Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

Niyo: In pasting Packers, Lions look like new kings of the North



John Niyo
The Detroit News

Green Bay, Wis. — Sometimes the best way to ascend to the throne is to seize it by force.

And after 30 years of subjugation in the NFC North — and the NFC Central before that — the power-hungry Lions finally look like a team prepared to do just that.


It’s too soon to officially crown them as the new Kings of the North. But Thursday’s dominant 34-20 win in Green Bay before a prime-time national TV audience felt like a castle storming just the same, because the visitors didn’t merely take control of this game or an early lead in a division that looks ripe for the taking.

They also took over Lambeau Field, where a mob of Lions fans — perhaps 15,000 or more — turned the Packers’ storied home-field advantage into a true-blue embarrassment once again. Chants of “Let’s go, Lions!” serenaded the victors as they high-fived fans behind their bench and then headed up the tunnel, and a knowing smile creased Dan Campbell’s face when he was asked about it in his postgame press conference.


“It’s pretty cool,” Campbell said. “We've got a fanbase. … And once again, early in the fourth (quarter), you could start hearing them, and they’re overpowering the stadium. It’s awesome. You feel like there’s a little piece of home no matter where you go.”


It was that way at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where the Lions kicked off the season by upsetting the defending Super Bowl champs. And it was that way here in Green Bay back in January, where Campbell’s team ended the Packers’ playoff hopes and Aaron Rodgers’ remarkable career in green and gold. The Lions, who didn’t even get a prime-time TV game until Week 18 last season, now have two prime-time road wins in the first month of 2023.

But this is the way the Lions’ new regime has insisted it will have to be if this franchise is ever going to get over the hump.


“And I just keep making this point, man: Nothing is given in this league,” Campbell said Thursday night as his team won for the 11th time in its last 14 outings. “There are no handouts. You’ve got to earn it.”

This was no handout Thursday, though. This was a mugging.


“I mean, you saw it: We got our ass kicked,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “Give Detroit credit. We knew they were a tough opponent, but they manhandled us, really in every phase.”

And that was the case even as the Lions spotted the Packers a 3-0 lead, with Jared Goff making a late throw over the middle for an interception on the game’s opening drive. Green Bay took over at Detroit’s 16-yard line and immediately went nowhere, as Aidan Hutchinson’s second-down sack of Jordan Love essentially forced LaFleur to settle for a field goal.


After that, the manhandling only got more one-sided. The Lions scored 24 points on their next four possessions and outgained the Packers by a 284-to-21 margin in the first half. Green Bay only managed three first downs in the half, and two of those came via Detroit penalties.

“Humliliating” and “embarrassing” was how LaFleur described that first half, and after challenging his team to respond, they did in the third quarter. But so would the Lions, particularly after Love’s quarterback draw cut the lead to 27-17 to start the fourth quarter.


The Lions followed that with a grinding, 14-play drive that chewed up nearly 9 minutes on the clock and was capped by four straight runs from David Montgomery, the last a 1-yard plunge on fourth-and-goal.


Montgomery, who’d missed last week’s win over Atlanta with a painful thigh bruise, was one of a few starters who’d been listed as questionable to play due Thursday. Campbell said he knew by Wednesday that Montgomery was ready to roll, however, and not just because of the way he was moving on the practice field.

“You could just see the look in his eye, too,” Campbell said. “He was ready to go, and we were gonna take him as far as he wanted to go, or as far as his body would let him.”


Montgomery went for 121 yards on a whopping 32 carries — the Lions rushed for 211 as a team — and his three rushing touchdowns were a franchise-best for a Detroit running back at Lambeau Field. But this was also a first for Montgomery, who’d been winless in eight games against Green Bay while playing for the Chicago Bears the previous four seasons.

“It just felt different,” he said. “It felt real different coming in.”


This feeling, though, is one the Lions — and their fans — better start getting used to now. Winning on the road. Overpowering a division rival. Beating back second-half comebacks. Salting away wins in the fourth quarter. And, yes, laughing afterward about all of it.

Amon-Ra St. Brown joked about getting a beer poured on his head when he made the Lambeau Leap into the stands after his opening touchdown. ("I was a little tipsy as I came down," he smiled.) Hutchinson talked about growing up in the Detroit area and watching Rodgers routinely torture the Lions all those years. (“Aaron’s out the division, life is good,” he grinned.)


But this is how life is supposed to feel when you’re on top, as the Lions are now in the NFC North, essentially two games up on Green Bay and well clear of the winless Vikings and Bears.

And this is how it’s supposed to look if you’re truly championship material. It's what Lions owner Sheila Hamp was talking about when she accepted the game ball from Campbell after that win here in January and told the Lions' players, "All roads to Detroit," before adding, "Through Detroit.”


They're not even a quarter of the way through this season yet, and the long road ahead is something they were all quick to acknowledge amid the euphoria of Thursday night's win. Still, the players understand this is the blueprint.

“Yeah, it was fun, man,” said Goff, who, by the way, has quarterbacked the Lions to four consecutive wins over the Packers. “It's complimentary football. And that’s what the good teams do, you know? You make a bad play, they hold them to three. They get a turnover, we score points. That type of stuff, it's what the good teams do. …



“We have that confidence. Send us anywhere, line us up against anyone and we feel like we can go in there and beat them. And that's a good feeling to have.”


john.niyo@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @JohnNiyo

[whatever_gong82]

Here is how the Lions have fared the last five times they started 3-1


Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News


Rejoice, Detroit Lions fans. Your team is 3-1 — and we’re guessing you’re ready to be hurt again.

For as many late-season collapses and downright dismal seasons as this team has had over the years, it’s understandable if there’s still a small part of you that continues to wait for the other shoe to drop. Heck, there wasn’t a calm Lions fan in the world after Green Bay scored a touchdown Thursday night to come within a two-point conversion of making it a one-score game in the fourth.

But here’s the good news: Even if these Lions are like those Lions, the team has still made the playoffs more often than not after starting 3-1 recently. To make sure we temper expectations properly following Detroit’s dominant 34-20 win at Lambeau Field on Thursday night, we took a gander at how the last five Lions teams to start 3-1 have fared through the end of the season.


