The Detroit Lions defeated the New England Patriots 35-10 on Sunday at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, behind two touchdowns apiece from running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Playing in front of 70,225 fans, Detroit (7-2) extended its winning streak to five games while handing New England (5-5) its second consecutive defeat and third loss in four outings.
The afternoon tilted sharply on the opening possession when Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson sacked Patriots quarterback Drake Maye on third down at the Detroit 15-yard line. Maye left with a right ankle injury and Hutchinson hurt his right knee while celebrating the play, sidelining both stars for the rest of the afternoon as Detroit outgained New England 494 total yards to 151.
How Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown Broke the Game Open
Gibbs carried the Detroit offense on the ground and through the air, finishing with 252 yards from scrimmage. He rushed 22 times for 153 yards and two touchdowns of 5 and 28 yards while catching seven of his eight targets for 99 yards. According to The Guardian, Gibbs became the first NFL player since Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes in 2002 to record more than 150 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and at least 95 receiving yards in a single game.
St. Brown, whose mother is German, arrived at Allianz Arena wearing lederhosen and sprinted onto the field carrying a German flag during pregame introductions. He caught four of five targets for 98 yards, including a 56-yard reception, and scored two touchdowns. Quarterback Jared Goff completed 20 of 31 passes for 303 yards, three touchdowns, and two first-half interceptions for a 101.9 passer rating before backup Joshua Dobbs closed out the fourth quarter.
After New England settled for a 33-yard field goal by kicker Andres Borregales on the opening series, Detroit answered to take a 7-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and stretched the margin to 21-3 by halftime. Goff capped a 97-yard march in the second quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa to make it 14-3, and Gibbs later broke loose for a 50-yard catch-and-run on an 84-yard scoring drive before punching in his 5-yard touchdown run, according to the Detroit Lions. Detroit added seven points in the third quarter to build a 28-3 cushion before the teams traded fourth-quarter touchdowns.
First-Quarter Sack Sidelines Both Drake Maye and Aidan Hutchinson
Maye looked sharp on New England’s opening drive, completing three of four passes for 48 yards and scrambling once for 11 yards to move the Patriots inside the Lions’ 20-yard line. On third down, Hutchinson brought Maye down at the 15-yard line, twisting the quarterback’s right leg. The Patriots ruled Maye out for the remainder of the game with a right ankle injury, while the Lions ruled Hutchinson out after he injured his right knee during his post-sack celebration and went to the locker room for evaluation.
Backup quarterback Tommy DeVito took over on New England’s second possession and completed 12 of 24 passes for 81 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while rushing four times for 19 yards. The official NFL box score listed DeVito with a 54.3 passer rating, whereas the Lions’ team recap listed his rating at 56.6. Lions cornerback Roger McCreary intercepted DeVito late in the first half, offsetting first-half interceptions thrown by Goff to Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and safety Kevin Byard III. DeVito connected with running back Lan Larison in the fourth quarter for the first NFL touchdown of Larison’s career.
Even without Hutchinson for the final three quarters, Detroit’s pass rush sacked DeVito four times to finish with five sacks on the day. Defensive end Derrick Moore recorded two sacks, while Hutchinson, defensive tackle Alim McNeill, and defensive end D.J. Wonnum added one apiece. Detroit held New England to 90 net passing yards, 61 rushing yards, and four conversions on 13 third-down attempts, forcing eight punts.
Mounting Injuries and What Comes Next for Both Teams
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said after the game that Maye will undergo further medical testing to determine the severity of his right ankle injury, Fox Sports reported. New England also lost wide receiver A.J. Brown, who returned from a two-game absence caused by ankle and knee injuries to catch two of six targets for 27 yards before leaving in the second half with a hamstring injury and being ruled out. Wide receiver Mack Hollins paced the Patriots with five catches for 48 yards.
New England dealt with several other lineup setbacks before and during the trip. The Patriots placed running back TreVeyon Henderson on injured reserve on Saturday while activating fullback Reggie Gilliam and offensive lineman Greg Van Roten from injured reserve. During Sunday’s loss, right tackle Morgan Moses exited in the first quarter before returning prior to halftime, linebacker Robert Spillane left in the third quarter with an illness, and linebacker Dre’Mont Jones departed in the fourth quarter with cramps. Detroit played without safety Kerby Joseph, who remained on the physically unable to perform list with a knee injury after head coach Dan Campbell ruled him out prior to the flight to Germany.
New England traveled to Munich looking to rebound after surrendering 45 points in a Week 9 loss to the Green Bay Packers, while Gibbs entered Week 10 already leading the NFL with 1,132 yards from scrimmage and tied for the league lead with 11 touchdowns. Immediately after Sunday’s final whistle, ground crews began stripping the Allianz Arena turf ahead of Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga home match against Cologne on Friday, November 20. The league declined to confirm a German media report that it would pay up to 200,000 euros ($220,000) for the new pitch, saying in an NFL statement to the Associated Press that it would “work in partnership with Allianz Arena to replace the field following Sunday’s game.”
The Lions return to Detroit to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, November 22. The Patriots head into their Week 11 bye before returning to action against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, November 29.