Jameer Gibbs saves the Lions with a long TD run in OT to win over the Giants

DETROIT — Jameer Gibbs to save.

Gibbs ran for a 69-yard touchdown on the first snap of overtime and followed that with a career-high 264 yards and three scores, leading the Detroit Lions to a much-needed 34-27 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday.

“He bailed us out in a big way,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said.

Giants interim coach Mike Kafka also helped out.

Kafka went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 6 with his team leading by three points, instead of kicking a short field goal that would have forced Detroit to score a touchdown. Winston threw an incomplete pass to Theo Johnson to end a 14-play, 86-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes off the clock.

“We’re trying to win the game, so we want to score as many points as possible,” Kafka said after coaching his second game in place of Brian Daboll. “We thought it was an offensive spot.”

Detroit took advantage. Jake Betts kicked a 59-yard field goal that matched his career high with 28 seconds left, giving Jared Goff another chance to put the ball in Gibbs’ hands.

Gough gave Gibbs the ball to run up the middle, Detroit’s awful offensive line opened a huge hole, and one of the NFL’s fastest players took it from there.

“I’ve got the best seat in the field,” Goff said. “I put my hands up when he was seven yards down the field.

The Lions (7-4) entered the game out of the playoff picture, leading by double digits twice and rallying to avoid losing consecutive games for the first time in more than three years.

“It was a must-win,” Gibbs said.

And the Lions wouldn’t have closed it without Gibbs.

The dual-threat running back had a career-high 219 yards rushing — the third-highest total in team history — and two touchdowns, including a 49-yard run early in the fourth quarter. He also had a career-high 11 catches for 45 yards and another score.

“We stopped him several times, but he got away the last time,” Kafka said.

New York had a chance to extend the game in overtime, but Detroit ended it at the 31 when Eden Hutchinson sacked Jameis Winston.

Goff was 28 of 42 for 279 yards with two touchdowns: an 11-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown and a 3-yard pass to Gibbs in the first half. He had a double pass thrown out.

St. Brown had 9 catches for 149 yards.

The Giants (2-10) lost their sixth straight game and fifth this season after trailing in the fourth quarter.

Making his second straight start in place of injured rookie Jackson Dart, Winston had a 33-yard touchdown reception and threw a 39-yard touchdown pass on three plays.

Winston was 18-of-36 for 366 yards — becoming the first to throw for at least 300 yards against Detroit this season — with two touchdowns and an interception.

Van Del Robinson set career highs with nine receptions for 156 yards and had a 12-yard touchdown in the second quarter that gave the Giants one of their three 10-point games.

“It could have very easily – many times – gone the other way, but it didn’t,” Campbell said. “We made the plays we had to make.”

The Giants, meanwhile, did not, which continued a trend.

They have lost an NFL-high five games after leading in the fourth. Last month in Denver, they became the first team since at least 1970 to lead by 18-plus points with six minutes remaining and lose in regulation.

“We need to find a way to eliminate them, and I believe our players can do that,” Kafka said.

Giants: Dart (concussion) and edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder) each missed a second straight game and CB Paulson Adebo (knee) was out for the fifth straight game. … LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) left in the second quarter.

Lions: CB Terrian Arnold (concussion) and S Kirby Joseph (concussion) were inactive. … WR/PR Cliff Raymond (tuck) was injured in the third quarter and did not return.

Giants: at New England on Monday, Dec. 1.

Lions: Host Green Bay on Thanksgiving Day.