Lions beat 49ers as Dan Campbell's 'full throttle' mindset saw starters play the entire game

Technically, the Detroit Lions didn't need to win Monday night's game against the San Francisco 49ers, which raises the question of whether head coach Dan Campbell would pull his starters at any point in that game .

But, as Campbell has shown us time and time again in the past, he will never give up, no matter the situation. And after saying it would be “full throttle” on the West Coast this week, he really meant it.

The Lions beat the 49ers, 40-34, where the starters played throughout the game on both sides of the ball.

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Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws a pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (IMAGINE)

Detroit remembers well what happened in January at Levi's Stadium, after blowing a huge first-half lead in the NFC championship game. So there was a bit of revenge in this one, even though the 49ers were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.

Jared Goff had three touchdowns, going 26 of 34 for 303 yards in another stellar performance for the Lions. He found Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown, but the Lions' best touchdown by far was another lateral play that worked to perfection.

Earlier this season, it was St. Brown who returned the favor to Jahmyr Gibbs for the score against the Arizona Cardinals. Well, the same concept was used when St. Brown caught Goff's quick slant, but the speedy Jameson Williams came behind him and brought the ball to the house on a 41-yard run.

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At that point, it was a 14-13 game, as Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense were clicking well to start this game.

Purdy orchestrated three straight touchdown drives against Detroit to open the scoring, including a strike to rookie Ricky Pearsall on the game's first drive. Then he needed just six plays on the next drive to find Kyle Juszczyk from nine yards out, and the third touchdown was a nine-yard Purdy run to make it 21-13.

However, the second half saw a dominance from the Lions that has been felt by many teams this season. It started with a quick opening that saw LaPorta enter the end zone from six yards out. But, once again, the 49ers responded with a touchdown of their own, as Deebo Samuel raced his way back to regain the lead, 28-21.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) celebrates with tight end George Kittle (85) after scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)

This back-and-forth battle would only be derailed when one team forced the issue, and that's exactly what Aaron Glenn's Lions defense did after making it 28-24 with a field goal by Jake Bates.

Kerby Joseph, who now leads the NFL in interceptions this season, picked off a Purdy throw that flew over Pearsall's head. And when Detroit creates turnovers, points usually follow.

That's when St. Brown's touchdown, a four-yard catch, arrived for the Lions, who went for fourth-and-goal to take a 31-28 lead. The ensuing drives saw a missed Jake Moody field goal from 58 yards out, followed by another Joseph interception, which gave him nine for the year.

That interception led to the nail in the coffin, as Gibbs, who ran for 117 yards on just 18 carries, broke a 30-yard touchdown run to add to the Lions' offensive onslaught.

Purdy was ultimately injured on the 49ers' final drive of the game, but backup Josh Dobbs added to the score with a scrambled touchdown to make it a 40-34 game. But the onside kick attempt to keep the game alive was recovered by Detroit.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (9) runs for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. (IMAGINE)

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Looking further at the stat sheet, St. Brown led the Lions with eight receptions for 60 yards, while LaPorta finished with 64 yards on six catches.

Purdy would have had a stellar performance without the two interceptions, as he was 27 of 35 for 377 yards with three touchdowns. Pearsall totaled 141 receiving yards for a game-high eight catches, while George Kittle matched his eight receptions for 112 yards. Jauan Jennings also finished with 67 yards on seven catches.

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