2017

▶ Through four games: 3-1

▶ Final record: 9-7

▶ Result: 2nd in NFC North; missed playoffs; Jim Caldwell fired

We begin with the 2017 season. It’s time to put up or shut up for the Caldwell regime, and boy, did they come out firing. The Lions started 2-0, including a dominating defeat at the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, before returning home to steal a late win over the Atlanta Falcons via Golden Tate’s last-second touchdown recep— oh, wait. That’s right — the 10-second runoff game.


No matter — the Lions rebounded in Week 4 by picking up a win at Minnesota to move to 3-1, and everything was lookin’ alright despite the Lionesque loss to Atlanta. Truth is, the frustration was only getting started. The Lions lost three straight, won three straight, lost two straight and then won two straight to become 8-6 with two games to go and a date with the five-win Cincinnati Bengals on tap for Christmas Eve, which they desperately needed to keep playoff hopes alive. They lost, though, 26-17. A few weeks later, Caldwell was fired. Matt Patricia was hired. And the rest, as they say, is history.

2014

▶ Through four games: 3-1

▶ Final record: 11-5

▶ Result: 2nd in NFC North; lost in wild-card round to Dallas Cowboys

The Lions made good on their 3-1 start in 2014 by winning the most games of any Lions team since 1991 (when Detroit won 12 games and reached the NFC Championship), and at no point was double-digit wins really in jeopardy. They had a two-game losing streak during a road swing in the middle of the season, with both losses coming to playoff teams, but they entered the season finale with Green Bay 11-4.

Unfortunately for the Lions, the Packers were also 11-4 and in the midst of a two-decade win streak at Lambeau against Detroit. The Lions lost, 30-20, and instead of landing a first-round bye and hosting a divisional game, they had to travel to Dallas for the wild-card round. We’ll spare you the gruesome details of what happened there, but let’s just say, a lot of grown men cried that night.


2013

▶ Through four games: 3-1

▶ Final record: 7-9

▶ Result: Missed playoffs; Jim Schwartz fired

The Lions started this season 3-1 before going into Green Bay and getting romped by double digits. They responded well, winning three of their next four to reach 6-3 with a win at Chicago after the Week 9 bye — and then the wheels fell off.


The Lions lost six of their final seven games, but the biggest kick to the gut came in Week 15, when Detroit was still a game above .500 (7-6) and hosting the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. The Lions didn’t allow a touchdown, but Ravens kicker Justin Tucker — who’d hit an NFL-record, 66-yard, walk-off winner at Ford Field in 2021 — hit six field goals, including a 61-yarder with 38 seconds to win the game, 18-16. Peak “SOL” type of stuff.


2011

▶ Through four games: 4-0

▶ Final record: 10-6

▶ Result: 2nd in division; lost in wild-card round to New Orleans Saints

The Lions got off to their best start in this 25-year stretch during the 2011 season, the 21st-century football renaissance Detroit had been waiting for. The Lions — who hadn’t had a winning season since 2000 — actually got off to a 5-0 start after tearing up the Bears, 24-13, on Monday Night Football at Ford Field.


The Lions never really hit a “skid,” per se; they suffered back-to-back losses twice the rest of the season and even clinched a playoff berth — their first since 1999 — before the final week of the season. But with a Packers team that finished 15-1, Detroit never truly had a shot at the division. And on the final game of the season, New Year’s Day, 2012, Detroit lost to a Matt Flynn-led team to force a trip to New Orleans in the wild-card round, where they never had a chance and lost, 45-28.

2007

▶ Through four games: 3-1

▶ Final record: 7-9

▶ Result: 3rd in NFC North; missed playoffs

The calm before the storm. Good times were few and far between at this point in the decade, but the team got off to a decent start in season two under Rod Marinelli by beginning 6-2. Unfortunately for Marinelli, that was as good as things would get. The Lions lost their next six games and seven out of eight to close the season, as the offense failed to score 30 points for the remainder of the year. Of course: The season ended in Lambeau, with the Lions losing, 34-13.


Somehow, that wouldn’t be the worst of the pain for Lions fans in the Marinelli era. The very next season, Detroit would solidify itself as the NFL’s saddest franchise by becoming the first team in league history to finish a season 0-16.


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @nolanbianchi

[whatever_gong82]

'Send us anywhere': Lions pound Packers behind strong start, stifling defense at Lambeau


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News

Green Bay, Wis. — The Detroit Lions started fast and finished strong, firmly establishing themselves as the favorites in the NFC North.

With a dominant first-half performance on both sides of the ball, the Lions jumped out to a 24-point lead, weathered a comeback effort in the second half and finished off the Green Bay Packers with methodical 14-play, fourth-quarter touchdown drive to score a 34-20 victory at Lambeau Field Thursday night.

"Send us anywhere, we’ll be ready," quarterback Jared Goff said. "That’s the way we’re built."

Amusingly, given the way the rest of the game played out, things got off to an ominous start for the Lions (3-1) when Goff put an ill-advised throw off his back foot into traffic where it was intercepted by Packers safety Rudy Ford. As it turned out, it would be the only play of consequence the home team would make in the opening half.


Despite starting their drive at Detroit's 16-yard line, the Packers (2-2) couldn't gain a yard and were forced to settle for a 34-yard Anders Carlson field goal. It would end up being their only points the first two quarters. The Packers couldn't even muster a first down until midway through the second quarter, when the Lions jumped into the neutral zone and provided one for free.


Detroit had no such problems scoring, racking up 27 points in the opening half. They got that ball rolling their second drive, going 75 yards in just seven plays. Goff connected with tight end Sam LaPorta on a 35-yard pass to convert a third down, setting up a 24-yard touchdown toss to Amon-Ra St. Brown on a double-move that badly fooled Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas.

“We had a good feeling that guy was going to drive that route there and we never practiced it," Goff said. "We knew it would work and he ran a great route, made a great catch and fell in the end zone. It was sweet."


It marked the third time this season Goff has led the Lions for a touchdown the drive after throwing an interception.

Detroit added seven more on their next possession after Goff took advantage of St. Brown drawing double coverage on third down to hit Josh Reynolds for a 23-yard gain across the middle. Running back David Montgomery, returning to the lineup after a one-game absence with a thigh injury, carried the ball four of the next five snaps, crossing the goal line for a 3-yard score to cap the series.


As the Packers continued to struggle moving the ball, the Lions kept racking up the yardage, netting 27 yards on a pass to Reynolds before a 40-yard pickup by Kalif Raymond on a reverse, which set up a chip shot field goal for Riley Patterson to extend the lead to two touchdowns, 17-3, early in the second quarter.

