26-23 Lions. November 10, 2024. Houston.
Jared Goff threw five interceptions and Jake Bates kicked Detroit to victory at NRG Stadium.
73 Degrees In Houston. 71,512 People. One Ridiculous Game.
Jimmie Ward’s sitting pretty at Detroit’s 33-yard line. First drive of the game, Jalen Pitre tips Goff’s pass and Ward snags it. Eight plays later, Joe Mixon bulls into the end zone from 8 yards out.
7-0 Texans.
Ka’imi Fairbairn boots a 34-yarder. Then a monster 56-yarder. Then a 29-yarder. John Metchie III catches his first career touchdown with 16 seconds left in the half. Kid beat leukaemia, missed his whole rookie year, and scores on Sunday Night Football.
23-7 Houston at the break.
Goff’s Nightmare By The Numbers
| Quarter | Completions | Attempts | INTs | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First | 3/8 | 8 | 1 | 39.6 |
| Second | 4/9 | 9 | 2 | 42.3 |
| Third | 2/5 | 5 | 2 | 35.4 |
| Fourth | 6/8 | 8 | 0 | 145.3 |
Five career picks. Previous high was four against Chicago in 2018.
Sam LaPorta catches Goff’s 200th career touchdown pass in the second quarter. 20-yarder. Beautiful throw. Later, LaPorta’s shoulder gives out. AC joint injury after grabbing 3 balls for 66 yards. Done for the night.
Second Half: Houston Scores Nothing
Zero. Nil. Zilch.
Detroit’s defence turned into a brick wall. Carlton Davis III picks off Stroud on the very first play after halftime. Three plays later, Kamari Lassiter grabs his second pick of Goff. Then Davis gets another one in the end zone. Calen Bullock adds Houston’s fifth interception.
Seven total picks. Franchise record for Houston.
Still lost.
The Pass Rush That Changed Everything
| Lions Pass Rushers | Sacks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alim McNeill | 1 | Also 5 tackles, 1 TFL |
| Josh Paschal | 1 | Forced fumble (Houston recovered) |
| James Houston | 1 | Big third down |
| P. O’Connor | 1 | Fourth quarter pressure |
Houston’s sacks on Goff? Zero.
Will Anderson Jr. watched from the sideline. Ankle injury. Their best rusher in street clothes while Detroit got whatever they wanted in protection.
Brian Branch buzzed around for 6 tackles (4 assisted). Jack Campbell notched 5. Alex Anzalone added 4. Kerby Joseph? That man ran an interception back for a touchdown against Green Bay last week. Tonight he just played solid coverage.
C.J. Stroud’s Complete Meltdown
First half: 14/20, 164 yards, touchdown, no picks. Solid.
After halftime: 5/13, 68 yards, 2 INTs.
That’s a 16.3 passer rating. PFF gave him 56.3 overall. Four sacks taken. Pocket kept collapsing.
Running Game Stats That Hurt To Read
Joe Mixon against Detroit:
| Stat | Number |
|---|---|
| Carries | 25 |
| Yards | 46 |
| Average | 1.8 |
| Long | 8 |
| TDs | 1 |
| PFF Grade | 52.3 |
Jahmyr Gibbs got 71 yards on 19 carries. Caught 2 passes on 3 targets for 37 more. David Montgomery punched in a 3-yard touchdown, failed the 2-point try, then caught his only target for 24 yards and another score.
Detroit rushed for 105 yards. Their eighth straight game over 100. Houston managed 56 total. On 28 attempts.
Targets Tell Stories
| Lions Receivers | Targets | Catches | Yards | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | 8 | 6 | 60 | 1 |
| Sam LaPorta | 6 | 3 | 66 | 1 |
| Jameson Williams | 5 | 3 | 53 | 0 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 3 | 2 | 37 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | 2 | 1 | 24 | 1 |
St. Brown now has 30 straight catches from Goff. Computer says that’s 1 in 780,000 odds.
Williams returned from his two-game suspension. Lions averaged 7.7 yards per completion without him. He brings the deep threat.
Houston’s Passing Game Died
Tank Dell: 9 targets, 5 catches, 39 yards. That’s 4.3 yards per target. Woof.
John Metchie III saved them: 5/6 for 74 yards and that touchdown. 81.0 PFF grade.
But Robert Woods? 3 targets. 1 catch. 1 yard. PFF grade: 46.0.
Xavier Hutchinson: 2/4 for 6 yards. Cade Stover: 1/2 for 2 yards.
No Nico Collins (inactive). No Stefon Diggs (IR). No explosiveness.
| Texans Receivers | Targets | Catches | Yards | PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tank Dell | 9 | 5 | 39 | 62.5 |
| John Metchie III | 6 | 5 | 74 | 81.0 |
| Dalton Schultz | 4 | 3 | 66 | 86.0 |
| Joe Mixon | 4 | 2 | 44 | – |
| Robert Woods | 3 | 1 | 1 | 46.0 |
Special Teams Decided This
Jake Bates: 2 for 2. A 58-yarder with 5:01 left to tie it. Then 52 yards as time expired for the win. Ex-soccer player at Auburn. Kicked for Michigan Panthers in the UFL this spring. Now he’s perfect on 14 field goals for Detroit.
Ka’imi Fairbairn: 3 for 4. Made from 34, 56, and 29. Missed from 58 with 1:56 left. Wide left. Season potentially over right there.
