The Lions secured an 8-0 road record with a win over the 49ers.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — If there was any question about whether Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell would rest his starting lineup or rest them ahead of the playoffs, he had an immediate answer Monday night by going all out with his best players.

In a rematch of the 2023 NFC Championship Game, the Lions got revenge on the San Francisco 49ers after denying them Detroit’s first Super Bowl appearance last season, winning 40-34.

Detroit hasn’t won a road game in San Francisco since 1975, losing 14 straight games, including the postseason, but overcame a 21-13 halftime deficit to end its road drought against the 49ers.

The Lions also ended the regular season with a perfect 8-0 record on the road. This is the longest away winning streak in franchise history.

QB Analysis: Lions quarterback Jared Goff has been able to thrive in pressure moments on a prime-time stage. All three of Goff’s touchdowns were on third or fourth downs. He has 17 touchdowns and zero interceptions on third and fourth downs this season. He also finished with 303 passing yards against the 49ers, completing 26 of 34 passes.

Promising trends: WR Jameson Williams has recorded a receiving touchdown for the third straight game. Against the 49ers, he had a 3-yard rushing touchdown and a 41-yard receiving touchdown in the first half. Williams also scored multiple touchdowns in last season’s NFC Championship with the 49ers. He is now 33 yards away from the first 1,000-yard receiving season of his career.

Troubling trends: Detroit’s defense. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy highlighted the Lions’ defense with his accuracy and pinpoint playmaking, especially during the first half. The 49ers scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, with Purdy also completing two 40-yard passes in the game. Against tougher competition like the Minnesota Vikings this week, this could be a major issue. — Eric Woodyard

Next game: vs. Minnesota Vikings (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

In an NFC Championship Game rematch that was supposed to be a battle of the NFC titans, the 49ers and Lions entered Monday’s matchup with decidedly different directions.

When the 49ers were over, Nick Bosa put it succinctly on Thursday: “They’re playing well and we’ve had an off year.”

Until Monday’s kickoff, neither the 49ers nor the Lions actually had much to play for, as San Francisco was eliminated from postseason contention last week and Detroit’s season finale against Minnesota was all that mattered for the NFC’s top seed.

That didn’t stop the Niners, who were down to their fourth-string running back and left tackle and missing key starters throughout their roster, from pushing the equally injured Lions over the edge in an entertaining offensive shootout.

There’s no such thing as a moral victory in the NFL, but Monday’s loss provided plenty of evidence that the Niners still have a lot of fight left in them and that their faith in coach Kyle Shanahan has not wavered. This is something that can be helpful heading into an offseason that can bring a lot of uncertainty and a lot of change.

In more practical terms, Monday’s loss is better for the 6-10 Niners in that it locks in a last-place schedule for 2025 and preserves the possibility of retaining the No. 11 pick in the next NFL draft.

This is small consolation for the lost season the 49ers didn’t expect, but if nothing else, they can take additional solace in the fact that the nightmare 2024 is almost over.

Describe the game in two words. Any crime. It’s no surprise that the lively Lions have moved the ball up and down the field, but the 49ers’ offense hasn’t accomplished much this season. The Niners and Lions combined for touchdowns on their first five possessions, and neither side threw an incomplete pass until 4:59 remained in the second quarter. By the end of the night, they had combined for 74 points and 914 yards.

most amazing performance: 49ers rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall has been mostly quiet since his big Week 10 performance at Tampa Bay, recording six catches for 58 yards in the following six games. But Pearsall stood out Monday night, finishing with eight receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. He was named Deebo Samuel Sr. in 2019. He is the first 49ers rookie to have 100 receiving yards and a score in a game.

QB Analysis: Purdy was perfect, at least statistically, through the first three quarters against the Lions on Monday night. With 4:19 left in the third quarter, Purdy, who held a “perfect” passer rating of 158.3, overthrew Pearsall into the waiting arms of Lions safety Kerby Joseph for the first turnover of the game. That put the brakes on Purdy’s stellar performance, where he went 27-of-35 for 377 yards (a career-high) with three touchdowns and a rushing score. In the final two minutes of the game, Purdy was shut out with an apparent elbow injury. He said he would have an MRI on Tuesday after the game.

Troubling trends: 49ers kicker Jake Moody’s struggles (of which there have been many) have been largely confined to the road this season. He didn’t miss a field goal or extra point attempt at Levi’s Stadium. Until Monday night. He missed two field goals (51, 58) from over 50 yards. Moody was drafted in the third round because he was expected to be able to convert kicks. An additional point was missed at the end of the fourth quarter. Since Week 10, he’s 10-of-10 on field goal attempts and has a 55.6% conversion rate. Add kicker to the long list of positions the 49ers should look at this offseason. — Nick Wagoner

next game: Arizona Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)