DETROIT QUARTERBACK JARED Goff threw for five touchdowns in a 42-17 victory over the Denver Broncos that saw the Lions edge closer to a first NFL playoff berth since 2016.
Goff’s five TD passes — three of them to rookie Sam LaPorta — matched his career high, and the Lions could be in the post-season by the end of this week’s games depending on how they play out, most simply if the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.
The victory was a welcome return to form for Goff and the Lions, who had lost two of their last three.
Goff connected with LaPorta, rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown for touchdowns in the second quarter to put the Lions up 21-0 at halftime.
After putting up just 75 offensive yards in the first half, Denver got on the board with Russell Wilson’s three-yard TD pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey in the third.
Goff answered with a 75-yard drive capped by a scoring pass to LaPorta and the Broncos had to settle for a field goal after an apparent touchdown was called back because of an offside penalty.
Wilson, who gave up a fumble on his first possession, connected on 18 of 32 passes for 223 yards with one touchdown and a rushing touchdown.
Goff completed 24 of 34 passes for 278 yards and Gibbs added a rushing touchdown to go with his TD catch as the Lions improved to 10-4.
Elsewhere, fightback victories for the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts boosted both clubs in their quest for playoff berths.
Evan McPherson kicked a 29-yard field goal in overtime to give the Bengals a 27-24 triumph over Minnesota while Gardner Minshew threw three touchdown passes to lift the Colts over Pittsburgh 30-13.
Jake Browning, who was released three times by the Vikings before landing with Cincinnati in 2021, completed 29 of 42 passes for 324 yards, including two touchdown tosses to Tee Higgins, as the Bengals rallied from 17-3 down entering the fourth quarter and improved to 8-6 on the season.
“There was a little bit more this week,” Browning said.
“That one felt good. I think when that field goal was good I screamed into a camera, ‘They never should have cut me.’”
The Vikings fell to 7-7, sixth in the chase for seven NFC playoff spots, despite Nick Mullens throwing for 303 yards with two touchdown passes to Jordan Addison and Ty Chandler rushing 23 times for 132 yards.
Mullens connected with Addison on a 37-yard touchdown pass on the third quarter’s opening drive and Greg Joseph added a 39-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 17-3 advantage.
Minnesota’s defensive unit had not allowed a touchdown in more than 166 minutes, the longest span in the NFL this season, until Browning connected with Higgins on a 13-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Joe Mixon’s 1-yard touchdown run lifted the Bengals level at 17-17 with 7:46 remaining.
Mullens then guided the Vikings on a 75-yard scoring march capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Addison with 3:48 to play.
Addison’s touchdown reception was his ninth of the season, the most by any NFL rookie this year.
Cincinnati responded in the dying seconds when Browning lofted a throw to Higgins, who leaped high to grab the ball at the 1-yard line, landed and then — while being pulled out of bounds — swung the ball over the goal line for a stunning 21-yard touchdown play as the Bengals equalized at 24-24 to force overtime.
- Colts trample Steelers -
At Indianapolis, Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky scored on a 1-yard touchdown run after video review overruled a lost fumble call, but a missed conversion kick left Pittsburgh ahead only 6-0.
A blocked Indianapolis punt set up Trubisky’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson early in the second quarter.
But Minshew answered for the Colts with a 16-yard touchdown toss to Zack Moss and a 14-yard touchdown throw to D.J. Montgomery for a 14-13 halftime lead.
Julian Blackmon recovered a fumble by Pittsburgh rusher Najee Harris at the Steelers’ 18-yard line and on the next play Minshew hit Mo Alie-Cox with a touchdown pass for a 21-13 Colts lead early in the third quarter.
Matt Gay added a field goals of 29, 31 and 42 yards and Blackmon made a late interception to help seal the victory.
The Colts also reached 8-6 to join Cincinnati in an AFC playoff position.
