EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Jared Goff and Brock Wright teamed up to save the season, just when it looked like a 54-yard field goal try could do in the Detroit Lions again.
Goff threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Wright with 1:49 left on Sunday as the Lions rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the New York Jets, 20-17at MetLife Stadium.
The Lions (7-7) have won three in a row and six of their last seven games move in a game from the last joker place in the NFC Playoffs. The Lions have three games remaining 500 record: at the Carolina Panthers next week, at home against the Chicago Bears in Week 17 and at the Green Bay Packers to close out the regular season.
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They have a 42% chance of qualifying for the playoffs on Sunday afternoon, according to FiveThirtyEight.com. The Washington Commanders and New York Giants are both 7-5-1 and hold sixth and seventh spots in the NFC. They play Sunday Night Football in Washington. Seattle sits in eighth place at 7-7 and holds the tiebreaker over the Lions due to a 48-45 Week 4 win at Detroit.
The Lions controlled the game for most of Sunday, holding the Jets (7-7) to three first downs on their first four possessions of the second half, but brought New York’s shattered offense to life with a risky placement trial with just under 8 minutes to play. .
Michael Badgley let his 54-yard attempt short and the Jets started the ensuing possession on their own 44-yard line.
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Zach Wilson, making his first start since being benched after a 77-yard passing day in a Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots, completed a 33-yard pass to Garrett Wilson in the second game of the series, then threw a 1-touchdown pass to CJ Uzomah with 4:41 left.
The decision to kick the basket was reminiscent of one Lions coach Dan Campbell tried in a Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Austin Seibert missed that try and the Vikings scored the game-winning touchdown three plays later with 45 seconds left.
On Sunday, the Lions responded to the Jets’ rally with their own.
Wright dropped a pass on the first play of the drive, but the Lions came back to him on fourth-and-1 from their own 49-yard line on the first play after the two-minute warning.
Wright, who took over as the Lions’ No. 1 tight end after trading TJ Hockenson, faked a block from the right side of the line of scrimmage and fled into midfield as the Jets defense followed false game action in the other direction.
Goff threw to a wide-open Wright, who sprinted along the sideline to the end zone, adding to Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s impressive resume.
The Jets had a chance for the field goal tying after Wilson dodged two sacks to complete a 20-yard pass to Garrett Wilson with 1 second on the clock, but Greg Zuerlein missed his field goal attempt from 58 yards left.
Goff completed 23 of 38 passes for 252 yards for the Lions, who got two field goals from Badgley and a 47-yard punt return touchdown from Kalif Raymond to take a 13-10 lead in the fourth quarter.
Raymond’s touchdown, the Lions’ first punt return score since 2020, came after the Lions were stopped at the 1-yard line in their first series and then forced a Jets punt from the end zone.
Zach Wilson was 18 of 35 with two touchdowns and an interception for the Jets, who rushed for just 50 yards on 22 carries.
Wilson’s interception by Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs in the first inning of the second half allowed Badgley to score the second pitch.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
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