The Lions had next to nothing to play for on Monday night against San Francisco, but you wouldn’t have known it watching Detroit’s offense gobble up yards and points. Monday night marked the fifth game in 2024 in which the Lions scored more than 40 points without a turnover, the most by a team in a single season in NFL history. It was Detroit’s sixth 40-plus point game of the year. An average of 33.3 points per game would set a new franchise single-season record.

Goff confidently led the Lions’ offense, generating 303 passing yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions, for a passer rating of 132.4. It was the fourth straight game with more than three passing TDs, the longest streak by a Lions quarterback in the Super Bowl era (only Bobby Layne had a longer streak in 1951 – five games).

Since throwing five interceptions against Houston in Week 10, Goff has scored 20 passing TDs and one INT in the last seven games. Since Week 11, he leads the NFL in passing yards per game (331.1) and TDs (20).

With next week’s showdown against Minnesota, Campbell could have rested some of his key players. Given the short week, it might have been wise for an injury-ravaged club that hasn’t had a week off since October 6th. However, conceding goals is not in Campbell’s club’s DNA.

The coach admitted he thought about letting go of a few key players, but ultimately decided it was best to move forward.

“Look, there’s nothing easy about it and there are a number of things you have to decide and we can’t prepare the other guys because you don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen in the first, second, third and red zones before the week starts. For example, if (Hendon) Hooker doesn’t get those reps, those are Goff’s reps because we don’t know.” And that’s just one example. I just don’t think it’s fair to use a guy who isn’t ready to play, especially a young player.

“You can only sit with six people. So who are these six and then who are the others who don’t? Was it fair to them that we don’t use everything we have? We flew here, we prepared this way.” “We came out to win and that’s what matters in the end.”

The Lions escaped without any major injuries and set up a battle between 14 winning clubs in Week 18. Dan Campbell vs. Kevin O’Connell, Jared Goff vs. Sam Darnold, Ben Johnson vs. Brian Flores and others. Prepare your popcorn.

“That’s what you’re in it for. You couldn’t write a better scenario,” Campbell said. “You couldn’t make this up. The fact that both teams are 14-2 and the division and top seed are at stake, it just doesn’t get any better than that. This is fairytale stuff. It speaks for itself.”