After the Saints were three and out on their second possession, it took Goff and the offense just three plays for 54 yards capped by an Amon-Ra St. Louis touchdown. Brown 25 yards to give the Lions a 21-0 lead not even halfway through the first quarter.
The Saints cut the lead to 21-7 early in the second quarter on a six-yard run from Jimmy Graham. New Orleans converted three third downs in their scoring drive, including third-and-16.
Detroit went into halftime with a 24-7 lead after a 24-yard Riley Patterson field goal.
New Orleans scored on its first possession of the second half on short drives from Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill to cut the Lions’ lead to 24-21 late in the third quarter.
Patterson extended the lead to 27-21 with a short field goal as time expired in the third quarter to set up a crucial final 15 minutes for both teams.
The fourth quarter began with a Saints fumble on a botched snap. Lions second-year wide receiver Jameson Williams scored two plays later on a 19-yard reverse double to extend Detroit’s lead to 33-21.
The Saints marched 75 yards in 12 plays and scored on Kamara’s one-yard run to cut the deficit to 33-28 with seven minutes, 30 seconds left.
The Saints got the ball back with a chance to take the lead late but fourth-and-6 on the Lions’ 40-yard line was incomplete.
LaPorta had a huge third-down snap at the two-minute warning and Goff’s 12-yard completion to wide receiver Josh Reynolds on third-and-9 as a Saints timeout with under two minutes to play ended the game.
