A pair of NFC championship game hopefuls meet on “Monday Night Football” in Week 4.
The undefeated Seattle Seahawks and the 2-1 Detroit Lions lock up underneath the Ford Field dome on Monday night, making for the fourth meeting in three years between the two squads.
The Seahawks enter the matchup with Detroit on a winning streak against their NFC foe: Winners of their last five in a row vs. the Lions, the Seahawks sit atop the NFC West as they look to keep rolling into the “Motor City” on Monday night.
They’ll have their first true test of the season against the Lions, who made the NFC championship game last season. After Detroit’s Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers, they bounced back with a win over the Cardinals to move to 2-1.
In the other “Monday Night Football” game, the Miami Dolphins will host the Tennessee Titans.
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USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights, and more from the Week 4 “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Lions and Seahawks below.
Why did the Seahawks go for 2?
The Seahawks attempted a 2-point conversion after their touchdown in an analytically savvy move. The logic is that if Seattle converted, it would be trailing Detroit by six points. That would allow the Seahawks to go ahead with a touchdown and an extra point if they stopped the Lions.
Even without converting, the Seahawks have a chance to tie the Lions with a stop. They just need to get a score and have a successful 2-point conversion.
But without a stop, the decision is moot.
Seahawks answer Lions with Kenneth Walker TD run
Seattle and Detroit continue to go back-and-forth, as Walker bulls in for his second 1-yard touchdown run of the game.
The Seahawks went for a 2-point conversion after the score and initially didn’t convert. However, Carlton Davis was called for a questionable pass interference call, so Seattle got a second try. They couldn’t convert and find themselves trailing 28-20.
Geno Smith was 3-of-4 on the drive with 50 passing yards. He continues to perform well and has completed 25-of-34 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown thus far.
Amon-Ra St. Brown throws TD pass to Jared Goff on trick play
Ben Johnson went deep into his bag on a second-and-goal from the 7-yard line. He had Goff hand-off to St. Brown, who ran parallel behind the line of scrimmage before turning back and lofting a perfect touch pass to Goff.
The ball got just over the Seahawks defender’s head and allowed Goff to trot into the end-zone. Detroit now leads 28-14 with 6:57 left in the third quarter.
David Montgomery rips off 40-yard catch and run
The Lions’ first play of the half was a dump-off to Montgomery. He caught the ball a couple of yards beyond the line of scrimmage before bouncing off a couple of Seahawks defenders for a huge gain.
The catch made Montgomery the Lions’ leading receiver despite him having just one reception.
Lions vs. Seahawks score: AJ Barner scores first career TD
The Seahawks orchestrated a 10-play, 75-yard drive coming out of the halftime locker room that ended with a 9-yard completion to Barner. He dove into the end-zone off the play-action pass to cut Detroit’s lead to 21-14.
DK Metcalf played a big role in Seattle’s success on that drive, catching a 9-yard pass on a third-and-8 to extend the drive and drawing a 21-yard pass interference call to set up the touchdown.
End of first half: Lions lead Seahawks 21-7
The Seahawks got a chance at a 62-yard field goal attempt, but Jason Myers sent it short and wide left. Detroit was unable to return it for a score, which ended the half.
The Lions offense dominated the undermanned Seahawks defense in the first half, rushing for three touchdowns on five possessions and seeing David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combine for 88 yards and three TDs on 16 carries.
Jared Goff has also been efficient, going a perfect 12 for 12 for 97 yards to give Detroit a commanding 14-point lead.
The Seahawks have thrown the ball well, as DK Metcalf has five catches for 73 yards, but they haven’t gotten anything going on the ground. Geno Smith’s late-half scramble of 12 yards made him the leading rusher for Seattle, so they will look to get Kenneth Walker (four carries, six yards, one TD) more involved in the second half.
Jared Goff ripped down in the pocket, no horse-collar penalty called
The Lions went three-and-out thanks largely to a sack of Jared Goff. He was ripped down by the name-plate by edge rusher Derick Hall, and no horse-collar penalty was called because Goff was in the pocket.
As a result, the Seahawks got the ball back just shy of midfield with about 15 seconds left to get in field-goal or Hail Mary range.
