Matthew Stafford threw three touchdown passes, two to Kenny Golladay, and the Detroit Lions snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating the visiting New York Giants 31-26 on Sunday.
Stafford passed for 342 yards and was intercepted once for Detroit (3-3-1). Golladay caught six passes for 123 yards, and Danny Amendola had eight receptions for 95 yards.
Rookie Daniel Jones passed for 322 yards and four touchdowns for the Giants (2-6), who have dropped four straight. Saquon Barkley rushed for 64 yards on 19 carries and caught eight passes for 79 yards and a score. Darius Slayton caught a pair of touchdown passes for New York.
The Lions took a 24-13 lead on their first drive of the second half. Stafford found Golladay near the left pylon on a 9-yard pass to complete the 75-yard journey.
The Giants came right back on Jones' 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Evan Engram, completing a 63-yard drive. The two-point conversion try failed, leaving it 24-19 with 4:54 to play in the third quarter.
A little razzle dazzle allowed the Lions to stretch their lead with 12:12 remaining. Stafford tossed the ball to J.D. McKissic, who threw it back to Stafford on the flea flicker. Stafford then found Golladay behind the defense on the 41-yard score, making it 31-19.
Jones found Barkley on a 4-yard scoring pass for the Giants' final points with 1:19 remaining. But the Lions recovered the onside kick to clinch the win.
Detroit led 17-13 at halftime.
The Lions got on the board first when Jones threw a lateral under pressure from linebacker Jarrad Davis. Linebacker Devon Kennard scooped up the ball and raced into the end zone for a touchdown.
Detroit made it 14-0 later in the first quarter on a 49-yard hookup from Stafford to Marvin Hall, who beat one-on-one coverage.
The Giants answered with a 10-play, 88-yard drive capped by Jones' 22-yard pass to Slayton.
Slayton made a spectacular two-handed leaping grab for his second touchdown reception, this time from 28 yards out. Aldrick Rosas missed the extra point, leaving the Lions with a one-point lead.
Detroit's Matt Prater connected on a 52-yard try in the final minute of the half.
--Field Level Media
N.Y. Giants | Detroit | |
Saquon Barkley | Player | Tra Carson |
19 | Attempts | 12 |
64 | Yards | 34 |
3.4 | Avg Yards | 2.8 |
0 | Touchdowns | 0 |
13 | Long | 12 |
N.Y. Giants | Detroit | |
Golden Tate | Player | Kenny Golladay |
8 | Receptions | 6 |
85 | Yards | 123 |
10.6 | Avg Yards | 20.5 |
0 | Touchdowns | 2 |
18 | Long | 41 |
Yards | Scoring | Defense | ||||||
Team | Tot | Rus | Pas | TD | FG | INT | Sck | FF |
N.Y. Giants | 370 | 80 | 290 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4.0 | 1 |
Detroit | 375 | 59 | 316 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3.0 | 2 |