Week 4 of the NFL season came to an end Monday with two games that were case studies of the separation between the league’s best and worst teams.
One month into the season — a time in the schedule when teams’ true capabilities are being revealed — the Lions and the Seahawks went back and forth in an offensive showcase in Detroit that suggests both could be playoff factors.
Detroit’s 42-29 win, which knocked Seattle (3-1) from the ranks of the unbeaten and improved the Lions to 3-1, followed Tennessee’s 31-12 slog of a victory in Miami. It was a matchup of two teams looking up in the standings, with both forced to use backup quarterbacks because of injuries to starters.
The Lions won despite not being perfect. Statistically, however, their quarterback was: Jared Goff completed all 18 of his passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns, didn’t turn the ball over and even caught a 7-yard touchdown pass on a trick play thrown by Amon-Ra St. Brown.
According to NFL research, Goff is the first quarterback in league history to attempt at least 10 passes without throwing an incompletion.
And still, it almost wasn’t enough to hold off the Seahawks and quarterback Geno Smith’s 38-for-56 passing for 395 yards, all of which were career highs.
Smith found 10 different receivers, led by D.K. Metcalf’s seven catches for 104 yards.
Yet Metcalf was responsible for one of the game’s crucial plays when he fumbled in the first quarter, a turnover Detroit turned into a second touchdown for a 14-0 lead.
From there, Seattle was playing catch-up. Despite producing 17 more first downs and 127 more total yards than Detroit, Seattle suffered its first loss.
The game in Miami was nowhere near as exciting.
The Titans won 31-12 in a game in which neither offense impressed. Tennessee averaged a meager 3.9 yards per play and still won comfortably.
Mason Rudolph came in at quarterback for Will Levis after Levis hurt his shoulder in the first quarter and threw for only 85 yards. He didn’t need to do much, however, as Tennessee took advantage of an inept offense on the other side. The Titans did run for 142 yards, albeit on 40 attempts.
Compared with Miami, Tennessee’s offense — which scored five field goals and two touchdowns — looked like the Greatest Show on Turf. If there was a star of the game, it was running back Tony Pollard, who ran for 88 yards on 22 carries. Forty-one of those yards came on a third-quarter run that set up the Titans’ first touchdown, giving Tennessee a 16-6 lead that felt (and ultimately was) insurmountable.
The Dolphins’ offense was atrocious.
Miami amassed only 184 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per play. The Dolphins couldn’t sustain a drive until the fourth quarter, and by then it was too late.
Tyler Huntley — signed after Tua Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in Week 2 and making his first start of the season — threw for 92 yards. Miami ran for 106 but averaged only 3.5 yards per carry. (Which was still higher than its 3.3 yards per pass.)
The Titans’ first win improved their record to 1-3. The Dolphins have lost three straight and are 1-3 themselves.
Tagovailoa will miss at least two more games before he can return from injured reserve.
Kirby Joseph’s interception ends a Detroit win
The Lions safety intercepted Seattle’s Geno Smith with one minute remaining to finally end one of the most entertaining games of the month-old season.
Seattle had driven 60 yards in 60 seconds to reach Detroit’s 20-yard line before the turnover.
Detroit on the verge of victory … but it’s not over yet
After a bizarre fourth and goal for Seattle that started with an early snap that caught quarterback Geno Smith by surprise, Detroit got the ball back with two minutes to play and a 15-point lead.
But in another instance where Detroit simply cannot put away the Seahawks, Jared Goff was sacked for a safety, allowing Seattle to pull within 42-29 with 1:59 to play. The Seahawks will now get the ball back.
Detroit 42, Seattle 27
A balletic, eight-yard touchdown grab by Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown pushes Detroit ahead by 15 and now the pressure is really on Seattle if it wants to extend its unbeaten start to the season.
With just over five minutes to play in the fourth quarter, St. Brown placed both feet just inside the out-of-bounds line with inches to spare for the touchdown from Goff (which followed St. Brown’s own pass to Goff for a score earlier). Goff still hasn’t thrown an incompletion, standing at 18-for-18 with 292 yards and two touchdowns.
Seahawks get a stop
Jared Goff is a perfect 15-for-15 passing, for 225 yards and a touchdown, and has caught another touchdown.
One might assume that would lead to mop-up duty for his backup in the fourth quarter of an easy win. And yet, the Lions are in a fight, clinging to an eight-point lead, and just gave the ball back to Seattle with 12:49 to play in the fourth quarter.
It was Detroit’s first drive to end without points in the second half.
Final: Titans 31, Dolphins 12
This one is over, officially.
The Titans win after a pitiful showing by the Dolphins offense. Miami had 169 yards total in a dispiriting performance.
Mason Rudolph spelled Will Levis — who left the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury — and led Tennessee to the win.
The Titans improve to 1-3, while the Dolphins fall to the same mark.
Detroit 35, Seattle 27
The Seahawks aren’t done yet.
Kenneth Walker’s 21-yard touchdown run that started on the left side of the formation but ended, several missed tackles later, on the right side of the field, pulls the Seahawks within eight. It's Walker's third score of the evening.
After attempting, and missing, a two-point conversion in the third quarter, the Seahawks kick the PAT this time.
Entering the fourth quarter, Seattle’s margin for error is slim
Given how comfortable Detroit has looked offensively tonight while scoring on four of its seven possessions, Seattle likely must earn points from every drive it has remaining in the final quarter to have a chance at a comeback.
The Seahawks’ season-high for points scored in a single quarter is 17.
The Dolphins scored their first touchdown in 18 days, by the way
Miami’s touchdown in the 4th quarter tonight was its first in 18 days. The Dolphins hadn’t scored since the first quarter of their Week 2 game against the Bills, which was on a Thursday night.
It had been 10 quarters since Miami’s last touchdown.
Titans 24, Dolphins 12
The Dolphins offense is giving up points now!
A Tyler Huntley intentional grounding from the end zone gives the Titans two more points.
Electric answer from Detroit to stay two scores up
If you’re watching the offensive slog that has been Tennessee’s game at Miami tonight, flip over to watch an offensive showcase happening in Detroit.
The Lions needed just one play to answer with a touchdown to lead by 15. Jared Goff hit Jameson Williams on a crossing route that Williams turned into a 70-yard touchdown.
For the game, Detroit is averaging 8.3 yards per play, including 11.7 yards per pass.
