Lions Outlast Jets 31-24 Behind Jahmyr Gibbs' Three-Touchdown Day

Jahmyr Gibbs scored three times and Chuck Clark's late strip sack helped Detroit turn back the Jets 31-24 in Week 3 at Ford Field.

The Detroit Lions beat the New York Jets 31-24 on Sunday, September 27, at Ford Field. The Week 3 game stayed competitive for the full 60 minutes, with New York, widely viewed as a manageable opponent, pressing Detroit to the final whistle.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs was the centerpiece of the Detroit attack. He carried 20 times for 99 yards and two touchdowns, including a 17-yard score on which he escaped five Jets defenders in the backfield. Gibbs also caught seven passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, and the Lions lined him up out wide on at least five snaps rather than confining him to screens and shovel passes.

The defensive front generated pressure from more than Aidan Hutchinson, who still recorded a half-sack despite drawing most of the blocking attention. DJ Wonnum beat left tackle Olu Fashanu for a sack on third-and-4 that ended a Jets drive late in the first quarter. Alim McNeill sacked Geno Smith while the Jets threatened in the third quarter, then combined with Wonnum for another sack on the following play, forcing New York to kick a field goal.

Injuries at safety forced Detroit to reshuffle its secondary. With Avonte Maddox and Thomas Harper unavailable, nickel corner Christian Izien filled the role usually held by Brian Branch, with Chuck Clark playing the deep spot. Clark notched a strip sack that sealed the outcome, and Izien led the team with 11 tackles, three of them behind the line, plus a pass breakup.

Cornerback remained a trouble spot. After Rock Ya-Sin's rough opening two weeks, Detroit opened in its base defense with Roger McCreary outside across from D.J. Reed, then slid McCreary inside and brought Ennis Rakestraw outside in nickel packages. It worked early, as Reed and Rakestraw each broke up a pass and the Jets punted on their first three possessions.

The arrangement did not hold. Smith and Kenyon Sadiq connected for a touchdown against McCreary, who allowed five catches for more than 70 yards. Garrett Wilson repeatedly got the better of Reed and caught a touchdown in the closing minutes, though Reed continued to play well against the run.

Ya-Sin returned for the final drive of the first half and was flagged for defensive pass interference on his first snap, a penalty declined after an 11-yard gain. He then allowed a catch and spent most of the second half back on the bench. According to the report, the Lions have also reached out about cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Amon-Ra St. Brown had an unusually quiet afternoon, finishing with four catches for 19 yards, though one went for a touchdown on a goal-line fade, and he dropped two passes. Jared Goff threw for 269 yards, with Isaac TeSlaa pacing the receivers at three catches for 66 yards as Detroit spread the ball around.

Linebacker Devin White was unexpectedly inactive, Malcolm Rodriguez was in line for additional snaps, and Jimmy Rolder made his debut after missing most of training camp with an injury. The Yahoo Sports review also listed linebacker Trevor Nowaske among Detroit's top performers on the day. The broader takeaway from the report: an offense that again put up 31 points, paired with a defense that again had trouble protecting a lead.