an illness Sunday and was inactive Monday night. The Lions ruled out All-Pro center Frank Ragnow with a pectoral muscle injury earlier in the week. Left guard Graham Glasgow, who has 38 career starts at center in his career, started at center. 

Meanwhile, the front seven of the Seahawks (3-1) was decimated by injury before kickoff: defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (hamstring), edge rusher Leonard Williams (ribs), edge rusher Boye Mafe (knee), edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu (knee) and linebacker Jerome Baker (hamstring) were all out Monday night. All but Baker were ruled out earlier in the week. Safety Julian Love was also ruled out during the game with a thigh injury. 

Lions quarterback Jared Goff played the role of high-level game manager perfectly, completing all 18 of his passes. He broke the NFL record for most passes without an incompletion, a record previously set by Hall of Famer Kurt Warner with a 10-for-10 outing in Week 15 of the 2004 season against the Houston Texans. 

Goff totaled one of the more unique stat lines in NFL history with 18 of 18 passing, two passing touchdown and a receiving touchdown on a trick-play pass from wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown took a lateral to the right, stopped and then fired a looping spiral back to Goff on his first NFL pass. The scoring strike put the Lions up 28-14 with 6:57 left in the third quarter. Goff is the third Lions quarterback to catch a TD pass in the Super Bowl era, joining David Blough (2019) and Gary Danielson (1984). Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was dialing up plays with a heavy awareness of the depleted Seahawks' front, racking up 118 rushing yards on 26 carries, with 12 for David Montgomery (40 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown) and 14 for Jahmyr Gibbs (46 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns). 

The Seahawks' offensive Big Three of quarterback Geno Smith, running back Kenneth Walker III and wide receiver DK Metcalf did their best to keep Seattle in the game. Smith threw for career highs across the board with 395 yards on 38 of 56 passing along with a touchdown and an interception. Smith's 56 pass attempts are the most in team history, breaking the record of 55 previously held by Matt Hasselbeck in a 2002 matchup at the San Francisco 49ers. Walker III ran for a career-high three touchdowns along with 80 rushing yards on 12 carries, and Metcalf totaled 104 yards receiving on seven catches for his third consecutive game with over 100 receiving yards, the longest such streak in Seahawks history. 

After Walker's second rushing touchdown, Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon took a poor tackling angle after a play-action reception by Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, and that was all the wiggle room the speedster needed to take the football 70 yards for the score. That got Detroit out to its biggest lead of the night (up 35-20 with 2:52 left in the third quarter) after Seattle's two-point conversion after the preceding Walker touchdown failed. 

Walker countered with his third touchdown run of the night after the score, but the Lions came right back with Goff connecting with St. Brown the traditional way, throwing him an eight-yard touchdown in which the receiver toe-tapped the left front corner of the end zone for the score. That put them up a seemingly insurmountable 15 points, 42-27, with 5:23 left to play. 

However, the Seahawks nearly found the end zone on the following drive, reaching as far as the Lions' three. Four consecutive incompletions by Smith doomed Seattle's comeback bid. His fourth incompletion came on a fluke play in which his center, Connor Williams, snapped the ball with one second on the play clock, which appeared to take the entire offense by surprise. Smith took the snaps standing straight up, clearly unaware. He was able to scramble his way into throwing a pass to receiver Tyler Lockett in the end zone, but it was just out of his outstretched hands for a turnover on downs. 

Seattle added some late-game excitement throwing down Goff for a safety in the end zone two plays later. However, an end zone interception by Lions safety Kerby Joseph clinched the 42-29 Lions victory.

Why the Lions won

Goff's perfection combined with their consistent ground game provided the Lions an offensive rhythm and efficiency Seattle simply didn't have Monday night. It also helped that the Lions defense wasn't missing a literal handful of starters like the Seahawks' MASH unit. Detroit's offense simply had a much larger margin for error because of the backups it was playing against. 

Why the Seahawks lost

Football coaches LOVE to talk about complementary football: how the offense playing well aids the defense playing well aids the special teams unit playing well, etc. Seattle played nearly the entire ball game trailing by two scores, putting it behind the eight ball in a spot where it didn't have much of an opportunity to get the ground game going. That type of game situation came back to bite them in the end, as the Seahawks' final three possessions ended with a punt, a turnover on downs and an interception. 

Turning point 

The Lions going back up 15 for the second time on Goff's second touchdown pass of the night 

Play of the game

St. Brown's first NFL pass, a touchdown to Goff, was the only choice. The reception was also Goff's first NFL receiving touchdown. 

What's next

The 3-1 Lions have an early bye in Week 5 before heading to Texas to face the currently 2-2 Dallas Cowboys in Week 6. The 3-1 Seahawks return home to host the struggling 1-3 New York Giants in Week 5. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 11:23 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

An end zone interception by Lions safety Kerby Joseph clinches a 42-29 Lions victory. Full recap and takeaways coming soon. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 11:17 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The Seahawks tackle Lions quarterback Jared Goff in the end zone for a safety and get the ball back down 13, 42-29 with 1:54 remaining and one timeout. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 11:00 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

That's probably the knockout punch with Amon-Ra St. Brown hauling in an eight-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff, who has completed all 18 of his passes. The Lions now lead by 15 once again, 42-27, with 5:23 left to play. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:49 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Seattle's conversion on fourth down and three on a pass from Geno Smith to Jaxon Smith-Njigba is erased by an offensive pass interference penalty on wide receiver Tyler Lockett. Now, the Seahawks will punt the football back to the Lions down eight, 35-27, with 9:02 left to play. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:39 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Seahawks safety Julian Love is now ruled out with thigh injury. Seattle's defense is now down six defensive starters. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:37 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III now has a career-high third rushing touchdown with his 21-yard scoring sprint. Seattle kicks the extra point and tails by eight, 35-27, with 14:48 left to play. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:34 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Lions cornerback Carlton Davis has returned to the game