The Punting Game Nobody Noticed
| Punter | Team | Punts | Average | Inside 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Fox | Detroit | 4 | 47.0 | 1 |
| Tommy Townsend | Houston | 5 | 55.0 | 2 |
Townsend boomed them. Didn’t matter.
Third Down Efficiency Told The Tale
Houston first half: 4/7 (57%) Houston second half: 2/8 (25%)
Detroit game: 7/12 (58.3%)
When Detroit needed conversions, they got them. That 3rd-and-6 to St. Brown with 1:40 left? 11 yards. First down. Game essentially over.
PFF Grades Expose Everything
Houston’s Best:
- Derek Stingley Jr.: 86.0 (shutdown corner, zero targets completed)
- Dalton Schultz: 86.0 (only reliable target)
- Calen Bullock: 81.0 (INT, solid coverage)
- John Metchie III: 81.0 (clutch performance)
- Danielle Hunter: 80.9 (pressures but no sacks)
Houston’s Worst:
- Henry To’oTo’o: 29.1 (despite getting an INT!)
- Foley Fatukasi: 29.8 (rough night)
- Tim Sele: 37.3 (got pushed around)
- Robert Woods: 46.0 (one yard says it all)
Defensive Performances Matter
Jalen Pitre had himself a game for Houston: 10 tackles, 2 for loss, 2 passes defended. Didn’t matter.
Azeez Al-Shaair: 5 tackles, forced fumble. Derek Barnett and Mario Edwards contributed. Still gave up 26 points.
Detroit’s defence in the second half:
- 4 sacks
- 2 interceptions
- 50 total yards allowed
- 0 points
Time of Possession Lied
Houston controlled the clock 32:28 to Detroit’s 27:32.
Five extra minutes. Zero extra points when it mattered.
Both Teams Had 4 Penalties
Detroit: 61 yards Houston: 30 yards
Nobody cared. Flags didn’t decide this. Picks and kicks did.
The Lions Haven’t Been 8-1 Since 1954
Dwight Eisenhower was president. Gas cost 29 cents. Detroit was actually good at football.
Now they’re 8-1 again. Seven straight wins. Five straight on the road. Dan Campbell’s got them believing in chaos.
Their 13-1 takeaway-to-giveaway ratio over the past five games? That’s before tonight’s five picks. Maths professors crying somewhere.
Historical Meeting Number Six
All-time series: Detroit leads 2-4. Wait, that’s backwards. Houston leads 4-2.
Last game: Thanksgiving 2020. Houston won 41-25. Deshaun Watson threw for 318 yards. Different era entirely.
Winning Drive Breakdown
Detroit ball, own 48-yard line. 1:50 remaining. Need field goal range.
Play 1: Gibbs rush for 3 yards Play 2: Goff incomplete to St. Brown Play 3: Goff to St. Brown, 11 yards. First down at Houston 37.
Time runs. Bates trots out. 52 yards.
Good.
Lions 26, Texans 23.
Random Stats Flying Around
- Aidan Hutchinson still leads Detroit in sacks (7.5) despite missing four games
- Lions have rushed 100+ yards in all eight games
- Goff hadn’t thrown an INT in five games before tonight
- Houston was 4-1 at home entering tonight
- Kamari Lassiter left with a concussion in Q3 after his second pick
- Teams throwing 5+ INTs were 0-42 since 2012
The Quotes After
Dan Campbell: “We had to fight our way back in there. I’m proud of the guys.”
DeMeco Ryans: “We didn’t make the plays to win the game. Guys have to step up and make plays and that’s not happening.”
C.J. Stroud: “I blame this game on me. I’ve got to be better in those moments.”
Jared Goff: “I’ve been through a whole lot worse than that. Mentally, I’ve been to the bottom. Some unlucky plays aren’t going to throw me off my game.”
Weather: 73 And Perfect. Game: Insane.
Check the Lions-Rams game for more Detroit madness. This team specialises in weird wins.
Final Team Stats Comparison
| Category | Detroit | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 345 | 248 |
| Passing | 240 | 192 |
| Rushing | 105 | 56 |
| First Downs | 19 | 16 |
| Third Down % | 58.3 | 40.0 |
| Time of Possession | 27:32 | 32:28 |
| Turnovers | 5 | 2 |
ESPN Says This Shouldn’t Happen
Their analysis shows the probability of winning with five INTs. It’s basically zero.
NFL.com agrees. Called it “improbable.” That’s like calling the ocean “moist.”
Jake Bates Has Ice In His Veins
Former soccer player. Undrafted. Kicked in the UFL six months ago.
Now he’s 14-for-14 in the NFL. Hit two of the biggest kicks of the season. In primetime. In Houston.
“I just don’t deserve this,” Bates said after. “I was a soccer player growing up.”
Now he’s a Lions hero.
Detroit Lions vs Houston Texans Match Player Stats: The Proof
Five interceptions used to guarantee a loss. Houston’s defence set a franchise record. C.J. Stroud had them up 16 at half.
None of it mattered.
Carlton Davis III happened. Jake Bates happened. Fourth quarter Goff happened.
Final: Detroit 26, Houston 23.
Maths in shambles. Houston in shock. Detroit going 8-1.
Sometimes football just doesn’t make sense. Sunday night in Houston proved it.
Get deeper insights with player grades and advanced stats from the experts at PFF (Pro Football Focus).