Instead of mounting a response, the Packers immediately gave the ball back as quarterback Jordan Love's pass was tipped by linebacker Alex Anzalone and intercepted by cornerback Jerry Jacobs. Taking over at Green Bay's 7-yard line, Montgomery needed two carries to return to the end zone, making it 24-3 following the extra point.

To add insult to injury, the Lions added another field goal just before the half, taking a 24-point advantage into the half.


Through two quarters, the Lions outgained the Packers 284-21, with the defense building on its sack parade a week earlier by dropping Love behind the line four times. The Packers quarterback had been sacked just three times the first three weeks of the season.

"We went three-and-out, what, five possessions in a row or whatever it was," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. "It’s very humbling."


The Packers finally managed to find footing to opener the third quarter. A 24-yard pass to Christian Watson and an unnecessary roughness penalty committed by Anzalone quickly put Green Bay in field goal range. But needing touchdowns, they opted to go for it on fourth-and-9 from the 17. From there, Love would find receiver Romeo Doubs for 15 yards down to the 2-yard line before connecting with a wide-open Watson for a 1-yard score two plays later. With a two-point conversion throw from Love to Jayden Reed, the deficit was cut to two scores.

The two sides traded punts before the Packers once again hit paydirt. The big play came when Love found Reed for 44 yards on a deep ball, beating the coverage of cornerback Will Harris, who was temporarily filling in for rookie Brian Branch after he suffered an ankle injury the previous drive.


Two plays later, Love scrambled up the gut for a 9-yard touchdown on the first snap of the fourth quarter. But this time, the 2-point conversion fell short when Lions defensive end John Cominsky stopped a Love run just shy of the goal line, leaving Detroit up 10.

"Speed option, you don't see it too much in the NFL," Cominsky said. "(Linebacker) Jack Campbell responded well. They were attacking Jack on the edge and he kind of feathered that option play, kind of stretched it out for me and gave me time to come over top of my block. It was a team play."


Detroit finally settled, counterpunching with a long, clock-eating drive that appeared to end with a 30-yard Patterson field goal, but the officiating crew flagged Packers linebacker Quay Walker for unsportsmanlike conduct for leaping over the line attempting to block the kick.

With a fresh set of downs, the Lions handed the ball to Montgomery four consecutive plays, going for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line. The touchdown plunge, the veteran back's third score of the game, came with six minutes remaining and all but put an end to the Packers' comeback hopes.


"I thought we were a force today," Campbell said. "We talked about the energy and our intensity and being able to deliver in tough moments, and I thought we did that."

A last-ditch effort by Green Bay was halted by Jacobs, who stepped in front of a Love pass for his second interception of the game, ending a threat in the red zone.


The Packers did manage to add a 50-yard field goal before the final whistle, but it mattered little after the ensuing onside kick skipped out of bounds. Still, it provided an opportunity for Montgomery to go over 100 yards on the night. He eclipsed the mark with a 16-yard romp the first snap of Detroit's final possession and finished with 121 yards on 32 carries.


With the victory, the Lions seized sole possession of the division regardless of the results from the remaining games on this week's slate. They return home to battle the Carolina Panthers in Week 5.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Wojo: With all eyes smiling on them, how will Lions (and fans) react?



Bob Wojnowski
The Detroit News


Are you ready for this? Is anyone ready for this?

The Lions are rolling in ways we’ve never seen, on the road, in the spotlight, under the glare. It’s fascinating and a little unsettling. How do fans react when everything they’ve ever believed, everything they’ve ever known, gets flipped in a flurry?

Well, we’re about to find out. The Lions are 3-1 after their 34-20 destruction of Green Bay Thursday night, and they’re sidestepping the traps that historically snag them. They’re even getting Jameson Williams back two games early, after the NFL modified its gambling policy and reduced his six-game suspension. The second-year receiver could play Sunday at home against Carolina in Ford Field’s den of din, where fans slap bulky headphones on toddlers’ heads to protect them from the noise.


I think grownups might need some help too navigating a new world. This doesn’t happen with the Lions, at least not in most of our lifetimes. They’re 11-3 going back to last season. It’s been 32 years since they won a playoff game, 66 years since they won a championship. They’ve spent so much time in the basement of their division, the rest of the NFL never had reason to look for them. Everyone’s looking now, and looking up.


The Lions are in first place, ahead of the Packers (2-2), Vikings (0-3) and Bears (0-3). Their Blue wave of fans has stormed opposing stadiums from Kansas City to Green Bay, and in two weeks, likely Tampa Bay. Everything has changed – perceptions, percentages, postseason party plans – but one thing cannot change, no matter where this is headed.


“Our focus has got to be, we’re not hunted, we’re still on the hunt,” Dan Campbell said Friday. “I said this back in training camp, if you’re hunting us, you don’t have to look far. We’re going to be on your front porch when you open the door. That’s very much the mindset. We still have a lot to prove. We want to win this division and we’ve done nothing yet.”

It’s definitely not nothing, but it’s also not an illusion, although there’s a long way to go. This looks real, and you don’t have to be a Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid-aholic to recognize it. Through four games, the Lions are sound in all phases, Jared Goff is leading with calmness and confidence, and the defense has gone on a pass-rushing tear with 12 sacks the past two games. Their buzzword is “violent,” which fits the “villain” sweatshirt that GM Brad Holmes has worn.


For so many years, Lions fans felt the NFL was sticking it to them, or flat-out ignoring them. Most of the time, the Lions did it to themselves. When the refs did blow it, the league made up rules to accommodate the gaffes (See: Calvin Johnson and “Complete the Process”) and the Lions weren’t good enough to overcome it.


When officials inexplicably allowed a long Green Bay completion after the third-quarter clock expired Thursday night, it led to a touchdown. Suddenly, Detroit’s 27-3 halftime lead was shaved to 27-17, but the Lions didn’t whine or wilt.

This time, they actually got the next break, when the Packers’ Quay Walker was penalized for an illegal leap on the Lions’ 30-yard field goal. Rather than keep the three points, Campbell did what he does, aggressively pushing for more. The Lions took the first down, and three plays later on fourth-and-1, Montgomery plowed in for the clinching score.


