The Detroit Lionsโ first game of the 2026 NFL season went to overtime against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The game was tied at 24 entering overtime. On the first possession of the extra period, Jared Goff threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Saints scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive, but they failed on a two-point conversion. Detroit won the game over New Orleans 31-30.
St. Brown had a solid day with 10 receptions for 67 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.7 yards per catch on 14 targets. His first score was a 19-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter that pushed Detroitโs lead to 21-0. He acknowledged how wild the finish was.
Amon-Ra St. Brown Hopes the Overtime Games Are Done
St. Brown pointed back to the Lionsโ 34-27 overtime win over the New York Giants at Ford Field on Nov. 23, 2025, and the 2024 Sunday night overtime game against the Los Angeles Rams before it. He knew how crazy those games were. This one against the Saints was no different.
He hopes this is the only overtime game the Lions play this season. He said in the Lionsโ postgame media availability video:
โI feel like we have like one of these a year. We had one in โ24 versus the Rams, Sunday Night Football, here. Had one last year versus the Giants here, and then we have this one this year. So hopefully itโs our last overtime game of the year. But I feel like we get one every year, and that was one of them. They came out strong. Feel like it was back and forth all game. Defense got on a heater there. We turned into some points. They started coming back, scoring, scoring, and it was just back and forth, and we were able to make the last play.โ
Lions Turn to Thursday Night in Buffalo
Either way, the Lions are 1-0 and not 0-1. Detroit has another tough game on the road on Thursday, Sept. 17, against the Buffalo Bills at 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video. It will be the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, and the Lions will be the first opponent to play there. Another tight one could be on the horizon.
