The Detroit Lions had an offensive explosion to take down the previously undefeated Seattle Seahawks 42-29 on Monday Night Football.
The Lions (3-1) hosted their second prime-time game at Ford Field in the opening month of the 2024 NFL season and came out with their second straight win. This is the first time Dan Campbell's Lions have beaten the Seahawks in the fourth straight season these two teams have met.
The Lions took the lead on a David Montgomery touchdown, which Seattle answered with a Kenneth Walker touchdown. Detroit put together two more straight touchdown drives ending with a pair of Jahmyr Gibbs touchdowns. Seattle has scored twice on two third-quarter possessions, while the Lions scored on an Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown pass to Jared Goff on a trick play. Jameson Williams got loose for a 70-yard touchdown, followed by Walker's third touchdown run.
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The Lions debuted their new black alternate uniforms , and Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson was inducted into the Pride of the Lions during halftime and had his No. 81 jersey retired.
The game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. from Ford Field. The game is being televised on ABC and can be streamed on ESPN+ or on Fubo (free trial) . The Lions entered as 4-point favorites, according to BetMGM .
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Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks live updates, game updates
Kerby Joseph, one of the MVPs of the first month of the season, sealed the game with his third interception in four games. Joseph high-pointed a deep post from Smith for his third takeaway in the end zone to allow the Lions offense to kneel out the clock to ice this one.
The Lions could not run out the clock as Dre'Mont Jones got through and sacked Goff in the end zone on second down. Goff stretched the ball out and tried to get it back to the 1-yard line and he was originally ruled down outside of the end zone, but replay review determined it was a safety. The Seahawks get the ball back with two minutes left trailing by 13.
The Lions' defense will finish this game with consecutive stops after giving up three straight touchdowns to start the second half. The Seahawks moved the ball down to the Lions 3-yard line, but Geno Smith threw four straight incomplete passes to give the ball back to the Lions. Alex Anzalone, Carlton Davis and Terrion Arnold all made plays in coverage in the final moments to get off the field.
The Lions may have just sealed this one.
Detroit put together a seven-play, 80-yard drive, capped off with Goff hitting Amon-Ra St. Brown in the corner of the end zone and he tapped his toes for the Lions' sixth touchdown of the night. The drive started with a 29-yard completion to Tim Patrick over the middle, followed with a leak screen to tight end Sam LaPorta for a 30-yard gain. This is the second time Goff and St. Brown have connected on a touchdown, but this time the quarterback hit the receiver.
Kenneth Walker just had one of his signature runs to reach a hat-trick. He took a pitch left, cut through a big hole in the middle of the line and outraced Carlton Davis to the right pylon for a 21-yard touchdown. The Seahawks went 70 yards in seven plays, sparked by a 23-yard Walker run earlier on the drive.
The Lions got the touchdown back on the first play of the next drive.
The Lions offensive line picked up a blitz and Jared Goff fired a strike to a wide open Williams on a dig over the middle, and the speedster exploded to the right sideline and raced in untouched for the touchdown. Williams started high-stepping the touchdown at Seattle's 25-yard line, then dunked the ball through the upright before jumping into the Ford Field crowd.
The Seahawks moved right down the field again and Kenneth Walker found the end zone from the 1-yard line for his second touchdown to cut the Lions' lead back to seven. The Seahawks moved into Detroit territory on a 29-yard completion over the middle to Tyler Lockett, followed by a holding penalty against Terrion Arnold on the outside. Geno Smith hit Jake Bobo to reach the goal line, and Walker found paydirt the next play.
Seattle tried a two-point conversion, but Smith missed Bobo on a slot fade. The first attempt was called pass interference on Carlton Davis, but the Lions got the second stop.
The Lions' trickery continues.
At the Seattle 7-yard line, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson dialed up a double-reverse pass, also known as a Philly Special, and Amon-Ra St. Brown flipped a perfectly weighted pass to his quarterback in the corner of the end zone. The touchdown was set up by a devastating catch and run from David Montgomery, who made nearly all of Seattle's defense miss on a dump-off for a 40-yard gain, followed by a 23-yard completion to Tim Patrick.
The Seahawks finished the opening drive of the second half with a touchdown to tight end AJ Barner on a play-action pass inside the 10-yard line. Seattle moved into Detroit territory with a 16-yard completion to Noah Fant, then Carlton Davis was called for pass interference on DK Metcalf at the Lions' 9-yard line, and the spot foul set up the touchdown.
The Lions put together a third straight touchdown drive on nine plays spanning 70 yards. Jahmyr Gibbs found the end zone from the 1-yard line again on a power run right. The Lions quickly moved the ball down the field, starting with a completion to Sam LaPorta with a facemask penalty tacked on, followed by a Gibbs run for a first and another completion to LaPorta to get inside Seattle's 10-yard line.