"Detroit Vs Everybody"


If good fortune continues, the “Detroit Vs Everybody” mantra will turn from an angry, plaintive wail, to a declaration of legitimate combat. But ask players what they’ve accomplished and they dutifully repeat the we’ve-done-nothing line. Ask about winning at Arrowhead Stadium and Lambeau Field in prime time, and they shrug and say it was expected. They mean it this time, mainly because they have youthful talent and a sturdy foundation to lean on, with strong offensive and defensive lines.

We knew what Goff and the offense were capable of, with creative whiz play-caller Ben Johnson. We didn’t know what Aaron Glenn and his defense were capable of, and when the Lions were beaten by the Seahawks 37-31 in overtime, it was fair to wonder.

Glenn adjusted subtly, deftly. Now the defense is attacking with ferocity, getting pressure without much blitzing, as Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill and Charles Harris have started snapping young quarterbacks. Campbell said not much really changed since the Seattle game, when the Lions’ offense actually gave away 14 points.


“It’s just getting back to our fundamentals up front and playing with violence,” Campbell said. “You’ve got to win your one-on-ones. But also, being disciplined. There were so many instances (Thursday) night of guys being unselfish, doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. And when that happens, we all eat. Instead of us all suffering, we all eat. … Nobody panicked or started doing all these crazy things.”

When the sacks weren’t coming − one in the first two games – it would’ve been easy to panic. Players were pressing. Then the big fellas up front started gobbling up space, freeing others to eat. Nine different players have divvied up the team’s 13 sacks.


Hunger born of a forlorn past


That’s the tactical part of it. The compelling part is, the Lions play with a hunger borne of a forlorn past, molded by Campbell’s passionate grip and channeled through the Blue wave of fans that everybody now sees. During the telecast from Green Bay, Al Michaels looked around, heard the “Let’s go Lions!” chants, and marveled: “Man, a lot of Lions fans here. You can hear them.”

You always could hear them, just usually not in a celebratory manner. The depth and devotion of Lions fandom is one of the great untold stories in professional sports, and it’s being told on a national basis. As the Lions took over Lambeau, Milwaukee radio sports director Doug Russell Tweeted this: “I’ve been covering Packers home games now for 30 years and I’ve never seen more of the other team’s colors in the stands at Lambeau than tonight. Ever.”

You don’t have to look far to see them. But that also means opposing team will see the Lions coming. Goff hasn’t blinked, bouncing back from his few mistakes. Injuries haven’t slowed them, as Taylor Decker played through an ankle sprain and helped bolster the offensive line, as David Montgomery returned from a thigh injury and stomped for 121 yards.

This is the NFL and there always are letdowns. Carolina comes to town next Sunday and brings a healthy reminder. The Panthers rushed for 320 yards and bashed the Lions 37-23 last December, virtually crushing their playoff hopes.


There will be an outing or two or three like that in a 17-game season, and Lions fans probably will freak out when it happens. They might even dig into their psyches for old curses and ugly labels. The players could too, but it’s becoming less likely by the week.

“You get back-to-back wins, you overcome some of your own errors, you win on the road, those are signs of a good team,” Campbell said. “We’ve just got to stay the course. We can’t get full of ourselves and feel good. We’ve got to stay on the hunt.”


On the hunt, in the hunt or leading the hunt, the Lions are treading new ground. So are the fans, who have spent a lifetime expecting something bad to happen, hoping for something good. By early indications, everyone’s ready.


Bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @bobwojnowski

[whatever_gong82]

Three-and-out: Unmistakable swagger, Gibbs' usage and Lions' interior pass rush


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Green Bay, Wisc. — Here are three observations after having a night to ponder the Detroit Lions' 34-20 victory over the Green Bay Packers.


End product of cultural overhaul


A lot has been made about the improved culture under coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes — and deservedly so — but without success on the field, good vibes in the locker room mean little. But here we are, the day after a thoroughly dominant win at Lambeau Field, in a state where the Lions couldn't muster a single victory for more than two decades, confirming they're the real deal as the NFC North favorites.

If you don't know how to react to this sudden success, that's understandable. This franchise has been the laughingstock of American professional sports for as long as most of us can remember, which makes confusion and discomfort justified.


But Thursday night represented the cultural by-product Campbell and Holmes set out to achieve when they embarked on this rebuild in 2021. The Lions have talent and they have depth, but what puts them over the top as a legitimate contender is their swagger.

That "Same Old Lions" mentality everyone around these parts knows all too well, it's dead. While there might be a scarred portion of the fan base unable to shake the feeling that the other shoe is about to drop, that no longer exists within the organization or anywhere across the roster. This team has an unmistakable confidence, not only feeling like they could beat anybody on the clichéd principle of "Any Given Sunday," but also that they are equals with the league's blue-blood franchises and better than anyone else.


"Belief is everything," Campbell said Monday. "I don't care how talented you are; if you don't believe you can win games, or you don't believe the coaches can put you in position to win games, or you don't believe the guy next to you is going to do his job, it doesn't matter, you'll struggle to win and you'll always have doubt.

"This team believes, this staff believes and we know we can go into any and every game and know we'll have a chance to win it, as long as we don't shoot ourselves in the foot."


After Thursday's win, I asked Taylor Decker, the roster's longest-tenured player, to try to put the growing confidence that seems to be permeating across the roster into words.

"I think collectively as a team, yeah," he said, when asked if there was a different level of confidence across the roster. "I think as an individual, I’ve always looked at myself as a winner, even when we haven’t been winning. And I think getting just small victories every single day is what makes you start to believe in that. We would have good days in camp, then we’d have another good day, then we’d have joint practices, we’d have a good day.


"I think that stuff just kind of snowballs, and I think guys really took it to heart that it didn’t matter how we finished last season. That was great, but we still have to show up and we still have to win games, and everybody knows in this league any team can beat any other team on a given week, so it’s just special to have that collective mindset, where it’s, I don’t know, guys aren’t taking it for granted."

I know the Lions have hurt you before, countless times, but it's OK to believe. Even I can admit how uncomfortable it was predicting they'd win by double-digits on Thursday, but they delivered on expectations. That's what good teams do.


Overdue push


After coming under fire for a lack of sack production the first two weeks of the season, Detroit's pass rush has exploded for 12 sacks in the past two games, bringing them into a tie for the league lead ahead of Sunday's slate. And one of the best parts of the team's success in this department is how many different guys are contributing: nine different players have gotten to the opposing quarterback.