Seahawks forced to punt after failed third-and-10 conversion
Geno Smith throws his first incompletion on third down with 1:09 left in the first half. That stalls Seattle’s drive and gives Detroit a chance to mount a scoring drive in the last 1:01 of the half.
The Lions have all three of their timeouts remaining.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba laterals catch to Zach Charbonnet for first down
The Seahawks broke out a trick play on third-and-16 to stay on the field. Geno Smith found Smith-Njigba coming across the field and the second-year wideout caught the ball before tossing it backward to Charbonnet.
No Lions were near Charbonnet, who easily scampered for the first down and kept Seattle’s drive alive.
David Montgomery stats vs. Jahmyr Gibbs stats
The Lions are continuing to use their top two running backs equally. Montgomery has eight carries for 42 yards and a touchdown while Gibbs has seven carries for 41 yards and two touchdowns.
Montgomery handled a bulk of the early workload, but Gibbs got six consecutive carries after that. Both look like viable fantasy running backs and should continue to give the Lions one of the NFL’s best running games.
Lions vs. Seahawks score: Gibbs scores second TD of the night
The Lions have had three red-zone opportunities. All of them have ended with one of their running backs plowing into the end-zone. This time, Gibbs got the carry, and he powered his way through the line for a score.
Jake Bates makes the extra point convincingly this time to give Detroit a 21-7 lead late in the second quarter.
Kenneth Walker runs around the edge for 1-yard score
The Seahawks answered the Lions’ first two scores. Walker dealt with penetration into the backfield immediately, but he found a way to bounce the carry outside for a 1-yard score.
Walker’s score was set up by a 29-yard connection between Geno Smith and DK Metcalf that saw Metcalf come up just short of twisting his arm over the goal line. Seattle now trails Detroit 14-7 after Jason Myers converted on his extra point.
Kenneth Walker flips over defender twice on first-down run
Walker caught a pass out of the backfield on a second-and-4 and appeared to be tackled by linebacker Alex Anzalone short of the marker twice. However, Walker didn’t actually hit the ground on either play and was able to turn the play into a first down.
Lions vs. Seahawks score: Jahmyr Gibbs scores Lions’ second rushing TD
After David Montgomery scored on the Lions’ second drive, Detroit gave Jahmyr Gibbs a chance to find his way into the end zone. Gibbs was successful, finding a lane behind left guard Kayode Awosika and scoring his second rushing touchdown of the season.
Jake Bates once again barely snuck the extra point through the uprights, but it was good, giving Detroit a 14-0 lead.
Is Jack Campbell related to Dan Campbell?
No, the Lions’ starting linebacker is not related to their head coach. Jack Campbell was a first-round pick by Detroit in the 2023 NFL draft out of Iowa and has developed into a quality three-down linebacker for the Lions.
Lions force DK Metcalf fumble, return it to red zone
Detroit’s defense is off to a good start to their “MNF” game against Seattle. The Lions allowed a 14-yard reception to DK Metcalf but Jack Campbell punched the ball out. Carlton Davis recovered it and returned it 54 yards to set the Lions up with a red-zone opportunity.
The Lions are threatening to score again, and they will have a first-and-goal opportunity once the second quarter begins.
Detroit Lions new uniforms
The Lions’ black uniforms are new for the 2024 NFL season.
They are debuting them against the Seahawks on “Monday Night Football” along with their alternate helmet, which has a blue background and a black lion logo.
Lions vs. Seahawks score: Montgomery opens scoring with TD run
The Lions get on the board first, as Montgomery capped off a 93-yard touchdown drive with a 1-yard plunge on third-and-goal. Montgomery has been a force early, recording 42 yards on eight carries and scoring a touchdown for the seventh consecutive regular-season game.
Jake Bates kept the extra point attempt inside the right upright to give Detroit a 7-0 first-quarter lead.
DK Metcalf makes impressive catch, but Seahawks forced to punt
Seattle got off to a good start against the Detroit defense, as Geno Smith found Metcalf on the left sideline with a perfect throw. Metcalf managed to get both of his feet down before going out of bounds to complete the catch.
