Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Game recap, highlights

The Detroit Lions are looking to extend a three-game winning streak on the road Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Lions are alone in first place in the NFC North with a 4-1 record after crushing the Carolina Panthers, 42-24, last week at home. The Buccaneers (3-1) are first in the NFC South and coming off a bye week. The Lions enter as three-point road favorites.

The game kicks off at 4:25 p.m. and will be televised on Fox. You can also livestream by signing up for Fubo with a free trial.

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Lions vs. Bucs game recap

Final: Lions shut down Buccaneers for 20-6 win

The Detroit Lions moved to 5-1 for the first time since 2011 with an impressive 20-6 win on the road over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jared Goff had another masterful performance, completing 30 of 44 passes for 353 yards and two touchdowns. He constantly looked for Amon-Ra St. Brown in his return from injury and the standout receiver finished with a career-high 12 catches for 124 yards and one touchdown. The other touchdown was an impressive deep shot to 2022 first round pick Jameson Williams for his first touchdown of the season.

Most of that production came after a slow start in the first two quarters, but the defense kept Detroit in front the entire game. Tampa Bay only managed two field goals and 251 total yards against Detroit’s defense. Will Harris created the only turnover of the game when he intercepted Baker Mayfield deep in Tampa territory in the first quarter to set up a field goal.

The only bad news from the game is starting running back David Montgomery left in the second quarter with a rib injury and was eventually ruled out. X-rays came back negative, confirming he didn’t break his ribs, but he did not play. His status, along with rookie Jahmyr Gibbs who missed this game, will be a hot topic over the week before the Lions’ next game at the Baltimore Ravens.

12:00, fourth quarter: Patterson hits second field goal, extends Detroit lead to 20-6

The Lions are starting to pull away. After another stop from the defense, Detroit got the ball back and drove down the field thanks in large part to a big pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Jared Goff missed St. Brown again on third down, forcing them to settle for a field goal. Riley Patterson made up for his miss earlier and hit the 36-yard kick to extend the lead to 14 points.

3:19, third quarter: Jameson Williams scores first TD of the season, Lions lead 17-6

Welcome back, Jameson Williams.

Jared Goff found Williams, the speedy 2022 first round pick, on a play-action deep shot from 45 yards out for a touchdown. He fought threw coverage to make a contested catch at the goal line for the score. Williams almost had his first catch of the game on first down but dropped it, but made up for it in the biggest way possible.

David Montgomery was also officially ruled out with the rib injury.

7:44, third quarter: Bucs add field goal, trim Lions' lead to 10-6

Baker Mayfield and the Tampa offense took advantage of the good field position off the missed field goal thanks to some big passes. Mayfield connected with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to reach the Detroit red zone, but the Lions stood tall to force the field goal. Evans was called for offensive pass interference on Cam Sutton on third down to ultimately kill any chance at a touchdown.

10:34, third quarter: Riley Patterson misses field goal, Lions lead 10-3

The Lions got the ball first out of the locker room but couldn't add to their lead. Craig Reynolds, who is filling in for the injured David Montgomery, had a 34-yard reception on a screen pass to put the Lions in Tampa territory immediately.

But the drive went nowhere after the big play and Riley Patterson was sent out for his second field goal attempt of the game. Patterson pushed the 52-yard kick wide right to keep the Lions' lead to one score.

Halftime: Lions lead Buccaneers 10-3 in defensive slugfest

If you enjoy good defense, this is the perfect game for you. The Lions and Buccaneers are locked in a low-scoring fist fight and Detroit has the edge thanks to an Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown before the half.

Detroit has gained 164 yards, 150 of them through the air, and only converted three of seven third down attempts. St. Brown took an underneath catch upfield for a touchdown just before half to give Detroit a lead, but it was slow-sledding outside of that. Running back David Montgomery left the game with rib injury and is questionable to return.

The defense held Tampa Bay to 109 total yards, most of which came on one drive that resulted in the field goal. Will Harris intercepted Baker Mayfield in the first quarter which lead to a field goal and the defensive line has created pressure consistently against Tampa's talented offensive line.

2:39, second quarter: Craig Reynolds block springs Amon-Ra St. Brown TD, Lions lead 10-3

David Montgomery got things started on the drive with a 19-yard catch on a screen but left the game and went to the locker room with a rib injury. The Lions offense finally found a rhythm in his absence with short passes and moved the ball efficiently after the injury.

Detroit found the end zone after Jared Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown on an underneath route and St. Brown raced to the sidelines, turned upfield and hit the pylon to score. Backup running back Craig Reynolds blew up a Tampa Bay defensive back during the run to free up the touchdown.

7:34, second quarter: Buccaneers add field goal, tie game at 3

The first half has been a defensive battle with little progress either way. The Buccaneers got the ball near midfield after the Lions had to punt backed up against their own goal line. Tampa pounded the ball on the ground into field goal range, but Jerry Jacobs broke up a pass on third down to get a force a field goal. Chase McLaughlin hit the 33-yard kick to even the score.

8:09, first quarter: Lions capitalize with field goal, take 3-0 lead

The Lions offense could not punch the ball in with the extremely short field. Detroit didn't gain any yards in three plays and had to settle for a short kick. Riley Patterson hit the 30-yarder for the early 3-0 lead.

10:08, first quarter: Will Harris intercepts Baker Mayfield

The Lions defense made the first big play of the game. After a pair of punts by both teams to start the game, Baker Mayfield started the second drive backed up against their own goal line. Baker Mayfield's pass on first down was tipped by Isaiah Buggs and picked off by Will Harris at the Buccaneers' 12-yard line to potentially set up the first score of the game.

Pregame notes

The Lions have have won three consecutive games by double-digits while missing key players in each game. Standout receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown will return after missing last week with an abdomen injury. Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta is active after he strained his calf in practice Wednesday.

But rookies Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Branch will each miss a second consecutive game. Gibbs is nursing a hamstring injury suffered in practice before the Panthers game, and Branch has an ankle injury sustained against the Green Bay Packers. Starting left guard Jonah Jackson is also out.

TRENDING WAY UP: Ben Johnson's masterful play-calling for Lions is like a comet in the sky

A big reason for the success has been the defense. Detroit has only allowed 21.4 points per game on the season and 16.7 points during the three-game winning streak. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson picked up a one-handed interception and a sack to continue his ascent to one of the league’s premier pass rushers. His stellar play has anchored a defensive line that has limited opponents to 68.4 rushing yards per game.

Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offense are a big reason for the Bucs' good start. Despite only averaging 21 points per game, Tampa has thrived on ball control and chunk plays through the air to complement their stifling defense. Cornerbacks Cam Sutton, Jerry Jacobs and Will Harris will be tasked with trying to handle standout veteran receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The Bucs' lone loss came at home vs. the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3.

The Lions' offense is continuing to hum along as one of the best in the NFL, averaging 29.6 points per game. Jared Goff has been the perfect operator of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s effective scheme and added three touchdowns to his season tally last week. David Montgomery has six rushing touchdowns in four games and will again handle the majority of carries with Gibbs out.

It will be a tough matchup against Tampa Bay, which has held opponents to 17 points per game. The defense has thrived with 10 takeaways in four games, giving the Buccaneers a plus-seven turnover differential, second-best in the NFL.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions score vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Game recap, highlights