Studs and Duds: St. Brown's Masterpiece Fuels Offense
Defense was nowhere to be found in the final two quarters of the Detroit Lions' Week 10 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Each of the game's final six drives ended with points, including five touchdowns in that span. For every punch thrown, the opposing offense would fire back a counter.
In the end, the Lions held off a rally from the Chargers, and escaped SoFi Stadium with a 41-38 win. Riley Patterson drilled a 41-yard field goal as time expired, and Detroit moved to 7-2 on the season.
Here are the studs and duds from Sunday's game.
STUD: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
Sunday was another banner day for the USC product. He finished with a career-high 156 receiving yards on eight catches, and also scored a touchdown for the first time since Week 6.
St. Brown has now notched four 100-yard games in a row, giving him six total on the season. He also contributed on the ground, notching nine yards on two carries.
The third-year wideout reached the end zone in the third quarter to give Detroit the lead after Los Angeles had rallied to tie the game.
STUD: RB David Montgomery
After missing the last two games, Montgomery had an exceptional return Sunday. While the second half saw the Lions rely heavily on their passing game, the veteran running back helped set the tone offensively in the first two quarters.
Montgomery finished with 116 yards on 12 carries, headlined by a 75-yard touchdown scamper in the second quarter. After bursting through the line, he evaded tacklers, before breaking the run to the outside and getting a key block from Jameson Williams to finish the score.
DUD: CB Cameron Sutton
The Lions' secondary struggled as Keenan Allen had a field day. The Lions emphasized the importance of slowing the talented wideout in the week leading up to the game, but the plan was not executed well.
Sutton had two pass-interference penalties, including one in the end zone in the fourth quarter on fourth-and-goal. His counterpart, Jerry Jacobs, also struggled, and was flagged for pass interference.
Jacobs was beaten for one touchdown strike, while Sutton got baited by a run fake, leading to Allen's game-tying score in the fourth quarter.
Both Sutton and Jacobs took their turns with Allen, but the Lions had no answer. Additionally, Justin Herbert had scoring connections with Quentin Johnston and Jalen Guyton.
DUD: S Tracy Walker
The safety position also had its struggles. Walker, normally reliable, struggled at points to stay in front of his assignments.
The touchdown from Herbert to Guyton saw Walker rotate right past the open receiver. With Kerby Joseph rotating late on the play, Guyton was left open for the score.
Joseph had difficulties of his own, but also provided the biggest play of the day for the defense. He recorded his second interception in as many games, an impressive diving grab near the sideline.
STUD: RB Jahmyr Gibbs
With Montgomery returning, there were questions about what Gibbs' role may look like. Those were quickly dispelled, as the rookie led the team in carries with 14 and notched two scores.
He was impressive in both facets of his game, totaling 112 yards between his efforts on the ground and as a receiver. He punched in a pair of scores near the goal line, adding another element to his game early in his career.
DUD: DE Charles Harris
The Lions' pass rush once again struggled, failing to get a sack against Herbert and the Chargers. The effort throughout the season has been up and down, as the sacks either have come in bunches or not at all.
Sunday was an example of the latter. Of the pass rush, the only member of the unit to record a hurry was Aidan Hutchinson, who had three hurries.
Harris struggled to get pressure. Julian Okwara was also penalized for hands to the face, although an intentional grounding offset the play. In all, it was a forgettable day for the pass rush.
STUD: QB Jared Goff
Goff was steady when Detroit needed him to be Sunday, leading the team to two straight touchdown drives in the second half to keep the Chargers at bay. He finished with 333 yards and two scores through the air.
He was nearly flawless, avoiding the turnovers that have plagued him throughout the season.
The veteran made a pair of huge throws in the fourth quarter -- a 25-yard scoring strike to Brock Wright and a six-yard connection with Sam LaPorta on fourth down that allowed Detroit to drain the remainder of the clock.
