Amon-Ra St. Brown’s 163 yards headline Detroit Lions’ 31-17 Week 3 win over New York Jets

Detroit, MI - Amon-Ra St. Brown gave Jared Goff a dependable answer throughout the afternoon, collecting 13 receptions for 163 yards and a touchdown as the Detroit Lions defeated the New York Jets 31-17 in Week 3.

Detroit established an advantage, navigated the Jets' stretches of offensive production and gradually created separation. The game was more competitive statistically than the final margin suggested: New York finished with 391 offensive yards, nine more than Detroit, while the Lions held a modest 19-17 edge in first downs.

The sharpest contrast appeared in the red zone. Detroit turned both of its trips into touchdowns, while New York came away without a touchdown or field goal on its two visits. Neither team separated itself on conversion downs, with both finishing 4-for-11 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth down.

St. Brown was the centerpiece of Detroit's passing game. His 13 catches accounted for more than half of Goff's 25 completions, and he consistently supplied gains without relying on one enormous play. His longest reception went for 22 yards, matching Goff's longest completion of the game.

Goff completed 25 of 40 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown, finishing with an 88.2 passer rating. Detroit's quarterback did not throw an interception against a Jets defense that recorded one sack but no takeaways through the air.

"When a guy keeps finishing catches and giving you a reliable option, you trust him," Goff said. "Amon-Ra gave us that all game. We also got what we wanted out of our red-zone opportunities, and we can feel good about that part of the day."

St. Brown said the volume of opportunities required him to remain patient as Detroit built its margin.

"It wasn't about waiting for one huge play," St. Brown said. "The ball kept coming my way, and I wanted every catch to give the offense something useful. Thirteen catches means there were a lot of chances to be consistent, and that was my focus."

The Lions also finished with 135 rushing yards, eight more than the Jets. Jahmyr Gibbs led Detroit with 56 yards on 10 carries and scored a rushing touchdown, with a 40-yard run standing as his longest of the game. Isiah Pacheco added 47 yards on seven attempts, including a long of 24.

New York had its own explosive production. Geno Smith went 22-of-38 for 264 yards, one touchdown and one interception, posting a 77.0 passer rating. His longest completion covered 70 yards, and Garrett Wilson finished with five catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. Wilson's 70-yard reception was the longest catch recorded by either team.

The Jets also rushed for 127 yards. Breece Hall carried 13 times for 65 yards, while Braelon Allen produced 34 yards on three attempts. Those numbers contributed to New York's narrow advantage in offensive yards, but the Jets finished with 17 points as Detroit widened the gap over the broader course of the game.

"There were stretches where we moved it and showed what we can do," Smith said. "But I threw an interception, and we didn't finish our red-zone trips. You can look at the yardage and see production, but the scoreboard is what we're judged on."

Detroit's defense recorded two sacks and an interception. New York countered with one sack and no interceptions, leaving the Lions with the game's only takeaway through the air. The Jets generated 264 passing yards to Detroit's 247, but Goff finished with the higher passer rating.

Wilson said the Jets could not take much satisfaction from his 100-yard performance after leaving Detroit with a 14-point loss.

"The big gain and the touchdown are things you want to build on, but 17 points wasn't enough today," Wilson said. "We had yards and opportunities. We have to turn more of that work into points."

For Detroit, the result paired a high-volume performance from St. Brown with a balanced statistical profile. The Lions did not need to dominate the overall yardage column to finish Week 3 with a 31-17 victory at home.

Up Next

The Detroit Lions will travel to face the Carolina Panthers in Week 4 looking to follow up the win, while the New York Jets will also go on the road to meet the Chicago Bears as they try to rebound.