Jahmyr Gibbs delivered the decisive blow for Detroit on Sunday, bursting free for a 69-yard touchdown on the opening snap of overtime to secure a 34–27 victory over the New York Giants. The Lions’ dynamic back racked up a career-best 264 total yards and found the end zone three times, almost single-handedly carrying a Detroit team that badly needed a win.

“He saved us in a huge moment,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said afterward.

New York’s interim coach Mike Kafka played a role in the outcome as well. With his team up by three in the final minutes, Kafka elected to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line rather than kick a near-certain field goal that would’ve forced Detroit to score a touchdown. Jameis Winston’s pass to Theo Johnson fell incomplete, ending a marathon 14-play march that chewed nearly seven minutes off the clock.

“We’re trying to win, and points matter,” Kafka said, defending his aggressive decision in his second game since replacing the dismissed Brian Daboll. “It felt like the right moment to stay aggressive.”

Detroit seized that opening. Jake Bates drilled a 59-yard field goal—tying his personal best—with just 28 seconds remaining, giving Jared Goff another chance to put the ball in Gibbs’ hands.

On the first play of overtime, Goff turned and handed the ball to Gibbs, and Detroit’s oft-criticized offensive line blew open a massive lane. Gibbs accelerated through it and simply outran everyone.

“I get the best view in the stadium,” Goff said. “I threw my hands up when he was maybe seven yards past the line.”

The Lions (7–4), who came into the matchup sitting outside the playoff picture and had fallen behind by double digits more than once, avoided dropping back-to-back games for the first time in over three years.

“It was a game we absolutely had to have,” Gibbs said.

And without him, Detroit wouldn’t have gotten it. The second-year back set a personal best with 219 rushing yards—third-most by a Lion in franchise history—and added two rushing scores, including a 49-yarder early in the fourth. He also hauled in a career-high 11 passes for 45 yards and another touchdown.

“We bottled him up plenty of times, but on that last play he slipped away,” Kafka said.

The Giants had one more chance in overtime, but their hopes ended when Aidan Hutchinson sacked Winston on fourth down at the Detroit 31.

Goff finished 28 of 42 for 279 yards and two touchdowns—one to Amon-Ra St. Brown for 11 yards and another to Gibbs from three yards out. He also threw an interception on a tipped pass. St. Brown recorded nine receptions for 149 yards.

New York (2–10) dropped its sixth straight contest and its fifth this season after holding a lead in the fourth quarter.

Winston, making his second consecutive start while rookie Jaxson Dart recovers from a concussion, threw for 366 yards on 18-of-36 passing. He accounted for two scores—one on a 39-yard trick-play heave and another when he caught a 33-yard pass—becoming the first quarterback to top 300 passing yards against Detroit this season.

Wan’Dale Robinson posted the best outing of his career with nine grabs for 156 yards and a 12-yard touchdown that built one of New York’s three 10-point advantages.

“That game could’ve flipped against us multiple times,” Campbell said. “But our guys came through when it mattered.”

The Giants, however, continued a troubling trend. No NFL team has lost more games this season after leading in the final quarter. Just last month in Denver, they became the first team since at least 1970 to blow an 18-plus-point lead with six minutes remaining and still lose in regulation.

“We’ve got to find ways to close games. I fully believe our players can do that,” Kafka said.

Injury notes:
— Giants: Dart (concussion) and pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder) remained sidelined. Corner Paulson Adebo (knee) missed his fifth straight game. Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles exited in the second quarter with a neck injury.
— Lions: Terrion Arnold (concussion) and Kerby Joseph (knee) were inactive. Kalif Raymond (ankle) was hurt in the third quarter and did not return.