David Montgomery’s 1-yard touchdown run in overtime secured a home victory for the Detroit Lions against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. Montgomery finished the game with 91 rushing yards, supporting his backfield partner Jahmyr Gibbs, who added 40 yards and a touchdown.
With this win, the Lions start their season 1-0, while the Rams fall to 0-1.
Detroit maintained a lead for most of the game thanks to Gibbs’ rushing efforts, a 52-yard touchdown reception by receiver Jameson Williams, and two field goals from rookie kicker Jake Bates, who was making his NFL debut. Bates successfully kicked a crucial 32-yarder with just 17 seconds remaining, allowing the game to go into overtime.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff completed 18 of 28 passes for 217 yards, along with one touchdown and one interception. While Williams had a standout performance, star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was relatively quiet, recording only three catches for 13 yards.
On the other side, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 317 yards, completing 34 of 49 passes with one touchdown and one interception. His touchdown came late in the fourth quarter with a 9-yard pass to Cooper Kupp, which gave L.A. a brief lead before the final moments of the game.
Stafford played the second half without star wide receiver Puka Nacua, who was sidelined due to a knee injury.