Detroit
Lions
0-0
56
FINAL
35
Denver
Broncos
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Detroit Lions kicked off the 2027 season with a commanding 56-35 victory over the Denver Broncos. Both teams were looking to make a strong statement in Week 1, but it was Detroit that emerged victorious, showcasing their offensive firepower and resilience.
Malik Willis of the Broncos had a standout performance, throwing for an impressive 448 yards and five touchdowns, making him a force to be reckoned with in the air. However, the Lions countered with an equally potent offense, highlighted by Jaxon Smith-Njigba's remarkable 207 receiving yards and RJ Harvey's solid 91 rushing yards, which kept the Denver defense on its heels throughout the game.
Defensively, the Lions made key plays that shifted momentum in their favor, particularly through DJ Turner II, who intercepted two passes, helping to stifle the Broncos' attempts at a comeback. The game's turning point came late in the third quarter when the Lions' defense forced a crucial turnover, giving their high-octane offense the opportunity to stretch the lead and ultimately secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Willis | QB | 41 | 20 | 49% | 448 | 5 | 6 | 88.2 |
| Kyle Nails | QB | 23 | 8 | 35% | 265 | 4 | 4 | 79.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RJ Harvey | HB | 14 | 91 | 6.5 | 12 | 2 | 50 | 0 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 5 | 18 | 3.6 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Scott Petty | HB | 7 | 15 | 2.1 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Kyle Nails | QB | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Malik Willis | QB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chimere Dike | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalin Hyatt | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | WR | 5 | 207 | 41.4 | 43 | 2 | 65 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 7 | 138 | 19.7 | 71 | 1 | 66 | 0 |
| Devontez Walker | WR | 4 | 98 | 24.5 | 24 | 3 | 43 | 0 |
| Eric Newton | WR | 2 | 67 | 33.5 | 13 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| Skyler Bell | WR | 2 | 50 | 25.0 | 11 | 1 | 40 | 0 |
| Theo Johnson | TE | 2 | 40 | 20.0 | 6 | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| Chimere Dike | WR | 2 | 37 | 18.5 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 29 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Marvin Mims Jr | WR | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Scott Petty | HB | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 13 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Terrance Ferguson | TE | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJ Turner II | CB | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Kevin Winston Jr | FS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Craig Woodson | SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | REDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joshua Williams | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Stingley Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Marques Sigle | FS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Taylor Childress | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Max Melton | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Nic Scourton | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anthony Hill Jr. | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Timothy Spillman | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darrell Jackson Jr. | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ernest Jones IV | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dee Winters | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arnold Ebiketie | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Sims | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quan Martin | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| SirVocea Dennis | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Javier Soto | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VJ Payne | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Huskey | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daylen Everette | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evan McPherson | K | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Michael Dickson | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andres Borregales | K | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |