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:31 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Lions cornerback Carlton Davis leaves with an injury and is replaced with second-round rookie Ennis Rakestraw out of Missouri. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:25 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon takes a poor tackling angle after a play-action reception by Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, and that was all the wiggle room the speedster needed to take the football 70 yards for the touchdown. Detroit is now out to their biggest lead of the night, 15 points, up 35-20 with 2:52 left in the third quarter. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:19 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

After the defensive pass interference penalty gets the Seahawks down to the one on the two-point conversion attempt, Geno Smith can't connect with receiver Jake Bobo. The Lions lead by eight, 28-20, with 3:03 remaining in the third quarter. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:18 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Kenneth Walker III gets in the end zone for his second rushing touchdown, and the Seahawks are back within one possession, 28-20. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:10 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Lions quarterback Jared Goff is on his way to one of the most unique stat lines ever with 14 of 14 passing, no passing touchdowns and now a receiving touchdown on a trick-play pass from wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown took a lateral to the right, stopped and then fired a looping spiral back to Goff on his first NFL pass. Lions lead by 14 again, 28-14 with 6:57 left in the third quarter. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:05 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Lions running back David Montgomery appeared to be stuffed for a short, one-yard gain, but after bouncing off defenders and breaking tackles, he stumbled his way into a 40-yard gain down to the Seahawks 30. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 10:00 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

We have a game in Detroit. Geno Smith hits fourth-round rookie tight end AJ Barner out of Michigan for his first career NFL touchdown on a nine-yard play-action pass. One drive into the second half, and the Lions lead 21-14 with 9:46 left in the third quarter. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 9:54 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Geno Smith's quarterback sneak on fourth-and-one gets the job done for the Seahawks 34, extends the opening drive of the second half. If they didn't pick up that first down, that might have been lights out for Seattle. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 9:52 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Kenneth Walker III's six-yard run on the first play from scrimmage in the second half matches his total from the first half. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 9:51 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The second half is underway. Seattle gets the football off a touchback looking to establish the run and claw out of a 21-7 hole. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 9:36 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Seahawks kicker Jason Myers' 62-yard field goal attempt is both wide left and short. The Lions take a 21-7 lead into the halftime break. Detroit is out-rushing the Lions by 70, 88-18. Seattle's front seven injuries loom large. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 9:36 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The Seahawks have the football back with 23 seconds left after Detroit's punt. Following an incomplete pass, Geno Smith gains 12 yards on a quarterback draw to get Seattle out to the Lions 49 with 11 seconds left. A quick sideline completion to DK Metcalf puts Seattle down at the Lions 44. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 9:28 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The Seahawks get a couple first downs, but their offense stalls out after a holding penalty. The Lions have the ball on their own 15 with all three timeouts up 14, 21-7, with 1:01 left in the half. Seattle gets the ball back after halftime, so it would make sense for Detroit to push the ball downfield to get points. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 9:12 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Another solid possession for the Lions. They are finally attacking the middle of the field in both the pass and the run with Seattle thin in their front seven, and it's yielding results. Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs rumbles into the end zone for his second goal line touchdown of the night, this time from one-yard out. The Lions lead by 14 again, 21-7, with 5:11 left in the half. The Lions are currently out-rushing the Seahawks by 77 yards, 83-6. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 9:01 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The Seahawks capitalize on Metcalf's big play with running back Kenneth Walker slamming his way into the end zone for a one-yard score. Seattle now trails Detroit 14-7 with 10:08 left in the first half. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 9:00 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The play prior to Metcalf's big play, Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III somersaults over Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone for a first down. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 8:58 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf atones for his fumble that led to a three-yard rushing rushing touchdown for Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Metcalf beats Carlton Davis for a 29-yard completion down to the one. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 8:47 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The Detroit Lions make the Seattle Seahawks pay for DK Metcalf's fumble as they find the end zone just three palys after they returned his fumble 49 yards down to the Seahawks' 14. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs concludes the possession with a three-yard touchdown run. Detroit is on top 14-0 just two seconds into the second quarter. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 8:44 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Lions linebacker Jack Campbell punched the football out of Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf's arms after he had already picked up the first down. Detroit cornerback Carlton Davis scooped up the loose ball at the Lions' 37, and he returned it 49 yards before Seattle running back Kenneth Walker II pushed him out of bounds 14 yards from the end zone. Lions lead 7-0 at the end of the first quarter and now have the ball down three yards from the end zone and a 14-0 lead. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 8:35 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Detroit bludgeons Seattle's banged up front seven with four consecutive runs to cap off their touchdown drive: a 20-yarder by Jahmyr Gibbs down to the four and then three consecutive goal line hammers by David Montgomery until he plunged into the end zone. Lions lead 7-0 with 3:11 left in the opening quarter. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 8:23 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Both opening drives end in punts after Geno Smith's pass to DK Metcalf only gains 8 of the 11 yards required to move the chains. Seahawks punter Michael Dickson hits a booming punt down to the Lions' seven. No score with 10:32 left in the first quarter. 

[Sep 30, 2024 at 8:19 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed rips through the Lions offensive line that is already feeling the absence of All-Pro center Frank Ragnow early and sacks Jared Goff to force a Detroit three-and-out. Seattle will start its first drive on their own 23.

[Sep 30, 2024 at 8:15 pm ET · Garrett Podell]

The Lions win the coin toss, and they decide to start with the ball first. Here we go. Only the sixth time Detroit head coach Dan Campbell has opted to do so in his four seasons as the Lions head coach.