Goff’s four touchdowns and Gibbs’ 151 yards send Lions past Cardinals, 45-21

Jared Goff accounted for four touchdowns and Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 151 yards as the Detroit Lions beat the Arizona Cardinals 45-21 on Sunday, turning an early seven-point deficit into a comfortable road victory.

Detroit improved to 3-2 behind 31 unanswered points. Goff completed 19 of 30 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, then added a one-yard rushing score. Gibbs carried 25 times, scored twice on the ground and caught five passes for 56 yards, giving him 207 yards from scrimmage.

The Lions had punted on their first three possessions before their offense found a way through. Arizona led 7-0 after Jacoby Brissett’s two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Teagan Quitoriano. Detroit answered with a drive kept alive by Goff’s fourth-down completion to Sam LaPorta and an Arizona unnecessary-roughness penalty. Gibbs finished it with a one-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.

The next two Detroit touchdowns also depended on fourth-down execution. LaPorta caught a 38-yard scoring pass on fourth-and-one, and Jameson Williams followed with an eight-yard touchdown reception on fourth-and-four. The official NFL clip shows Williams finishing that second conversion in the end zone.

Williams caught only two passes, but both were touchdowns. His other reception was a 39-yard score in the third quarter that stretched Detroit’s lead to 31-7. LaPorta finished with five catches for 88 yards, while Amon-Ra St. Brown added six receptions for 69.

Detroit’s defense gave that surge room to develop. The Lions recorded five sacks, with D.J. Wonnum credited with two, and rookie safety Keith Abney II intercepted Brissett in his first career start. The Cardinals repeatedly had to send their offense back to the sideline while Detroit was building its halftime advantage.

Wonnum’s third-down sack late in the second quarter helped prevent Arizona from answering the Lions’ scoring run.

Gibbs added a three-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and Goff’s short rushing score completed Detroit’s scoring. The Lions finished with 412 total yards and did not turn the ball over. Arizona managed 56 rushing yards, leaving Brissett to shoulder most of its offense.

Brissett completed 29 of 47 passes for 292 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Quitoriano caught another touchdown in the third quarter, and Trey McBride scored late in the fourth, but those scores came after Detroit had established its large lead.

The win came with injuries to monitor. Detroit safety Marquez White left with a forearm injury, and returner Tom Kennedy exited with a knee injury; neither returned. Arizona safety Wydett Williams Jr. left with a concussion, according to the Associated Press. No return timetable was established in the game reports.

Detroit has its bye next week before hosting Green Bay on October 25. Arizona fell to 1-4 and visits the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

Sources

Lions recap: Detroit at Arizona · Lions beat Cardinals 45-21 · ESPN: Lions-Cardinals final box and play log · NBC Sports: Lions roll to 45-21 win