Lions 31, Saints 30: Gibbs Powers an Overtime Escape
Jahmyr Gibbs piles up 186 scrimmage yards, Tyler Shough throws for 410, and Detroit survives New Orleans’ bid to win on a two point conversion.
2026 NFL Week 1 · Final: New Orleans Saints 30, Detroit Lions 31. Official team coverage · AP game report
Detroit survived the last decision
The Lions had a 21 point lead and still needed one final defensive stop to escape their opener. Detroit beat New Orleans 31 to 30 in overtime when the Saints failed on a two point conversion after Tyler Shough found Noah Fant for an eight yard touchdown. A comfortable afternoon had become a single snap for the result.
Jahmyr Gibbs kept Detroit moving with 156 rushing yards and two touchdowns, but the Saints refused to disappear. Shough recovered from early mistakes to throw for 410 yards. The final score captured both halves of the game: Detroit's ability to build an advantage and New Orleans' ability to threaten it long after the afternoon appeared settled.
Follow the teams: New Orleans Saints · Detroit Lions
From 21 down to one final throw
Detroit moved ahead 21 to 0 in the third quarter. New Orleans answered through Kendre Miller, Devaughn Vele and a determined passing attack. Shough's nine yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson tied the game at 24 with 1:07 left in regulation. A Saints field goal attempt from 62 yards missed at the end of regulation.
Amon Ra St. Brown caught a four yard touchdown from Jared Goff in overtime. Shough then took New Orleans back downfield and connected with Fant. With 1:34 remaining, the Saints chose a conversion attempt that could deliver the win. The pass fell incomplete, allowing Detroit to finish an afternoon it had repeatedly failed to put away earlier.
Every scoring play
Quarter / clock | Scoring play | NO : DET |
Q1 3:39 | Jahmyr Gibbs 1 Yd Rush (Jake Bates Kick) | 0 : 7 |
Q3 11:14 | Jahmyr Gibbs 1 Yd Rush (Jake Bates Kick) | 0 : 14 |
Q3 8:54 | Amon-Ra St. Brown 19 Yd pass from Jared Goff (Jake Bates Kick) | 0 : 21 |
Q3 4:27 | Kendre Miller 8 Yd Rush (Daniel Carlson Kick) | 7 : 21 |
Q3 0:28 | Devaughn Vele 1 Yd pass from Tyler Shough (Daniel Carlson Kick) | 14 : 21 |
Q4 7:41 | Daniel Carlson 28 Yd Field Goal | 17 : 21 |
Q4 2:32 | Jake Bates 23 Yd Field Goal | 17 : 24 |
Q4 1:07 | Juwan Johnson 9 Yd pass from Tyler Shough (Daniel Carlson Kick) | 24 : 24 |
OT 5:04 | Amon-Ra St. Brown 4 Yd pass from Jared Goff (Jake Bates Kick) | 24 : 31 |
OT 1:34 | Noah Fant 8 Yd pass from Tyler Shough (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed) | 30 : 31 |
Compare the outcome with our earlier coverage: Saints vs. Lions Prediction: Can New Orleans Slow Detroit?
Gibbs gave the Lions their foundation
Gibbs carried 29 times and caught five passes. His 186 scrimmage yards came on 34 touches, an enormous opening workload. Detroit could ask him to carry the offense while Goff worked a shorter passing game: the quarterback averaged 5.3 yards per attempt and finished with 206 yards.
St. Brown caught 10 passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets. That combination shows how heavily Detroit depended on repeatable gains and finishing opportunities. New Orleans created more passing yardage, but Detroit avoided an interception while Shough threw two and lost a fumble. Those early mistakes left the Saints with a much harder route to the finish.
