Lions survive the 49ers' first-half surge, secure 8-0 road record

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — If there was any question on whether Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell would play or rest his starters ahead of the playoffs, he answered that immediately by going full throttle with his top guys on Monday night.

In a rematch of 2023 NFC Championship Game, the Lions got revenge, winning 40-34 after the San Francisco 49ers denied Detroit its first-ever Super Bowl appearance last season.

Detroit hadn’t won a road game at San Francisco since 1975, losing 14 straight — including the postseason — but overcame a 21-13 first-half deficit to end that road drought against the 49ers.

The Lions also close the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record on the road — the longest road winning streak in franchise history.

QB breakdown: Lions quarterback Jared Goff was able to thrive in pressure moments on the prime-time stage. All three of Goff’s touchdowns were on either third or fourth down. He now has 17 touchdowns and zero interceptions on third and fourth down this season. He also finished the game with 303 passing yards against the 49ers, while completing 26 of 34 passes.

Promising trend: WR Jameson Williams scored a receiving touchdown for a third straight game. Against the 49ers, he scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown as well as a 41-yard receiving touchdown in the first half. In last season’s NFC championship at the 49ers, Williams also had multiple touchdowns. He is now 33 yards shy of the first 1,000-yard receiving season of his career.

Troubling trend: Detroit’s defense. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy picked the Lions’ defense apart with his accuracy and pinpoint playmaking, notably during the first half. The 49ers scored a touchdown on their first three possessions, with Purdy also completing two 40-yard passes in the game. Against tougher competition, such as the Minnesota Vikings this week, this could be a major issue. — Eric Woodyard

Next game: vs. Minnesota Vikings (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

In an NFC Championship Game rematch that was supposed to be a battle of NFC titans, the 49ers and Lions entered Monday’s matchup headed in decidedly different directions.

As 49ers end Nick Bosa succinctly put it on Thursday, “They’re doing great, and we had an off year.”

By Monday’s kickoff, neither the 49ers nor the Lions really had much to play for as San Francisco was eliminated from postseason contention last week and Detroit’s season finale against Minnesota is all that matters for the NFC’s top seed.

That didn’t stop the Niners, who were down to their fourth-string running back and left tackle and were missing key starters all over the roster, from pushing the equally if not more injured Lions to the brink in an entertaining offensive shootout.

There’s no such thing as moral victories in the NFL, but Monday’s defeat offered plenty of evidence that there is still plenty of fight left in the Niners and that their belief in coach Kyle Shanahan hasn’t wavered. Those are things that can be helpful as they head toward an offseason that holds plenty of uncertainty and could bring a lot of change.

In more practical terms, Monday’s loss is better for the 6-10 Niners in that it clinched a last-place schedule for them in 2025 and maintains their chances of holding on to the No. 11 pick in the next NFL draft.

Those are small consolations in a lost season that the 49ers didn’t see coming, but if nothing else, they can take additional solace in the fact that a nightmare 2024 is almost over.

Describe the game in two words: All offense. It’s little surprise that the high-octane Lions moved the ball up and down the field, but the 49ers’ offense hasn’t done much of that this season. The Niners and Lions scored touchdowns on their first five possessions combined and there wasn’t an incomplete pass thrown by either side until 4:59 remained in the second quarter. By night’s end, they combined for 74 points and 914 yards.

Most surprising performance: 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall has been mostly quiet since a big Week 10 performance in Tampa Bay, posting six catches for 58 yards in the ensuing six games. But Pearsall was prominently in the mix Monday night, finishing with 8 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. He’s the first 49ers rookie since Deebo Samuel Sr. in 2019 to have 100 receiving yards and a score in a game.

QB breakdown: Purdy was, at least statistically, perfect for the better part of the first three quarters Monday night against the Lions. Holding a “perfect” passer rating of 158.3 with 4:19 left in the third quarter, Purdy overthrew Pearsall into the waiting arms of Lions safety Kerby Joseph for the game’s first turnover. It put a damper on an otherwise stellar performance from Purdy, who finished 27-of-35 for 377 yards (a career high) with three touchdowns and a rushing score. In the final two minutes of the game, Purdy exited with an apparent elbow injury. He said postgame that he will have an MRI on Tuesday.

Troubling trend: 49ers kicker Jake Moody‘s struggles — of which there have been many — have largely been limited to the road this season. He hadn’t missed a field goal or extra point attempt at Levi’s Stadium. Until Monday night. He missed two field goals from over 50 yards (51 and 58). Moody was drafted in the third round because he’s supposed to be able to convert those kicks. He also missed an extra point at the end of the fourth quarter. Since Week 10, he’s 10-of-18 on field goal tries, a 55.6% conversion rate. Add kicker to the list of positions the 49ers will need to take a long look at in the offseason. — Nick Wagoner

Next game: at Arizona Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)