Despite throwing a career-high five interceptions, Jared Goff led the Detroit Lions to a come-from-behind 26-23 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday Night Football at NRG Stadium.
With the score tied 23-23, Lions kicker Jake Bates nailed a 52-yard field goal at the buzzer as the Lions extended their win streak to seven games.
But it wasn’t all smiles for Detroit through the first three quarters of the game.
The Lions trailed 23-7 heading into halftime after Goff threw three interceptions in the first half. The 30-year-old former first overall pick threw two more in the third quarter but, despite those errors, the tide eventually changed.
Detroit rattled off 16 unanswered points to tie the game with just over five minutes left in the game after Bates’ successful 58-yard field goal.
The Texans missed an opportunity to retake the lead with under two minutes to go after kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed a 58-yarder of his own to the left.
In the end, Goff and Bates played hero for Detroit with their game-winning drive as time expired, maintaining a one-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North standings at a record of 8-1.
According to the Associated Press, the Lions are 8-1 for the first time since 1954 and become the first team to win a game despite throwing five or more interceptions since 2012 when the Atlanta Falcons beat the Arizona Cardinals with Matt Ryan throwing five picks.
Goff threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns while running back Jahmyr Gibbs added 71 yards on the ground.
The quarterback told reporters after the game that he didn’t think he had played that badly, but simply had some unlucky plays.
“I’ve been through a whole lot worse than that,” Goff said. “I’ve been to the bottom. Mentally, I’ve been to the bottom. Some unlucky plays will not throw me off my game.”
He later added: “Every team gets punched in the mouth. At some point, every team does. And the good ones respond and we are one of those teams. We respond.”
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud also struggled with turnovers, finishing with 232 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. It was Houston’s second straight defeat, falling to 6-4.
The Lions host the Jacksonville Jaguars next week while the Texans head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
