Jake Bates made a 52-yard field goal as time expired, and the Detroit Lions overcame a career-high five interceptions by Jared Goff to rally for a 26-23 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday night.
The Lions improved to 8-1 for the first time since 1954 with their seventh straight victory overall and fifth in a row on the road.
Detroit trailed 23-7 at halftime after Goff threw three interceptions in the first two quarters, and he threw two more picks in the third. Nonetheless, the Lions scored 16 straight points to tie it with about five minutes to go on Bates’ 58-yard field goal.
The Texans (6-4) had a chance to take the lead with just under two minutes left, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 58-yard try was wide left.
The Lions became the first team to win when throwing five or more interceptions since Atlanta beat Arizona 23-19 on Nov. 18, 2012, when Matt Ryan was picked off five times.
David Montgomery ran for a 3-yard touchdown early in the third, but his run on the 2-point conversion try was stopped, leaving the Lions down 23-13. A 9-yard TD reception by Amon-Ra St. Brown got Detroit within 23-20 early in the fourth quarter.
Goff threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns and Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 71 yards.
C.J. Stroud threw for 232 yards and a touchdown, but he threw two interceptions in the second half as the Texans were shut out after the break to lose for the third time in four games.
Goff’s five picks were the most by an NFL player since Jameis Winston threw five on Oct. 13, 2019, for Tampa Bay against Carolina.
Goff hadn’t thrown an interception in five games and entered Sunday with just four all season. His previous career high was four in a loss to Chicago while with the Rams on Dec. 9, 2018.
Rookie Kamari Lassiter led the Texans with two interceptions as they set a franchise record for picks.
Jimmie Ward intercepted Goff on Detroit’s first drive on a ball that was tipped by Jalen Pitre to give Houston the ball at the Detroit 33. The Texans made it 7-0 when Joe Mixon ran 8 yards for a touchdown.
A 34-yard field goal by Fairbairn extended the lead to 10-0 with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter. Detroit cut the lead to 10-7 on a 20-yard touchdown reception by Sam LaPorta.
The Texans were up by 6 when Denico Autry hit Goff’s arm as he threw and the ball fell into the hands of Henry To’oTo’o to give Houston possession at the Detroit 36.
But the Texans couldn’t move the ball after that and settled for Fairbairn’s 29-yard field goal that made it 16-7 with about four minutes left in the first half.
Houston extended the lead to 23-7 when Stroud found John Metchie III for a 15-yard touchdown with 16 seconds left in the second quarter. It was the first career touchdown for Metchie, who missed his entire rookie season in 2022 undergoing treatment for leukemia.
Goff threw his third interception when Lassiter picked off his desperation throw on the last play of the first half.
Davis intercepted Stroud on the first play of the second half. But Lassiter grabbed his second interception of the game three plays later.
After Montgomery’s touchdown, Detroit’s Carlton Davis III leaped in front of Tank Dell in the end zone for his second interception. Goff threw his fifth pick two plays later, but the Texans couldn’t capitalize and were forced to punt.
— Kristie Rieken in Houston
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Minnesota Vikings 12, Jacksonville Jaguars 7
Minnesota’s stingy defense held Jacksonville to 143 yards — the fewest in coach Doug Pederson’s three seasons — and the Vikings overcame Sam Darnold’s three interceptions to beat the Jaguars 12-7 on Sunday.
It was Darnold’s first three-interception game in three years. All of them came while targeting All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson, who finished with five catches for 48 yards.
The Vikings (7-2) trailed most of the day, but took the lead on the third of John Parker Romo’s four field goals. Romo hit from 29, 34, 33 and 45 yards in his NFL debut.
The Jaguars (2-8) had a chance late thanks to Travon Walker’s sack on a third-and-1 play. Coach Kevin O’Connell had Darnold passing with roughly three minutes to go, a head-scratcher given Jacksonville had been so lethargic on offense.
Mac Jones made his first start in nearly a year, filling in for Trevor Lawrence (non-throwing shoulder), and was mostly ineffective. But he had Jacksonville on the move down the stretch and got help from a face-mask penalty against linebacker Blake Cashman.
But Jones threw his second pick with 1:49 remaining to essentially end it. Jones had two more turnovers earlier in the fourth — an interception and a fumbled snap.
Minnesota looked like as though it would have to punt in the final minute, but Walker was flagged for unnecessary roughness on third down for trying to punch the ball out of running back Aaron Jones’ hands. The Vikings took a knee from there.
Mac Jones completed 14 of 22 passes for 111 yards and a 38.3 passer rating. Darnold’s rating was slightly better after completing 24 of 38 passes for 241 yards.
Darnold targeted his tight ends 15 times. T.J. Hockenson finished with eight receptions for 72 yards. Josh Oliver caught four passes for 52 yards.
Jacksonville’s yardage total was the fifth lowest in franchise history.
Vikings left tackle Cam Robinson was flagged for three penalties in his return to Jacksonville. The most egregious one came in the third quarter when Robinson was penalized for hitting cornerback Ronald Darby out of bounds during an interception return. Several of his former teams, including defensive ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, got in Robinson’s face after the play.
The Jaguars traded Robinson to the Vikings last week, and he ended up with a quick return to the place where he spent the first eight years of his NFL career.
— Mark Long in Jacksonville, Fla.