Free Press sports writer 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.

Lions RB David Montgomery

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

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

Montgomery sometimes gets overlooked on an offense with more flashy stars, but he has been as consistent as anyone during his 18 months in Detroit and gives the Lions some much-needed versatility in their ground game.

“He’s just reliable,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “He runs heavy, he’s tough, he’s physical, he gets in a rhythm, and I think he’s a catalyst for us. He starts carrying it, and he gets better and better, and I think the line feeds off of him, and he feeds off of them, and we get what we get. That guy’s a stud. He’s a stud.”

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Lions LB Alex Anzalone

Aidan Hutchinson had a big day and Marcus Davenport was impressive in his Lions debut, but Anzalone set the early tone for the Lions on defense, much like Montgomery did on the offensive side of the ball.

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 bone-rattling hits Sunday and was a big reason the Lions held capable Rams running back Kyren Williams to 50 yards on 18 carries (2.9 yards per tote).

Rams QB Matthew Stafford

Stafford was dynamite in last year’s playoff loss to the Lions and almost single-handedly willed the Rams to victory Sunday. He completed 34 of 49 passes for 317 yards and withstood a pounding — 12 quarterback hits — behind a shorthanded offensive line and after losing his best receiver, Puka Nacua, to injury.

Stafford was beloved during his 12 seasons in Detroit, but underappreciated because he never led the Lions to playoff success. He won a ring in his first year in LA and has continued to elevate his play in the seasons since.

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Stafford threw one bad interception and just missed Cooper Kupp on a looping third-and-10 pass late in the fourth quarter that would have sealed the game, but the Rams wouldn’t be a playoff contender if they didn’t have him.

“I thought (he) played lights out and played tough, and hit after hit just kept getting up and making unbelievable throws,” Campbell said.

Dave Birkett is the author of the new book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Preorder it now from Reedy Press.

Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions-Rams game: David Montgomery among 3 big winners in gritty battle