49ers drop to 6-10 as Lions pull away late

Jared Goff threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns and the Detroit Lions defeated the San Francisco 49ers 40-34 at Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday night.

Jameson Williams scored two touchdowns for Detroit (14-2), but the game had no bearing on the playoff picture. The Lions’ home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, the final game of the regular season, will determine the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and also gained 46 yards on four receptions.

Blitzing Brian Branch 😤#DETvsSF | 📺 ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/NxWBdgS0MX

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 31, 2024

Brock Purdy passed for a career-high 377 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score but was intercepted twice in the second half by Kerby Joseph. Ricky Pearsall caught eight passes for 141 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

San Francisco (6-10) led 21-13 at halftime.

The Niners scored on their first possession on Purdy’s 3-yard TD pass to Pearsall. The Lions answered with a 65-yard drive that Williams finished off with a 3-yard scoring run. The extra-point try was blocked, though, leaving the score at 7-6.

San Francisco scored again on the first play of the second quarter, a 9-yard touchdown pass from Purdy to Kyle Juszczyk.

Detroit used some razzle dazzle for its next score. On third-and-12, Goff connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown on a short pass. St. Brown then pitched the ball to Williams, who raced down the sideline on the 42-yard hook-and-ladder play.

The Niners got those points back less than four minutes later on Purdy’s 9-yard scramble for a touchdown.

The Lions tied the game at 21 on their first possession of the second half when Goff completed a 6-yard pass to Sam LaPorta for a TD 5:02 into the third quarter, then hooked up with Tim Patrick on a two-point conversion.

Purdy passed for 79 yards on the Niners’ ensuing drive, including a 5-yard strike to Deebo Samuel for a touchdown that made it 28-21 in favor of San Francisco.

The Lions took the lead before the quarter ended. First, Jake Bates blasted a 57-yard field goal with 4:25 remaining in the frame, then Joseph’s first interception set up Goff’s 4-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown on fourth down with 19 seconds to go.

Bates extended the advantage to six at 34-28 with his 42-yard field goal with 10:29 left in the game.

Joseph’s second interception halted the Niners’ next possession, and Gibbs’ 30-yard touchdown run with 2:58 remaining put the game away.

San Francisco backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs — who came in when Purdy was injured late — scored on a 7-yard run with 43 seconds left to make it a one-score game, but Jake Moody’s onside kick went out of bounds and the Lions kneeled out the clock.

–Field Level Media

Newsletter