To no one's surprise, last year's No. 2 pick, Aidan Hutchinson, is leading the charge. He's been one of the league's best at generating pressure all season, and the rewards are starting to come, with 3.5 sacks in the past two games.

But, the true catalyst to the surge, in our opinion, has been the interior of Detroit's defensive line. That's a group that has struggled to affect the pocket for years. Yet, against the Packers, Isaiah Buggs joined the sack parade, while Alim McNeill picked up his second of the season, giving the big fellas 4.0 on the year. That's more than they had all last season.

For McNeill, it's the second straight game in which he's had a noticeable impact. A strong case could be made that his performance against Atlanta last week was the most complete of his three-year career, but Thursday's encore was pretty darn good, too. After Green Bay netted its first first down of the contest, midway through the second quarter, McNeill responded with back-to-back plays in the backfield to derail the drive.


His ability to push the pocket is making life easier on the edge rushers, Hutchinson included, and McNeill has also been outstanding against the run all season, playing a massive role in a defense that's allowing just 60.8 yards per game and 3.0 yards per carry through four weeks, despite seeing some pretty good backs (and dual-threat quarterbacks).

If McNeill is on the cusp of emerging as a consistent disruptor on the interior, he has the ability to take the defense to another level.


Patience is a virtue

Early in the second quarter through the end of the game, there was a noticeable amount of grumbling on social media about Detroit's usage of running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Admittedly, it can be difficult to separate the complaints of gamblers and fantasy football players from the Lions fans, but the first-round draft pick's usage merits some exploration and explanation.

Through three quarters on Thursday, Gibbs had logged just four carries, compared to 19 for David Montgomery. And even though Gibbs got more work down the stretch, the gap widened to 32-to-8 by the final whistle. Maybe that seems lopsided, but honestly, this is how the team envisioned its backfield timeshare operating. Campbell has slapped the bell-cow label on Montgomery, and he's going to be the lead guy most weeks, particularly in a game where they're trying to grind it out on the ground.


The stat that defined the performance in my mind is 113 of Montgomery's 121 yards came after contact. It conveys an understanding that even when the blocking isn't there, he's capable of making something out of nothing to keep the chains moving.


Gibbs is more of an offensive weapon. Sure, he can run between the tackles, but that's not going to be his primary function. His diverse skill set allows him to have an impact in the passing game that few running backs should be able to match, once the potential is actualized.

But there's been a bit of a learning curve here, for both player and team, on how to maximize his talents in that role. As Atlanta proved a week earlier, and Green Bay showed again last night, there are schematic devices that can be deployed to limit what he can do coming out of the backfield. In those two matchups, he was held to five catches for 13 yards on seven targets.

Asked what adjustments Gibbs needs to make, Campbell opted to express overall confidence in the rookie.


"Every player grows at a different rate in this league and Gibbs is only going to get better and better and better with time on task and look," Campbell said. "He’s making the right decisions and there were a couple of things that happened with that turf out there that slowed him down a bit. You’d like to believe with him in space, he’s going to create something there and didn’t quite get it going, but he will. We’re not panicking here. We’re going to continue to do some things to try to get him the football here.

"...This kid’s going to be just fine," Campbell said. "He’s smart, he works at it, and he does have versatility, so we’ll just keep going here."

Regardless, here's the wild thing to consider. The Lions haven't really begun tapping into Gibbs' potential, and we have yet to see the season debut of ultra-talented, ultra-speedy receiver Jameson Williams, who had his suspension lifted two weeks early on Friday. Still, the offense is dropping 34 points against a pretty stout defense while on the road. That's scary.

Fantasy owners might not like it, but the Lions are built to be patient with both Gibbs and Williams. As long as the team is winning, no one should be too upset about it. These guys aren't Darko Milicic, sitting on the bench and offering nothing. Even as decoys, they can contribute by drawing attention, just like Gibbs did while taking the initial handoff on Kalif Raymond's 40-yard reverse.


As both Gibbs and Williams get more practice time under their belts, expanding the trust the coaching staff has in them, brighter days are ahead for both, as well as Detroit's already-potent offense.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Despite front-runner status, Lions' Campbell wants team to remain hungry hunter


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Allen Park — This is new territory for these Detroit Lions. It's not that they haven't been 3-1 at what used to be the quarter-point in the NFL season. In fact, they've won three of their first four games eight times in the past 25 years, including five times since 2007.

But it hasn't happened since 2017. On the current roster, only offensive Taylor Decker and wide receiver Marvin Jones remember that. And even though there's no way to quantify it, it's difficult to remember the last time anyone felt this good about Detroit's chances to win the division. Even when the team surged out the gate to a 5-0 start in 2011, the Green Bay Packers matched it, then more than doubled it, winning their first 13 on the way to a 15-1 finish. Just don't ask them what happened in the playoffs.


So, yes, this is uncharted territory for a young Lions team that's methodically clawed its way from the NFL's basement during a two-plus-year rebuild. And with that comes a unique charge for coach Dan Campbell, who has to mentally prepare his team for the challenge of playing from the pole position, walking the fine line between confidence and overconfidence, as they try to accomplish rare feats around these parts, including winning a division title for the first time in three decades.


To find that motivation, Campbell will continue to remind his players that they still haven't accomplished anything, while tapping into the underdog mentality that's driven them to the brink of being a contender. And he'll drive the point home in a way only he can.

"Yeah, I think our focus has to be we're not hunted; we're still on the hunt," Campbell said. "If you're hunting us, you won't have to look far; we're going to be on your front porch when you open the door. That's very much the mindset. We still have got a lot to prove. We want to win this division and we've done nothing yet. We're on course; we like where we're at, but we're still hungry."


Even before the season, many observers considered Detroit the front-runner to win the NFC North. Perennial-favorite Green Bay was going through an overhaul after trading away future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Minnesota was going to have a difficult time replicating last year's success after going 11-0 in one-score games a year ago, and Chicago, well, they're not viewed as a threat until proven otherwise.

The door was open from the jump, and the Lions only needed to walk through. That was something they looked primed to do after solidifying a roster that won eight of their final 10 games a year earlier, with key additions in both free agency and the draft.


So far, so good. The Lions knocked off the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs on the road to open the season and blasted the Packers at Lambeau this week, reinforcing their status as favorites. It has long-suffering fans salivating about what's to come, but Campbell can't afford to dream bigger than tomorrow. He has to keep his focus narrow, on the team's next opponent. He intends to make sure his roster follows his lead.

