The Detroit Lions are officially on a roll.
The Lions went into MetLife Stadium Sunday and beat the 7-2 Giants, 31-18, to give them their third consecutive win and their second straight victory on the road. It's Detroit's first three-game winning streak since 2017.
They improve to 4-6 on the year, which surpasses last year's win total of three in Dan Campbell's first year as head coach.
The Lions' defense did a terrific job containing Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who entered the game as the league's leading rusher. Barkley had just 22 yards on 15 carries (1.5-yard average).
Detroit's defense also got two interceptions off New York quarterback Daniel Jones, who hadn't thrown an interception since Week 3. Rookies Aidan Hutchinson and Kerby Joseph got them. It's the second time this season (Green Bay) that both rookies recorded an interception in the same game. Hutchinson also added a key fumble recovery in fourth quarter.
The Giants took an early 6-3 lead late in the first quarter on a Jones 3-yard touchdown run, but kicker Graham Gano missed the extra point.
The Lions retook the lead late in the second quarter on a 4-yard Jamaal Williams touchdown run, his 10th rushing touchdown of the season. The score was set up by the Hutchinson interception and 19-yard return to the Giants' 18-yard line. Hutchinson became the first defensive lineman to record two interceptions in their rookie season for Detroit.
The Lions increased their lead to 17-6 with Williams' second touchdown run of the game, this one from 1 yard out, with less than a minute to play in the second quarter.
Detroit took the opening possession of the second half 56 yards in nine plays capped off by Williams' third touchdown to increase their lead to 24-6.
New York trimmed the lead to 24-12 in the fourth quarter on a 3-yard Matt Breida touchdown run, but Gano missed the extra point again.
Detroit's defense helped ice the game late when cornerback Will Harris forced a fumble on a short catch by wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins and Hutchinson jumped on the ball. That led to a D’Andre Swift 4-yard touchdown run and a 31-12 lead for the Lions.
The Giants added a meaningless late touchdown from Jones to wide receiver Richie James.
QB Comparison: Jared Goff was efficient and turnover free, which is exactly what the Lions needed Sunday.
He finished 17-of-26 passing for 165 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions for an 83.0 passer rating.
Jones completed 27 of his 44 passes for 341 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He finished with a 74.1 passer rating. He also rushed seven times for 50 yards and a touchdown.
TD machine: Williams is the first Lions running back with 12 rushing touchdowns in a season since Barry Sanders in 1997. He now has five games with multiple rushing touchdowns this year, joining Sanders as the only two running backs in franchise history with five two-touchdown games in a season.
He becomes only the fourth player since 2000 to log five games with two-plus rushing touchdowns through a team's first 10 games of a season, joining LaDainian Tomlinson (2006), Shaun Alexander (2005) and Priest Holmes (2003).
Injury report: Cornerback Jeff Okudah was forced to leave the game in the first half due to concussion protocol and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Starting right guard Evan Brown injured an ankle in the first half and did not return.
Up next: vs. Buffalo (7-3).
