TheDetroit Lions beat the New York Jets, 31-24, in a close game in Week 3 at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Much like the Week 1 matchup with the Saints, the Lions were in control for the majority of the game, only to allow a barrage of points after halftime.
The Lions led at the break, 10-7, then scored a touchdown on each of their first two drives in the second half and it looked like they could cruise to a victory, but Geno Smith had other plans.
Down 24-10, the Jets scored a touchdown on a nine-play drive, then forced a turnover-on-downs and scored again on an incredible Garrett Wilson catch on fourth-and-6 and got the 2-point conversion to tie the game.
The Lions started the next drive with a 49-yard catch and run from Isaac TeSlaa,
his best play of the season, and eventually capped it off with an 11-yard touchdown catch from Jahmyr Gibbs, who was somehow left all alone for his third touchdown of the game.
When the Lions needed it most, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard dialed up a blitz that led to a Geno Smith fumble and iced the game for the Lions.
Up next: Carolina Panthers
The Lions play their second primetime game in four weeks when they travel to Carolina next week for a Sunday Night Football matchup with the defending NFC South champion Panthers. The Panthers made the playoffs with a losing record last year and have been a headscratcher so far this year. They gave up 59 points in a Week 1 loss to the Chicago Bears and held the Atlanta Falcons to three points in a Week 2 win before playing the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The NFC South might be the worst division in football. The Lions are already 1-0 against its teams and can’t afford to squander any games against the division if they want a high seed in the playoffs.
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kelvin Sheppard dials up blitz late to save Lions in 31-24 win vs Jets
