Studs and Duds: Gibbs, Goff Are Golden, Bates Booms Game-Winner

Studs and duds from Lions' Week 7 win over Vikings.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16). / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions started slow, committed a costly late-game turnover and yet found ways to answer each time.

Down 10-0 early, the Lions ripped off 21 unanswered points. After a scoop-and-score put the Vikings in front with less than six minutes to go and the offense went three-and-out, Detroit's defense forced a punt and set up a game-winning drive.

Ultimately, the Lions did enough to steal a road win from the jaws of defeat and take over first place in the NFC North after six games.

Here are the studs and duds from the Lions' 31-29 win over the Vikings on Sunday.

STUD: RB Jahmyr Gibbs

With David Montgomery sidelined with an early knee injury, the Lions turned to Gibbs to play the feature back role in the first half. He responded admirably with two second-quarter touchdowns, including a career-long 45-yard run to put Detroit on the board.

Gibbs' 116 yards on the ground are a season-high and the second-most of his young career. He punched his second score in right before halftime to give the Lions a 21-10 advantage heading into the break.

The Alabama product also contributed a 14-yard run and a 16-yard catch on the team's game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. Overall, he finished with 160 all-purpose yards.

DUD: G Kayode Awosika

Stepping in for the injured Kevin Zeitler, Awosika struggled early on in the game. He was penalized for holding on back-to-back plays on the first series, with the second being declined after Jared Goff was sacked. He took a third penalty on a fourth-and-1 when he committed a false start.

Awosika was one of four Lions linemen to be penalized in Sunday's game. Graham Glasgow was called for a false start and a hold, Taylor Decker took a holding penalty and Penei Sewell was whistled for a false start.

STUD: QB Jared Goff

For the third time in four games, Goff did not throw an incompletion in the first half. He was a sparkling 15-for-15 before throwing his first incompletion on a tipped pass in the third quarter.

Goff did an excellent job identifying the Vikings' pressure packages pre-snap, most notably on his 35-yard touchdown strike to Amon-Ra St. Brown against "Cover 0. " The veteran passer would add a second touchdown pass with a 21-yard toss to Kalif Raymond.

After sputtering throughout the fourth quarter, Goff regained his groove on the final drive, and hit both of his pass attempts to set up the game-winning field goal. He became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to have three straight games with a passer rating of 140.0 or higher, and has thrown seven touchdowns against no interceptions in that span.

DUD: RB David Montgomery

An early knee injury set a sour tone for Montgomery, who has been solid throughout the start of the season. He had season-low totals in yards and carries, as he rushed nine times for just 31 yards.

Montgomery's lowlight came in the fourth quarter when he fumbled in Lions territory, with Vikings linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. recovering and racing into the end zone for the go-ahead score.

STUD: S Brian Branch

Branch continues to assert himself as one of the best defensive playmakers in the NFL, as he created yet another turnover. He dove to secure an interception in the second quarter, which ties Kerby Joseph for the team lead with four picks through six games.

The Alabama product notched four tackles, and nearly added a defensive touchdown to his resume, but Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor was ruled out of bounds before losing the fumble.

DUD: WR Jameson Williams

Williams was held in check throughout Sunday's game. He had just one target, a screen pass that went for a loss of four yards. He had some moments as a run-blocker, but was unable to get involved in the passing attack for much of the game.

STUD: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

St. Brown notched his second game of 100-plus receiving yards on Sunday, hauling in all eight of his targets for 112 yards. He also reached the end zone for the third consecutive game, as he snared a 35-yard pass from Goff in the second quarter.

Sunday marked St. Brown's third consecutive game against Minnesota with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. He became the first Lions player to do so against a single opponent since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970.

STUD: K Jake Bates

Bates got his first chance to win a game for the Lions in his career, and did not disappoint. Called upon to convert from 44 yards out with 0:19 remaining, Bates' boot was pure through the uprights.

The former UFL standout is now 10-for-10 on field-goal attempts to begin his NFL career. It's the second clutch kick he's converted, with the first being a late boot against the Rams to send the Week 1 game into overtime.