Detroit, MI —Quarterback Jared Goff delivered an exceptional performance, completing all 18 of his passes to set an NFL record as the Detroit Lions triumphed over the Seattle Seahawks 42-29 on Monday night.
“I just gave the game ball to someone else, so I feel terrible,” said Lions coach Dan Campbell. “I knew he had a great game, but I didn’t realize he was perfect.”
Goff’s achievement surpassed the previous record held by Kurt Warner, who went 10 for 10 for Arizona against Houston in 2005. “It’s a cool accomplishment,” Goff remarked. “I’m just glad we secured the win.”
Goff did have one incomplete pass, but it was negated by a penalty, leading him to wonder, “Does that count?”
In addition to his flawless passing, Goff caught a touchdown pass for the first time in his career from Amon-Ra St. Brown, marking the eighth time in league history that two players have thrown and caught touchdowns from each other. St. Brown tossed a 7-yard pass to Goff during a trick play in the third quarter, while Goff later connected with St. Brown for an 8-yard touchdown in the fourth.
Throwing for 292 yards, Goff completed his first 14 passes in a previous game against Arizona, but this record lasted just over a week. He also delivered a stunning 70-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams, who outran the Seahawks’ defense in the third quarter.
The Lions (3-1) attempted one more throw from their end zone, but Goff was sacked for a safety with 2:01 left, trimming their lead to 13 points.
The Seahawks (3-1) struggled to recover due to an injury-riddled defense that couldn’t contain the Lions on either side of the ball. “It shows we aren’t the team we aspire to be,” acknowledged Seattle coach Mike Macdonald.
Macdonald opted to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the Detroit 39 early in the fourth quarter, but Tyler Lockett’s pass interference call nullified a first down. “They said he picked the guy, but I think we all saw he never made contact,” Smith commented.
The Seahawks went for it again on fourth-and-goal from the Lions’ 3-yard line with 2:09 remaining, but Geno Smith threw his fourth consecutive incompletion.
The Lions capitalized, extending their lead to 15 points with 5:23 left when Goff delivered a high pass to St. Brown, who made a leaping catch to secure the touchdown.
Jahmyr Gibbs shone in the second quarter with two rushing touchdowns, finishing with 78 yards on the ground. David Montgomery kicked off the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run, concluding a 10-play, 93-yard drive that consumed over seven minutes in the first quarter, and he totaled 80 yards from scrimmage.
Geno Smith completed 38 of 56 passes for 395 yards, including a 9-yard touchdown to rookie tight end AJ Barner in the third quarter. He extended a drive with a sneak on fourth down but later threw an interception in the end zone to Kerby Joseph, sealing Seattle’s first loss of the season.
“Even when we were down by 14, we believed we had a chance to come back,” Smith said.
DK Metcalf had seven catches for 104 yards but lost a crucial fumble at the Detroit 37 in the first quarter. Kenneth Walker contributed with 80 yards on 12 carries, scoring a career-high three rushing touchdowns.
Up Next:
Seahawks: Plays the New York Giants Sunday night at home.
Lions: After an off week, play at Dallas on Oct. 13 at home.
