Late mistakes halt 49ers in 40-34 shootout loss to Lions

The San Francisco 49ers gave the Detroit Lions all they could handle for much of their showdown at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Monday night, but in the end, it was the 49ers who wound up making the mistakes that cost them the game.

The teams went back and forth on offense for much of the night, combining for over 900 total yards and nine touchdowns. But two second-half interceptions from Brock Purdy, two missed field goals and a missed extra point from kicker Jake Moody, and not enough defense in the clutch from the 49ers allowed the Lions to pull away in the second half for a 40-34 win.

Purdy finished with a career-high 377 yards on 27-of-35 passing with three touchdowns and a rushing touchdown before leaving the game late with an injury. Eight of Purdy's passes went to wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who had a breakout night with 141 yards and one touchdown. Lions quarterback Jared Goff finished with 303 yards on 26-of-34 passing with three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

First Half

Neither defense put up much resistance in the first half, which led to an energetic and explosive start to the game. The 49ers opened with possession at their own 39-yard line after a 36-yard kickoff return from Deebo Samuel, then got on the board first with an 11-play, 61-yard drive that culminated with a three-yard touchdown pass to Pearsall. Multiple runs from Samuel as well as a 13-yard completion to wide receiver Chris Conley and an 18-yard completion to tight end George Kittle set the 49ers up in the red zone, then after a 4th-and-1 conversion run by Purdy, the 49ers went up 7-0 on Pearsall's second touchdown reception of the season.

The Lions responded with a nine-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown run from wide receiver Jameson Williams to cut the 49ers' lead to 7-6. A 21-yard run from running back Jahmyr Gibbs and a 26-yard catch by running back Craig Reynolds helped move the Lions into a 1st-and-Goal from the 9-yard line, then Williams ran in on a reverse two plays later to finish the drive. The point-after attempt was blocked by defensive tackle Jordan Elliott, leaving the score at 7-6 late in the first quarter.

The early offensive fireworks continued on the next possession, which was a six-play, 79-yard drive from the 49ers that ended with a touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. A 14-yard one-handed catch by Pearsall and a 20-yard completion to Kittle along with an 11-yard run from running back Isaac Guerendo helped the 49ers get downfield in a hurry, then Purdy connected with Juszczyk on a 1st-and-Goal from the 9-yard line to take a 14-6 lead.

The 49ers were in a good position to stop the scoring on the following Lions possession, as a holding penalty followed by a sack by defensive end Nick Bosa had the Lions facing a 2nd-and-24 from their own 46-yard line. But after an 11-yard completion to Gibbs set up a 3rd-and-12, the Lions connected on a hook and ladder play that ended in a 41-yard touchdown for Williams after a lateral from wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The play capped a 75-yard drive and cut the lead to 14-13 following the extra point from kicker Jake Bates.

The next possession marked the fifth consecutive touchdown drive of the first half, this one a seven-play, 70-yard drive that put the 49ers up 21-13 on a touchdown run from Purdy. After starting at their own 30-yard line, a series of short gains put the 49ers in a 3rd-and-7 from the Lions' 49-yard line. A 40-yard completion to Pearsall put the 49ers in a 1st-and-Goal, then after Guerendo was stopped for no gain, Purdy did it himself from nine yards out to put the 49ers up eight points with just over six minutes left in the half.

It looked like the Lions might make it six straight touchdown drives on the next possession, but the 49ers were able to come up with the biggest defensive play of the half to keep them out of the end zone. The Lions moved the ball to the 49ers' 15-yard line but were soon faced with a 4th-and-3 from the 8. The Lions elected to pass up the chance for a field goal with a throw into the end zone, which was broken up by cornerback Renardo Green to force a turnover on downs.

The 49ers had an opportunity to cash in on the turnover on downs with some points but fell short as time ran down in the half. A 40-yard completion to Guerendo on the second play of the possession moved the ball toward midfield, then later in the drive, the 49ers appeared to have moved the ball inside the 10 on a 23-yard completion to Kittle. But a pass interference call on wide receiver Jacob Cowing negated the catch and eventually led the 49ers to settle for a 51-yard field goal attempt from kicker Jake Moody, which sailed wide right with two seconds remaining in the half.