The Seahawks stalled after that, but Metcalf already has two catches for 28 yards to begin the game. It could be a big night for Seattle’s No. 1 receiver given that Detroit’s defense has struggle against top receivers thus far in 2024.
What does ‘DK’ in DK Metcalf stand for?
DK Metcalf’s full name is DeKaylin Metcalf. He has always gone by “DK” during his college and pro careers.
Jarran Reed sacks Lions QB Jared Goff to force three-and-out
The Seahawks defense continues their strong start to the season, as they forced the Lions into a three-and-out on their frist drive of the game. Jared Goff tried to scramble away from pressure and find a receiver downfield, but Jarran Reed eventually tracked him down in the backfield.
Geno Smith and the Seattle offense will now get their first possession of the game, beginning with the ball on their own 23-yard line.
Lions vs. Seahawks start time
Date: Monday, Sept. 30, 2024Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
The Lions vs. Seahawks game will wrap up the second “Monday Night Football” doubleheader of the 2024 NFL season at 8:15 p.m. ET.
What channel is Monday Night Football on tonight?
TV channel: ABC and ESPN
The first game of the doubleheader between the Titans and Dolphins will be broadcast on ESPN.
The second game of the doubleheader between the Lions and Seahawks will be broadcast on ABC.
Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (color commentary), and Lisa Salters (sideline reporter) will be on the call for ABC’s broadcast.
Lions vs Seahawks live stream
Fans who want to catch the “Monday Night Football” matchup between the Lions and Seahawks via live stream have a few options.
Fubo carries the ESPN family of networks, as well as ABC, CBS, Fox and NFL Network, meaning you’ll catch all NFL action throughout the year.
ESPN+ will also carry the game.
Seahawks at Lions predictions, picks
Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff’s predictions for the Seahawks-Lions game:
Lorenzo Reyes: Lions 23, Seahawks 17Tyler Dragon: Lions 21, Seahawks 20Richard Morin: Lions 28, Seahawks 21Jordan Mendoza: Lions 23, Seahawks 20
Lions vs. Seahawks odds, moneyline, over/under
The Lions are favorites to defeat the Seahawks, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
Spread: Lions (-3.5) Moneyline: Lions (-190); Seahawks (+155) Over/under: 46.5
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Lions vs. Seahawks weather update
For those curious about the weather in Detroit, it won’t matter: The Seahawks and Lions are playing in a dome at Ford Field, so Mother Nature won’t get involved in this Monday night matchup.
Lions vs. Seahawks history
The Seahawks have gotten the better of the Lions across NFL history. In 17 matchups, the Seahawks have a 12-5 record over the Lions. They also have a playoff win over Detroit, a wild-card round victory in 2017. The Seahawks have won five regular-season matchups in a row over Detroit.
NFC North standings
The Lions sit one game back of the NFC North lead, trailing only the Minnesota Vikings for the top spot in the division. Here’s how the standings look entering “Monday Night Football:”
Vikings (4-0) Lions (2-1) Packers (2-2) Bears (2-2)
NFC West standings
The Seahawks look to stay atop the NFC West with a win over the Lions on Monday night. They lead the 49ers in the standings. Here’s how the NFC West stacks up entering the matchup:
Seahawks (3-0) 49ers (2-2) Cardinals (1-3) Rams (1-3)
Seahawks inactives vs. Lions
Seattle is going to be extremely shorthanded in the front-seven, as it is missing five of its seven normal starters on the defensive line and in the linebacker room. That will make it hard for the Seahawks to stop Detroit’s strong running game.
Below is Seattle’s full list of inactives:
LB Uchenna NwosuLB Jerome BakerLB Boye MafeG Sataoa LaumeaOT Michael JerrellDT Byron Murphy IIDE Leonard Williams
Lions inactives vs. Seahawks
The Lions are going to be without two key players against the Seahawks. Starting center Frank Ragnow will miss the game while top safety Brian Branch will also miss the game.
Below is Detroit’s full list of inactives:
DB Brian BranchOL Giovanni ManuC Frank RagnowWR Isaiah Williams
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