"I'm not going there," Campbell said. "We've got our standards and we have our own goals. I mentioned that last night. It started that way (this season) and that's always going to be the focus. Man, you've got to look at each game, individually. I know when we get back to this (on Monday), it's Carolina. They got after us pretty good last year and they've got a dang good defensive front. They've got enough weapons over there, where they can create issues. That's got to be our sole focus, those guys coming into town and how do we find a way to win No. 4.


"As long as we do that, and not put the cart ahead of the horse, I think we're going to be all right. We just keep preaching what our identity is about and we work that way."

For the Lions, it will continue to be one foot in front of the other, with eyes locked on their preseason goals of winning the division, hosting a playoff game and seeing how far they can take this thing from there.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Mitch Albom: Detroit Lions keep rolling, right over the old ghosts of Lambeau Field



Mitch Albom
Detroit Free Press


Aidan Hutchinson said it best when it was all over, smiling and sweating and half-dressed in his postgame TV interview.

“I grew up watching Aaron Rodgers kick our ass every year,” he gushed.

Not anymore.

Bye bye, Mr. Rodgers. If you had any doubts as to who will be favored in this longtime rivalry for the near future, it was settled in a first half of football Thursday night in Green Bay that was so dominant by the Detroit Lions, you almost couldn’t blame them for sleepwalking through the final 30 minutes.

This is not your father’s Green Bay-Detroit football. The Lions spotted the Packers an early interception, then scored on five of their next six drives. They rung up 27 points while allowing Green Bay just three — tying the biggest halftime lead in Lions’ franchise history.


David Montgomery rushed for 121 yards, more than four times the output of the entire Green Bay rushing attack. He also scored three touchdowns. The Detroit defense, fresh off a seven-sack win on Sunday, racked up five more Thursday night and harassed every member of the Packers backfield, limiting them to 22 minutes of offense and a total of 230 yards, including a paltry 27 yards rushing.


If offense were blood counts, the Packers would be anemic.

But wait. Perhaps most shocking of all, Lions fans were all over Lambeau Field, bleeding the green and gold with Honolulu blue, and hanging around after the 34-20 win to make so much noise the postgame TV hosts were hoarse from yelling.


Do you remember, not so long ago, when the words “Lambeau Field” were what you got when you looked up “Places Where the Detroit Lions Always Lose”?

Well. Under Dan Campbell, the Lions have now won their last four meetings with the Packers. Their last four? Yep. And was that Amon-Ra St. Brown, who, last I looked, is on the Lions roster, doing the Lambeau Leap into the arms of delirious LIONS FANS?

Oh, the humanity!

Bye, bye, Mr. Rodgers.


A mauling in the other team's den


“You saw it, we got our ass kicked” Green Bay coach Matt LeFleur told the media when asked about the first half.

Privately, he won’t get an argument from his team. Their black and blue marks will remind them what a beat down Thursday night really was.

Although the game featured countless images of a wall of Detroit defenders smashing through a hobbled Green Bay line, perhaps one play summed up best.


It came in the first half. Jordan Love, the quarterback who has taken over for Rodgers, saw another wave of Lions defenders charging his way and did what any panicked man would do: got rid of the ball fast, just before Brian Branch left him looking at the sky.


The running back who took the ball, Aaron Jones, fared even worse. Before he could get a step, Detroit’s Cam Sutton hit him so perfectly, he flew into the air, spinning like a pinwheel, and landed with a thud.

Quarterback AND running back, both taken out, on the same play.


The rest of the team would follow suit.

“That’s just who we are,” Jared Goff told the TV crew when asked about Detroit’s intense physicality. He nodded towards Montgomery, sitting beside him. “It starts with this guy. He ran his tail off.”


was often all Green Bay defenders saw of him, as Montgomery ripped through them all night, rushing 32 times — 32 times? — pocketing one first down after another and chewing up the clock.

After the game, a TV reporter asked him how sore he was.

“I’ll get a massage tomorrow,” Montgomery said.


Detroit fans will bring the towels. There is no question Montgomery’s acquisition has made the Lions much more dangerous. He is one of a gaggle of new faces making steady impact this first quarter of the season. Rookie tight end Sam Laporta had another good game Thursday, snagging four catches for 56 yards, including a screamer from Goff that Laporta lifted off to catch like a dog leaping for a frisbee.

Meanwhile, Branch, the impressive rookie safety, led the team in tackles, despite missing time with an ankle injury that would likely have sidelined an older man.


Maybe all these new faces are part of why there wasn’t an ounce of hesitation when the Lions took the field in a place that for many years was a graveyard for them. No shivers. No shakes.

You can’t be scared of memories you don’t have.

Bye bye, Mr. Rodgers.

Home away from home


By the way, in case you hadn’t noticed, that win now leaves the Lions alone in first place, atop the NFC North, with a 3-1 record. The Bears and Vikings are already desperately chasing, both at 0-3. That leaves the Packers (2-2) as the biggest threat, and they sure didn’t look like a threat Thursday night. If anyone worried that 15 years of Brett Favre dominance and 15 more by Rodgers would somehow morph into 15 years of the same with Love, well, he’ll have to play a whole lot better than he did on Thursday. Not only was the third-year man harassed into a five-sack, two interception night, but he missed on several makeable throws, and, while he can run, he doesn’t elongate plays nor have the eyes of his predecessor.

Goff, meanwhile, is looking more and more like an underappreciated investment in the Matthew Stafford trade. He’s only 28 and by his own assessment to the media Thursday, “I’m playing the best football of my career.” Hutchinson is inflating into the lofty expectations a No. 2 pick brings with him, inspiring a defense that is playing so fiercely, it’s almost as if someone told them bite off the other guy’s kneecaps.


Still, the thing that may stay with longtime Lions fans is the sight of all those Detroit supporters thundering noise after the game was over. They apparently made the trip to Green Bay and infested the Packers’ home the way so many cheeseheads used to regularly do at Ford Field.

What a switch. What a change of affairs. As Hutchinson, who grew up a Lions fan, said in his postgame glee, “It’s good to be on the winning side of things.”


And to see a place that was always so green suddenly awash in blue.

Bye bye, Mr. Rodgers.

There goes your neighborhood.

