Detroit, MI— Detroit needed a spark, and Jahmyr Gibbs delivered one the moment overtime began.
On the first play of the extra period, Gibbs sliced through the middle and sprinted 69 yards for the walk-off touchdown, capping a monster afternoon and pushing the Lions to a 34–27 comeback win over the New York Giants on Sunday. The second-year back piled up a career-high 264 yards from scrimmage and scored three times, turning a game slipping away into a desperately needed Detroit victory.
“He saved us today,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said afterward.
The Giants, meanwhile, helped open the door. Interim coach Mike Kafka elected to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 6 while leading by three late in the fourth quarter. Instead of tacking on an easy field goal to go up six, New York came up empty when Jameis Winston’s pass to Theo Johnson fell incomplete, ending a seven-minute, 86-yard march with no points.
“We’re playing to win, and we wanted to be aggressive,” Kafka said, coaching his second game since Brian Daboll’s dismissal.
Detroit capitalized. Jake Bates drilled a 59-yard field goal with 28 seconds left to tie the score, matching his career long and giving Detroit one final chance to reach overtime. From there, Jared Goff simply handed the ball to his star running back and watched.
“I had the best view in the stadium,” Goff said. “I was celebrating before he even hit full speed.”
The Lions (7–4), who entered the week outside the NFC playoff picture, fell behind by double digits multiple times but refused to crack. They avoided back-to-back losses for the first time in more than three seasons—something players openly acknowledged they couldn’t allow.
“It was a game we had to have,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs dominated every phase, rushing for a career-best 219 yards—the third-highest single-game mark in franchise history—and scoring twice on the ground, including a 49-yard burst early in the fourth. He also added 11 receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown.
“We bottled him up a lot, but all it takes is one,” Kafka said.
New York got the ball first in overtime but stalled out at the Detroit 31, with Aidan Hutchinson burying Winston for a fourth-down sack. The Lions needed just one play after that.
Goff finished 28 of 42 for 279 yards, throwing touchdowns to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Gibbs. He also threw one interception off a deflection. St. Brown was his top target once again, catching nine passes for 149 yards.
The Giants (2–10) dropped their sixth straight and continued a brutal trend: failing to hold fourth-quarter leads. No team in the league has lost more games this season after leading in the final period.
Winston, starting again for injured rookie Jaxson Dart, delivered splash plays in a creative game plan. He accounted for two trick-play touchdowns—catching a 33-yard score and later throwing a 39-yard strike. He became the first quarterback this season to throw for more than 300 yards against Detroit, finishing with 366 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 18-for-36 passing.
Wan’Dale Robinson posted career highs with nine receptions for 156 yards and hauled in a 12-yard touchdown as New York built multiple 10-point leads.
“That could’ve gone against us about 10 different times,” Campbell said. “But our guys made the plays when it mattered.”
New York didn’t, continuing a month-long pattern. Just weeks ago in Denver, the Giants became the first team since at least 1970 to blow an 18-point lead in the final six minutes and lose in regulation.
“We need to close games out,” Kafka said. “I still believe this group can do that.”
Injuries
Giants: QB Jaxson Dart (concussion) and EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder) missed their second straight game. CB Paulson Adebo (knee) was out for the fifth straight week. LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles exited with a neck injury in the second quarter.
Lions: CB Terrion Arnold (concussion) and S Kerby Joseph (knee) were inactive. WR/PR Kalif Raymond (ankle) was injured in the third quarter and did not return.
Up Next:
Giants: Visit New England on Monday, Dec. 1.
Lions: Host the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day.