The Lions took a knee to end the half, which saw the teams combine for 471 total yards. Purdy finished with 200 yards on 14-of-16 passing with three total touchdowns, while Goff completed 11-of-13 passes for 138 yards and one touchdown.

Second Half

Offense continued to rule the night to start the third quarter as the Lions opened with a 10-play, 66-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass from Goff to tight end Sam LaPorta. The drive started with a 13-yard completion to St. Brown, followed later by a 12-yard catch by Williams and a 21-yard catch by Robinson. Goff found LaPorta on a 3rd-and-Goal from the 6-yard line to finish the drive, then Goff connected with wide receiver Tim Patrick for a two-point conversion to tie the game at 21.

The 49ers made quick work of the Lions on the next possession, moving 84 yards in just over two minutes to take a 28-21 lead on a touchdown catch by Samuel. Once again it was Pearsall and Kittle that helped the 49ers get into scoring position, as Purdy connected with Pearsall on a 39-yard gain that moved the ball to the Lions' 27-yard line, then Kittle turned a short pass from Purdy into a 22-yard gain that set up a 1st-and-Goal from the 5. Two plays later, Samuel took a pop pass from Purdy and ran around the right side into the end zone to give the 49ers the lead.

It took just two plays for the Lions to move deep into 49ers' territory on the next drive, as a 9-yard completion to Gibbs followed by a 28-yard completion to LaPorta put the Lions at the 49ers' 33-yard line. But the 49ers stepped up on defense from there as Bosa sacked Goff for a 13-yard loss on a 3rd-and-3 to halt the drive. Bates connected on a 57-yard field goal after the sack to cut the 49ers' lead to 28-24.

The Lions quickly found themselves back in business on the next possession courtesy of an interception by safety Kerby Joseph that set them up once again in 49ers territory. After a pass interference call on safety Brian Branch moved the 49ers across midfield, Purdy fired a pass high and into the arms of Joseph, who returned the ball to the 49ers' 43-yard line.

The 49ers looked to be on the verge of a major defensive stand after the interception, as after the Lions moved to the 7-yard line in four plays, the 49ers forced a 4th-and-Goal at the 5. The Lions passed up a field goal opportunity once again, but this time they were able to convert when Goff found St. Brown wide open for a 5-yard touchdown and a 31-28 lead.

The 49ers used catches of nine and 18 yards from Kittle on the next possession to move to the Lions' 40-yard line, where they attempted a 58-yard field goal by Moody. The attempt sailed left, giving the Lions possession at their own 48-yard line. The Lions then drove inside the 30 where they were forced to settle for field goal attempt from Bates, which he hit from 42 yards out to open up a 34-28 lead with just over 10 minutes left to play.

Things continued to move in the wrong direction for the 49ers on the next drive, which came to an end when Purdy was picked off by Joseph for the second time. Purdy overcame an early sack and delay of game penalty with two completions to Pearsall that put the ball near midfield, then an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Lions pushed the ball to the 36-yard line. But Purdy was intercepted on the next play, giving the ball back to the Lions with 7:34 remaining in the game.

The Lions cashed in on the interception with their fifth touchdown of the game, this one on a 30-yard run by Gibbs. A series of short gains moved the ball into 49ers' territory after the interception, then Gibbs finished the drive with less than three minutes left to play.

Purdy left the game due to injury on the final possession of the game and was replaced with backup Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs led the 49ers downfield after the injury and finished off the drive with a touchdown run. Moody missed the PAT after the touchdown, leaving the score at 40-34 with 43 seconds left to play, then kicked the ensuing onsides kick out of bounds, after which the Lions ran out the clock to finish the game.

The Lions moved to 14-2 with the win, while the 49ers fell to 6-10 with the loss.

Game Notes: The Lions were four-point favorites coming into Monday night's game... The Lions and 49ers have now played 70 times throughout history, with the 49ers holding an all-time edge of 40-29-1... Kittle's performance (eight catches, 112 yards) moved him over 1,000 receiving yards on the season... The 49ers will bring their season to a close on Sunday in their road finale against the Arizona Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET/1:25 p.m. PT).

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