Contact Mitch Albom: malbom@freepress.com. Check out the latest updates with his charities, books and events at MitchAlbom.com. Follow him @mitchalbom.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions grades: An A for dominant defensive performance vs. Green Bay Packers



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



GREEN BAY, Wis. – Detroit Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett grades the Detroit Lions in their 34-20 win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

Quarterback

Jared Goff’s night got off to a rocky start when he threw his third interception in as many games on the Lions’ opening drive. Goff made a careless throw, off his back foot into zone coverage, and admitted after the game he has “to find a way to clean it up and not do that again.” But Goff put together another solid performance overall. He grabbed 11 yards on the ground when the Packers gave him a rushing lane. He threw a key block on — or at least got in the way of — Kingsley Enagbare on Kalif Raymond’s 40-yard end around. He evaded pressure to complete a pass to Sam LaPorta in the second half. And he was 7-for-8 passing in the second half to help the Lions salt away a big victory on the road. Grade: A-minus


Running backs

David Montgomery had a huge night in his return from a thigh bruise, showing off his toughness and durability with 32 carries for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Montgomery wore the Packers down with his punishing running style and fittingly capped his night with the game-clinching touchdown on a fourth-and-goal dive from the 1 midway through the fourth quarter. Montgomery averaged only 3.8 yards per carry. But he added 20 yards receiving and he steamrolled a defense that knew he was getting the ball much of the second half. Jahmyr Gibbs had a quiet day in the pass game, with 11 yards on four catches and one drop, but he added 40 yards on eight carries as the Lions ran for 211 yards. Grade: A


Receivers/tight ends

Montgomery was the engine that drove the Lions’ offense Thursday, but Raymond, Amon-Ra St. Brown (five catches, 56 yards), Josh Reynolds (three for 69) and Sam LaPorta (four for 56) all delivered big. St. Brown scored on a slick double move, when he ran a curl-and-go and left Rasual Douglas in his dust. LaPorta had a drop in the second quarter, but shrugged off tight coverage from Douglas to turn a short catch on third-and-5 into a 35-yard gain. And Raymond’s long run and Reynolds’ 26-yard catch set up a Riley Patterson field goal. Marvin Jones had a drop on his only target and remains catchless on the season, but the Lions got good blocking from their tight ends and receivers in the run game. Grade: A-minus


Offensive line

You don’t get 161 yards rushing from your running backs without some dominant blocking up front. Penei Sewell and tight end Brock Wright were out front on Gibbs’ 7-yard first-quarter run that jump-started the offense. Jonah Jackson, Taylor Decker and Wright had key blocks on Montgomery’s first touchdown. Frank Ragnow and Graham Glasgow opened the crease on Montgomery’s second score. And Montgomery sliced between Glasgow and Sewell for his final TD. The Lions did give up two sacks, when they were late trading off rushers on stunts, and the line had three penalties — a questionable holding penalty by Glasgow in the red zone, another hold by Jonah Jackson on a Montgomery run and a false start by Decker on the same series. But Decker played through a tough ankle injury and the line was collectively very good. Grade: A-minus


Defensive line

The Lions got five sacks from five different linemen en route to 12 sacks in their past two games. Aidan Hutchinson (1½ sacks) yanked Jordan Love down by his jersey working inside on a stunt with Alim McNeill on the Packers' opening drive. Hutchinson and Charles Harris split a sack on the final play of the first half, and Hutchinson nearly had another sack in the second quarter when he forced Love to throw a pass left-handed to avoid a safety. McNeill destroyed back-to-back plays in the second quarter, making a tackle for loss on AJ Dillon when he beat a pulling blocker into the backfield, then sacking Love on the next snap working off another stunt with Hutchinson. Isaiah Buggs pushed his way past Josh Myers for his first sack of the season, and John Cominsky had a sack and a big stop on an option keeper by Love on a 2-point try. The Packers barely moved the ball in the first half and finished with a measly 27 yards rushing. Grade: A


Linebackers

The Lions didn’t get many splash plays from their linebacking corps Thursday, but the group played a big hand in Green Bay’s struggles to move the ball. Alex Anzalone tipped a Love pass early in the second quarter that Jerry Jacobs hauled down for an interception, and Derrick Barnes had six tackles despite missing time with cramps in the Lions’ quest to get population to the ball. Cominsky said Jack Campbell deserved an assist on the Packers’ failed 2-point try, when he strung the play out long enough for Cominsky to fight off his block. Grade: A


Defensive backs

Jerry Jacobs had one of the best games of his career, two weeks after he said he played one of his worst (in the Lions’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks). Jacobs intercepted two passes, made five tackles and finished with four pass deflections. Jacobs did have one pass interference penalty, Will Harris got beat on a go route on the final play of the third quarter, Tracy Walker whiffed on a potential interception and Green Bay’s first touchdown, early in the second half, came on a miscommunication when Jacobs and Ifeatu Melifonwu both followed the in-breaking receiver on a rub route. But the secondary was good in support and gave Love nowhere to throw the ball early. Cam Sutton played the pitch perfectly on an option play in the second quarter, when he flipped Aaron Jones on his head for a 2-yard loss, and Brian Branch had a team-high seven tackles and a pass breakup that was nearly an interception before leaving with an ankle injury. Grade: A-minus


Special teams

Keisean Nixon tried returning the ball from his end zone on the Lions’ first three kickoffs and the Lions stopped him short of the 25-yard line all three times. When Nixon let Jack Fox’s fourth kickoff land in the end zone for a touchback, Packers fans gave him the ol' Bronx cheer. Raymond spun out of one tackle on his 10-yard punt return. Fox averaged just 36.5 yards on his four punts as he mishit a 39-yarder in the third quarter and the Lions gave up one 34-yard return. Jalen Reeves-Maybin also was called for a hold on a punt return, but Craig Reynolds had a big tackle on Nixon on a fourth quarter kick return and Patterson made both of his field goals, from 33 and 37 yards. Grade: B


Coaching

The Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL and they came out of the gates playing like it Thursday. They were dominant defensively in the first half, holding the Packers to 21 net yards, and they hit two big plays on offense in Raymond’s end-around and St. Brown’s touchdown. Aaron Glenn has the defense playing its best football since he arrived in 2021, and Dan Campbell deserves a nod for the way his team embraces big games. Campbell’s lone fourth-down decision was a no-brainer, keeping his offense on the field on fourth-and-goal from the 1 on Montgomery’s touchdown run. Maybe the Lions got a tad complacent at halftime, given their start to the third quarter, but four games into the season Campbell seems to be pushing all the right buttons with his team. Grade: A


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' gritty win over Green Bay Packers showed why you can believe in them



Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press


GREEN BAY, Wis. — David Montgomery made the decision on Wednesday night.