The complete team comparison
Statistic | NO | DET |
First downs | 29 | 26 |
Offensive plays | 86 | 73 |
Total yards | 469 | 369 |
Yards per play | 5.5 | 5.1 |
Passing yards, net | 378 | 204 |
Rushing yards | 91 | 165 |
Rushing attempts | 25 | 33 |
Yards per rush | 3.6 | 5.0 |
Third downs, converted / attempts | 8 / 17 | 5 / 13 |
Fourth downs, converted / attempts | 2 / 2 | 0 / 0 |
Red zone TDs / trips | 4 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
Turnovers committed | 3 | 1 |
Sacks allowed / yards lost | 5 / 32 | 1 / 2 |
Penalties / yards | 6 / 53 | 8 / 61 |
Possession | 31:35 | 36:51 |
More context: Lions 31, Saints 30 OT: Week 1 Prop Results
Shough and Olave made the comeback credible
Chris Olave caught 10 passes for 182 yards on 13 targets. His 43 yard gain helped set up the late touchdown that forced overtime. Vele added seven catches for 69 yards, and three different Saints caught touchdown passes. Shough's 56 attempts reflect both the length of the game and the urgency created by the deficit.
New Orleans finished with 469 total yards, 100 more than Detroit. But yards accumulated while climbing out of a hole do not remove the cost of the plays that created the hole. The Saints demonstrated a dangerous passing ceiling and still left with a loss because their most valuable opportunities did not all survive mistakes.
Quarterbacks and offensive leaders
Player | Week 1 production |
NO · Tyler Shough | 35/56 passing, 410 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 87.6 passer rating |
NO · Travis Etienne Jr. | 9 carries, 46 rushing yards, 0 TD; long 18 |
NO · Kendre Miller | 9 carries, 30 rushing yards, 1 TD; long 8 |
NO · Chris Olave | 10 catches, 182 receiving yards, 0 TD, 13 targets; long 47 |
NO · Devaughn Vele | 7 catches, 69 receiving yards, 1 TD, 9 targets; long 31 |
NO · Juwan Johnson | 3 catches, 54 receiving yards, 1 TD, 7 targets; long 27 |
NO · Bryce Lance | 3 catches, 42 receiving yards, 0 TD, 4 targets; long 19 |
DET · Jared Goff | 26/39 passing, 206 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 96.7 passer rating |
DET · Jahmyr Gibbs | 29 carries, 156 rushing yards, 2 TD; long 21 |
DET · Sione Vaki | 2 carries, 7 rushing yards, 0 TD; long 4 |
DET · Amon-Ra St. Brown | 10 catches, 67 receiving yards, 2 TD, 14 targets; long 19 |
DET · Sam LaPorta | 5 catches, 48 receiving yards, 0 TD, 8 targets; long 19 |
DET · Jameson Williams | 4 catches, 45 receiving yards, 0 TD, 9 targets; long 22 |
DET · Jahmyr Gibbs | 5 catches, 30 receiving yards, 0 TD, 5 targets; long 11 |
All scoring and statistical tables use the final ESPN box score and play by play
Passing yards in the team table are net of sack yardage. Quarterback passing yards are gross. Receiving targets and player roles describe this game; they are not season projections.
Fantasy volume worth taking seriously
Gibbs' 29 carries and five catches are the clearest workload statement in this game. St. Brown's 14 targets and Olave's 13 also establish meaningful involvement beyond their touchdowns or highlight plays. Sam LaPorta drew eight targets, while Jameson Williams drew nine, so Detroit's secondary receiving options were still part of the plan.
For New Orleans, Travis Etienne Jr. and Miller each had nine carries. Etienne added seven receptions for 32 yards; Miller scored on the ground. That distinction matters when evaluating roles. Shough's 410 yards are exciting, but 56 attempts, overtime and three turnovers make this a poor game to extrapolate into a normal weekly passing projection.
Continue the fantasy discussion: Fantasy Football Week 2 Waiver Wire: Best Players Available in 30 Percent or More of Leagues
Football Nation verdict
Detroit earned the win and also produced plenty of reasons for a demanding film session. A team with this much offensive talent should not need a last snap escape after leading by three touchdowns. The Saints can build on Shough's resilience and Olave's explosive production while addressing the early giveaways. Detroit heads to Buffalo on Thursday, and New Orleans visits Baltimore. There is little time for either team to confuse a dramatic finish with a complete performance.
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