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Lions rookies come out swinging in season-opening win over Chiefs
By Colton Pouncy
Sep 10, 2023
For anyone who’s still confused by the Detroit Lions’ 2023 draft, allow GM Brad Holmes to explain the vision.
“We don’t want to take a step back, and we don’t want to stay stagnant,” Holmes said on April 29. “We appreciate and we are extremely proud of the success that we had last year, but we didn’t make the playoffs, you know? We didn’t make the playoffs, and that’s not good enough. So, we gotta get to the point as a football team where we can put ourselves in a position where we can get in the postseason and hopefully make some noise.”
Sure, the Lions could’ve taken a more long-term approach and drafted an outside cornerback, defensive end or offensive lineman — premium positions — in the first two rounds. But those weren’t glaring holes. The Lions’ edge room is deep and versatile. They added two starting corners in free agency. And they have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
With this draft, Holmes was looking to draft game-ready talent at positions of need. It’s how the Lions drafted an “offensive weapon” at running back, a “future anchor” at linebacker, a “gritty” mismatch at tight end and an “instinctive” defensive back, as Holmes described Detroit’s first four draft picks.
In their own way, each contributed to the Lions’ 21-20 win Thursday over the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I didn’t feel like any of those, any of our pups, that it was too big for them,” coach Dan Campbell said Friday. “I felt like, boy, they settled in and the stage wasn’t too much for them. And, man, that was really encouraging. I really thought all those guys really helped us out and had a part in that win last night.”
Let’s review how they did it.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs looked as advertised against the Chiefs despite a limited sample size. He looked explosive as a receiver and out of the backfield. He rushed for 42 yards on seven carries (6.0 YPC) and added two receptions for 18 yards. If he hadn’t tripped on a red zone carry, Gibbs likely would’ve scored a touchdown in his NFL debut.
What was really impressive about Gibbs, more than the burst and acceleration, was his power. Gibbs was bouncing off defenders, generating six missed tackles on those seven carries, per PFF. Of his 42 rushing yards, 34 came after contact. For a smaller back who’s barely 200 pounds, that was impressive to see.
While Gibbs’ usage seems to have upset the fantasy community, best believe the Lions don’t care. It appears to have been partly by design, partly just the flow of the game. The Lions were trying to take it slow with their rookie running back, easing him in with nine touches. Additionally, facing a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes — who can put points on the board in a hurry — likely increased David Montgomery’s workload. One of the best ways to defend Mahomes is to keep him off the field, and the Lions did that by hammering the run with Montgomery and eating up clock. Montgomery was on the field for 55 of the offense’s 70 snaps, compared to 19 for Gibbs.
Gibbs’ strengths as a pass-catching back weren’t as necessary in this one. But they will be.
“He’ll begin to get more touches now,” Campbell said Friday. “That was just the beginning.”
DB Brian Branch
In the days leading up to the Chiefs game, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was asked to offer his expectations for rookie defensive back Brian Branch.
“To be a damn good player,” Glenn said, straight-faced. “I mean, we knew that when we drafted him. … There’s a reason why we had him graded that high.”
The Lions did. Other franchises did not. Widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the draft, Branch fell all the way to pick No. 45. The reasons Branch lasted as long as he did remain puzzling, though you can try to piece together a few. A nickel with some safety capabilities isn’t exactly a premium position. His 4.58 40 didn’t wow scouts, and neither did his measurables. But turn on the tape and you’ll see exactly what kind of football player you’re getting in Branch.
He did his best to show a national audience in his first pro game.
continued..
By Colton Pouncy
Sep 10, 2023
For anyone who’s still confused by the Detroit Lions’ 2023 draft, allow GM Brad Holmes to explain the vision.
“We don’t want to take a step back, and we don’t want to stay stagnant,” Holmes said on April 29. “We appreciate and we are extremely proud of the success that we had last year, but we didn’t make the playoffs, you know? We didn’t make the playoffs, and that’s not good enough. So, we gotta get to the point as a football team where we can put ourselves in a position where we can get in the postseason and hopefully make some noise.”
Sure, the Lions could’ve taken a more long-term approach and drafted an outside cornerback, defensive end or offensive lineman — premium positions — in the first two rounds. But those weren’t glaring holes. The Lions’ edge room is deep and versatile. They added two starting corners in free agency. And they have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.
With this draft, Holmes was looking to draft game-ready talent at positions of need. It’s how the Lions drafted an “offensive weapon” at running back, a “future anchor” at linebacker, a “gritty” mismatch at tight end and an “instinctive” defensive back, as Holmes described Detroit’s first four draft picks.
In their own way, each contributed to the Lions’ 21-20 win Thursday over the Kansas City Chiefs.
“I didn’t feel like any of those, any of our pups, that it was too big for them,” coach Dan Campbell said Friday. “I felt like, boy, they settled in and the stage wasn’t too much for them. And, man, that was really encouraging. I really thought all those guys really helped us out and had a part in that win last night.”
Let’s review how they did it.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs looked as advertised against the Chiefs despite a limited sample size. He looked explosive as a receiver and out of the backfield. He rushed for 42 yards on seven carries (6.0 YPC) and added two receptions for 18 yards. If he hadn’t tripped on a red zone carry, Gibbs likely would’ve scored a touchdown in his NFL debut.
What was really impressive about Gibbs, more than the burst and acceleration, was his power. Gibbs was bouncing off defenders, generating six missed tackles on those seven carries, per PFF. Of his 42 rushing yards, 34 came after contact. For a smaller back who’s barely 200 pounds, that was impressive to see.
While Gibbs’ usage seems to have upset the fantasy community, best believe the Lions don’t care. It appears to have been partly by design, partly just the flow of the game. The Lions were trying to take it slow with their rookie running back, easing him in with nine touches. Additionally, facing a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes — who can put points on the board in a hurry — likely increased David Montgomery’s workload. One of the best ways to defend Mahomes is to keep him off the field, and the Lions did that by hammering the run with Montgomery and eating up clock. Montgomery was on the field for 55 of the offense’s 70 snaps, compared to 19 for Gibbs.
Gibbs’ strengths as a pass-catching back weren’t as necessary in this one. But they will be.
“He’ll begin to get more touches now,” Campbell said Friday. “That was just the beginning.”
DB Brian Branch
In the days leading up to the Chiefs game, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was asked to offer his expectations for rookie defensive back Brian Branch.
“To be a damn good player,” Glenn said, straight-faced. “I mean, we knew that when we drafted him. … There’s a reason why we had him graded that high.”
The Lions did. Other franchises did not. Widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the draft, Branch fell all the way to pick No. 45. The reasons Branch lasted as long as he did remain puzzling, though you can try to piece together a few. A nickel with some safety capabilities isn’t exactly a premium position. His 4.58 40 didn’t wow scouts, and neither did his measurables. But turn on the tape and you’ll see exactly what kind of football player you’re getting in Branch.
He did his best to show a national audience in his first pro game.
continued..
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