Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions had been scoring at an impressive rate for three months. As the weather changed, they showed they could also win using traditional football tactics.
Jahmyr Gibbs ran for two touchdowns, David Montgomery added another touchdown, and the Lions’ defense held the Indianapolis Colts to just two field goals, shutting them out from the end zone on Sunday. This helped the Lions secure their ninth straight win with a 24-6 victory.
“This is, whatever it is, 10 quarters without allowing a touchdown and the three last games in the second half we’re not allowing it,” coach Dan Campbell said. “We talk about it all the time — limiting points, play physical style, shut down the run — we were able to do that.”
The Lions have been strong all season, especially lately, and their improvement is clear.
With this win, the Lions reached a 10-1 record for the first time since 1934, their first season in Detroit. They have the longest active winning streak in the league and are undefeated on the road this season, with a 6-0 record.
While the Lions have been scoring lots of points all season, Campbell’s focus on physical football has allowed them to also win with a ball-control offense and a defense that has been improving week by week. This combination was key to their victory.
Gibbs had 21 carries for 90 yards, while Goff completed 26 of 36 passes for 269 yards but did not throw any touchdowns. For the third week in a row, all against AFC South teams, the Lions shut out their opponent in the second half.
“If you can win on the road, you’re normally a pretty damn good team,” Campbell said. “And we can win on the road.”
The Colts (5-7) lost their second straight home game and their fourth in the past five games.
Anthony Richardson had another inconsistent game, completing 11 of 28 passes for 172 yards and rushing 10 times for 61 yards. But it was the Colts’ failure to finish drives with touchdowns that hurt them again.
This problem was clear from the start when Richardson drove the Colts into the Lions’ 5-yard line but they had to settle for a field goal after failing to score a touchdown.
“We’ve got to take advantage of our opportunities,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “This league comes down to inches, it comes down to yards and you’ve got to take advantage of those opportunities. We’ve had issues down in the red zone and you have to look at the tape and clean it up.”
Detroit made the Colts pay for their mistakes.
Gibbs’ 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Lions a 7-3 lead. After the Colts settled for another short field goal, Montgomery scored on a 6-yard touchdown run, making the score 14-6.
The Lions’ defense kept the Colts from scoring again.
“Those players, we’ve been around each other long enough, they’ve been around each other to know exactly what we’re looking for,” Campbell said. “We have an identity about us. We know the critical factors as they pertain to winning, and those guys take that stuff serious.”
Gibbs added a 5-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to make it 21-6, and the Lions sealed the game with a 56-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Amon-Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 62 yards for the Lions, while Michael Pittman Jr. had six catches for 96 yards for the Colts, despite briefly leaving the game with a shoulder injury in the first half.
