David Montgomery gives the Rams the win

Free Press sportswriter Dave Birkett hands out game balls for some of the best performances in the Detroit Lions' 26-20 overtime win over the Rams on Sunday at Ford Field.

David Montgomery

Jared Goff said the Lions' plan in overtime was simple. “Just give it to D-Mo, man. A battering ram. Just give it to him and he'll do the rest, and it was fun.”

Montgomery rushed for 91 yards on 17 carries on Sunday and scored the game-winning 1-yard touchdown on his only possession of the game in overtime. He ran the ball five times for 46 yards on the eight-play drive and was the offensive tone-setter on a day when the Lions struggled to find a consistent rhythm.

In an offense with flashier stars, Montgomery is sometimes overlooked, but in his 18 months in Detroit he has been more consistent than anyone else and gives the Lions much-needed flexibility in their running game.

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“He's just reliable,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “He runs hard, he's tough, he's physical, he's getting into a rhythm and I think he's a catalyst for us. He's starting to wear it and he's getting better and better and I think the line feeds off him and he feeds off them and we get what we get. This guy is a stud. He's a stud.”

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Alex Anzalone

Aidan Hutchinson had a great day and Marcus Davenport put in an impressive performance in his debut for the Lions, but Anzalone set the tone for the Lions from the start on defense, much like Montgomery did on offense.

He had tackles for loss on two of the Rams' first three plays and finished with a game-high 13 tackles (three for loss). Anzalone has some of the best instincts on the team. He made a couple of bone-jarring hits on Sunday and was a big reason the Lions held the capable Rams running back Kyren Williams to 50 yards on 18 carries (2.9 yards per carry).