The Seahawks came right back with a touchdown of their own. The drive started with a third down completion to Jaxon-Smith Njigba, followed by a hold against Carlton Davis on third down to keep the drive alive. Geno Smith hit DK Metcalf on a slot fade to get the ball the Lions' 1-yard line, then Walker bounced a run to the pylon for a touchdown.
The fumble turned into a touchdown three plays later. The Lions got the ball down to the goal line with a completion to Brock Wright, then Gibbs easily walked in on a power run right to extend Detroit's lead to two touchdowns early in the second quarter.
DK Metcalf lost control of the football after bowling through a handful of Lions' defenders while fighting for a first down on a nice punch from Jack Campbell. The ball squirted toward the sideline and Carlton Davis scooped it up in stride and returned it to the Seahawks 14-yard line. The fumble stopped what was turning into a nice Seattle drive featuring a few darts from Geno Smith for first downs.
Both teams traded punts on their opening possessions, but the Lions marched right down the field on their second try for a 12-play. 93-yard touchdown drive that ended on a David Montgomery 1-yard touchdown run after powering through linebacker Tyrel Dodson in the backfield. The drive started with a Montgomery run for a first down, Jared Goff escaping a sack to hit Jameson Williams for a first. Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Montgomery each had first downs after that to put the Lions inside the 5-yard line, where Montgomery finished the job.
Lions vs Seahawks pregame notes
The Lions are looking to start their first winning streak in 2024 and snap a losing streak to Seattle dating back to 2012 . The offense is still working to figure out the last pieces of the puzzle and have a truly explosive performance, while the defense has shouldered the load early.
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The Seahawks have excelled on both sides of the ball in their undefeated start, led by an ultra-efficient start from quarterback Geno Smith. He has completed 74.8% of his passes and averaged 262.3 yards per game for a Seahawks offense averaging 24.3 points per game. DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett are one of the top wide receiver trios in the NFL and the offense has Kenneth Walker III coming back to the backfield.
Seattle's defense is down lots of key pieces in the front seven but still has a full-strength secondary that has powered a top-2 passing defense through three weeks. The Lions will likely stick to a similar game plan as last week and try running the ball often even without Ragnow to limit the impact of Seattle corners Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen.
What time is Lions vs. Seahawks game?
- Date: Monday, Sept. 30.
- Where: Ford Field, Detroit.
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET.
What channel is Lions vs. Seahawks game?
TV channel: ABC.
Streaming live: At ESPN+ or on Fubo (free trial) .
Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) in Detroit (find all Lions radio affiliates ).
Lions vs. Seahawks prediction, picks
Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press: The Seahawks have had the Lions’ number of late, with wins in each of the past three seasons by a combined score of 136-105, but I think this game will be different. The Lions had trouble with Seattle’s rushing attack under old coach Pete Carroll, but the scheme has changed under Macdonald and the Lions are playing as good of defense as anyone in the NFL right now. This one won’t be a cakewalk. Walker brings balance to Seattle's offense, Metcalf is a dangerous receiver and the Seahawks have the personnel to make life difficult on Goff. But on Monday night, with the home crowd behind them, I think the more tested Lions come out on top. Pick: Lions 24, Seahawks 20 .
Lions vs. Seahawks betting odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM just before kickoff.
- Spread: Lions by 4.
- Over/under: 47 points.
- Moneyline: Lions -225, Seahawks +185.
Lions vs. Seahawks injury report
The Lions are without Branch this week along with the other three losses that are long-term on defense. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill and tight end Sam LaPorta are expected to be back in their full roles a week after getting banged up against the Cardinals and exiting early.
On top of Mafe, Murphy, Williams and Nwosu, Seattle linebacker Jerome Baker is also out. MSU graduate and Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III will be active after missing the past two weeks with an oblique injury.
Detroit Lions schedule 2024
- Sunday, Sept. 8: L.A. Rams, ( W 26-20, OT )
- Sunday, Sept. 15: Tampa Bay, ( L 20-16 )
- Sunday, Sept. 22: at Arizona, ( W 20-13 )
- Monday, Sept. 30: Seattle, 8:15
- Oct. 6: Bye
- Sunday, Oct. 13: at Dallas, 4:25
- Sunday, Oct. 20: at Minnesota, 1
- Sunday, Oct. 27: Tennessee, 1
- Sunday, Nov. 3: at Green Bay, 4:25
- Sunday, Nov. 10: at Houston, 8:20
- Sunday, Nov. 17: Jacksonville, 1
- Sunday, Nov. 24: at Indianapolis, 1
- Thursday, Nov. 28: Chicago, 12:30
- Thursday, Dec. 5: Green Bay, 8:15
- Sunday, Dec. 15: Buffalo, 4:25
- Sunday, Dec. 22: at Chicago, 1
- Monday, Dec. 30: at San Francisco, 8:15
- TBA: Minnesota, TBA
- Feb. 9, Super Bowl LIX: in New Orleans
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Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press covering the city's professional teams, the state's two flagship universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 , and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions vs. Seahawks score: Game recap, highlights in Lions 42-29 Monday Night Football win
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