National Football League
Denver 38, Detroit 10
When: 4:05 PM ET, Sunday, December 12, 2021
Where: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
Temperature: 61°
Head Official: John Hussey
Attendance: 76211

Melvin Gordon rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns to lead the host Denver Broncos to a 38-10 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Javonte Williams rushed for 73 yards and a score and also had a touchdown reception, while Teddy Bridgewater passed for 179 yards and two touchdowns for the Broncos (7-6). Noah Fant caught four passes for 51 yards as the Broncos were 5-for-5 in the red zone.

Denver lined up with just 10 men on the field for the first snap to pay tribute to the late Demaryius Thomas, who was found dead Thursday at age 33 at his home in Roswell, Ga. The receiver spot where Thomas once lined up for the Broncos was left open. Denver let the play clock wind down for a delay of game and the Lions declined the penalty as fans loudly chanted "D.T., D.T."

The Broncos' defense held Detroit scoreless in the second half and limited the Lions to 316 total yards.

Jared Goff threw for 215 yards and a touchdown with one interception, while Craig Reynolds had 83 rushing yards for Detroit (1-11-1). Amon-Ra St. Brown caught eight passes for 73 yards.

The Lions didn't have their two top running backs, D'Andre Swift (shoulder) and Jamaal Williams (COVID-19 protocols), and leading receiver T.J. Hockenson (hand).

Denver got off to a quick start but the Lions rallied to cut the Broncos' lead to 17-10 by halftime.

Gordon rushed for 42 yards on Denver's first possession but Williams scored the touchdown on a 5-yard run. After the Lions failed to pick up a first down, the Broncos drove 74 yards for another touchdown. Gordon picked up the last yard on a 3rd-and-goal.

Detroit scored early in the second quarter on a 75-yard drive, completed by Goff's 7-yard pass to Kalif Raymond.

Riley Patterson's 36-yard field goal pulled Detroit within four points.

Denver's Brandon McManus kicked a 52-yard field goal on the last play of the half.

Following a Lions turnover, the Broncos extended their lead to 24-10 four minutes into the second half. Williams scored on a 10-yard pass from Bridgewater.

The Lions then gambled on fourth down in their own territory and Goff's pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage. The Broncos cashed in on Gordon's 14-yard blast up the middle.

Denver scored again with less than two minutes remaining on a 4-yard hookup from Bridgewater to Albert Okwuegbunam.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
Rushing
Detroit   Denver
Craig Reynolds Player Melvin Gordon III
11 Attempts 24
83 Yards 111
7.6 Avg Yards 4.6
0 Touchdowns 2
35 Long 16
Receiving
Detroit   Denver
Amon-Ra St. Brown Player Noah Fant
8 Receptions 4
73 Yards 51
9.1 Avg Yards 12.8
0 Touchdowns 0
19 Long 32
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Detroit 316 118 198 1 1 0 1.0 0
Denver 358 184 174 5 1 1 2.0 1
Upcoming Games
  • Denver will play their next game at home against Cincinnati. The Broncos have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Detroit will play their next game at home against Arizona. The Lions have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .100 after a loss.