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TOUCHDOWN GIANTS: Richie James gets his first touchdown of the year.
The Detroit Lions extended their win streak to three games on Sunday as they defeated the New York Giants 31-18 at MetLife Stadium. The Lions improved to 4-7 while the Giants fell to 7-3 -- and for New York, the loss game with a long list of injuries.
Turnovers were the story of the game, with the Giants giving up the ball three times and the Lions scoring touchdowns on those turnovers twice.
The Giants offense bounced back from a rough first drive to take a 6-3 lead as quarterback Daniel Jones capped off a 75-yard drive with a three-yard rush for the touchdown. The extra point was no good, as wind in New Jersey played a major factor.
In the second quarter, Aiden Hutchinson gave the Lions the big play they needed, intercepting Jones as the Lions took over at the Giants' 18 yard line, and not long after Jamaal Williams ran it in to give the Lions the lead.
The Lions extended their lead right before the half ended, thanks to another Williams touchdown, this time a 1-yard rush to make it 17-6.
Coming out of the half, the Lions got into the end zone again, and who was it? Williams, of course, with a hat trick on the day. Williams has now passed Barry Sanders for the Lions' record for most rushing touchdowns in the first 10 games with 12.
Hutchinson made some noise on defense again late, this time recovering a fumble recovery that the Lions turned into seven points. D'Andre Swift ran it four yards into the end zone.
Here are our key takeaways from the Week 11 game:
Why the Lions won
Jamaal. Williams. The Lions running back scored three touchdowns in the victory. He finished with 64 yards on 17 carries. Justin Jackson had 66 yards on 9 carries.
The Lions offensive line did a good job of protecting Jared Goff, who did not get sacked.
The Lions defense had two interceptions, and capitalizing on the first one was key to setting the tone with Williams' first score.
The Giants dominated the passing game (Jones had 345 yards with one TD and the two INTs), but it didn't matter. Total rushing yards and trips to the red zone were both also in favor of the Lions.
Detroit's defense limited Giants star running back Saquon Barkley, who had 15 carries for just 22 yards.
Why the Giants lost
Throwing two interceptions is not exactly the recipe for a win. After falling behind, the Giants needed to make the most of each possession. Giving the Lions the ball and good field position not only took the ball away from New York, but gave the Lions more momentum to take a larger lead.
The offense was shut down for most of the game, but the Giants did get things moving ... in the fourth quarter, and by then they were too far behind to catch up. The run game struggled with just 89 yards as the Lions contained Barkley.
The Giants desperately needed more trips to the end zone to keep up with the Lions offense and the run game that New York's defense could not contain. And injuries didn't help New York, either.
Turning point
Neither team did much offensively to start the game and through a quarter and a half, after six drives, it was 6-3 Lions. Enter Aiden Hutchinson, who intercepted Daniel Jones to flip the momentum and set up great field position for the Lions. Detroit got their first touchdown of the game and from there it was all Lions.
Play of the game
Daniel Jones' pass intended for Lawrence Cager was intercepted by Kerby Joseph, who ran it back for 38 yards.
What's next
The Lions have a challenge ahead of them, as they host the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving. Not only is it a short week, but they will face one of the best teams in the AFC.
The Giants have a divisional showdown on Thanksgiving, as they head to Dallas to face the Cowboys. The NFC East is a tight race, so this game could have serious playoff implications.