Even though he was dealing with a thigh bruise.

Even though everything was up in the air.


Montgomery decided to play against the Green Bay Packers.

“Yeah, it hurt a little bit, but it's all good,” Montgomery said, after willing himself through 32 carries, 121 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Detroit Lions to a 34-20 victory at Lambeau Field.

Just as left tackle Taylor Decker willed himself through that game, despite a high ankle sprain and bone bruise.

Just as defensive back Brian Branch willed himself out of the locker room — after getting X-rays mid game — to get his ankle taped up and reenter the game (before he tweaked it again).


That is the DNA of this team, and it’s the reason why I believe so strongly in this team.

“It just showed our level of grit,” Montgomery said. “Detroit is a gritty place. I come from that. I was born into that. I'm used to that. I know what it looks like, what it feels like. So, for me it's more of like a personal thing. You know, I feel like I leave my guy short if I'm not out there.”


Just about everything is going right with this team — and when have we ever said that? The defense is suddenly dominating, and the pass rush has found sacks in bunches, and the offense is clicking, and they are playing great, complementary football.


"There is a ton of guys who played really well," Lions coach Dan Campbell said after his team went on the road, played under the lights on national TV (or whatever Amazon Prime Video is) and beat the Packers for the fourth straight time to take over first place in the NFC North.

Now, the natural question is: How will this team respond to being in first place?


Not only do I believe this team will handle it, it’s going to thrive.

Because of that DNA.


Because of the mentality you could see Thursday night.

“We will definitely keep the horse blinders on,” Montgomery said. “We're not big on listening to everything. … The sky's the limit for us.”

It’s how this team was built, to never be satisfied and play through injury and play for each other.



Maybe that sounds corny. Maybe that sounds old-fashioned.

But it's still how this team was built.

“Deck is an animal, a war daddy, as we call him,” Montgomery said of his teammate on the offensive line. “For him to suit up, for him to be hurting and for him to go out, perform the way he performed, it shows the kind of team that we are.”


But Campbell was just as impressed with Montgomery: "You could just see the look in his eyes. He just looked ready to go."


A pure team win


It’s almost impossible to pick out the most amazing thing about this game, but here's a short list:

∎ The Lions won their sixth straight divisional game, the franchise's longest streak since 1995.


∎ They have scored 20 or more points in 13 straight games, tying another franchise record.

∎ They held Green Bay to 27 yards rushing, their fewest allowed against Green Bay since Oct. 25, 1987. (That's a pre-Barry Sanders mark, no less.)

∎ Thursday marked the first time Detroit has allowed less than 45 yards rushing in consecutive games since 2014.

And for Montgomery, on a personal level, it’s the first time in his career that he’s beaten the Packers. In nine tries.


“It just felt different,” he said.

Yes, I think it’s safe to say it feels way different for Lions fans, too.

“It just felt real different coming in with the group of guys that I'm with," Montgomery said. "I could tell my son that I beat the Packers.”


Lots to love about this team


There are just so many things to like about this team and how it’s playing.

They are making plays.


No venue is too intimidating — they have won at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium and Green Bay's Lambeau Field.

The bright lights don’t seem to bother them. In fact, they seem to charge them up.

“I just think it's something that that we talk about, we prepare for,” Campbell said. “We always try to emphasize that, that, man, you should really live in the moment; you should embrace it, you should enjoy it. That shouldn't be a stressful situation.”



As he talks, you can see what he tells his team, how he has prepared them for this. And it’s masterful, really.

“Send us anywhere,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “Send us anywhere; we'll be ready. And that's the way we're built.”

Send us anywhere?


Any player can say that.

But this team believes it.

The Lions are bursting with confidence and tied together with trust.


At some point, this team will face some serious adversity. Maybe it will be injuries. Maybe it will be refs — yeah, we’ve seen that before. Or maybe it will be turnovers. And maybe, at some point, they will drop a few games. That’s the NFL. It happens.

But I firmly believe this team can handle any of that.

It is built to handle success and adversity — we saw the adversity early last season and then the success in how it ended the year. And now, we have seen it for the past month.


It's how this team was built. It's what these Lions have inside them.

You could see it in Montgomery and Decker and Branch on Thursday night.

It flows from Campbell on down.

And that’s why it’s safe to believe in this team. They will be able to handle this.


Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions game balls and goats: Jerry Jacobs shines on 2-interception day


Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett highlights the best and worst performances from the Detroit Lions' 34-17 win over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday at Lambeau Field.


Game balls

RB David Montgomery

Montgomery missed the Lions’ Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons with a thigh bruise, but Lions coach Dan Campbell said he knew Wednesday evening Montgomery was ready to return against the Packers.

“You could just see the look in his eyes,” Campbell said. “He just looked ready to go. He was ready to go. You could tell his body looked ready to go. So certainly we were going to take him where we could take him as far as he wanted to go, or his body would let him, and it was certainly ready to go.”



Montgomery played his best game as a Lion on Thursday, running for 121 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries. He had his first 100-yard game since losing to the Packers last year at Lambeau Field, while he was with the Chicago Bears, and he propelled the Lions into sole possession of first place in the NFC North.


CB Jerry Jacobs

Jacobs intercepted two passes, made five tackles and had four pass breakups Thursday, and when he entered the locker room after the game, he said coaches literally gave him a game ball for his performance.


“I got actually two picks and a game ball,” he said. “My closet’s going to be lit.”

Beyond the mementos for his man cave, Jacobs’s performance Thursday was the type of bounce-back game he needed after a rough two-week stretch that saw him struggle against Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf and get flagged twice for pass interference last week. With Emmanuel Moseley due back from injury soon, Jacobs made the case to keep his starting job at cornerback.


Lions DC Aaron Glenn

Much maligned in his first two seasons as Lions defensive coordinator, Glenn deserves some credit for his unit’s turnaround so far this fall. The Lions have 12 sacks over the past two games and have been nearly impossible to run on this year, allowing just 60.8 yards rushing through four weeks.


On Thursday, the Lions held the Packers to 21 yards of net offense and three first downs in the first half – and two of those first downs came on penalties. Glenn coaches in the shadows of Campbell and well-respected offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but if the Lions' defense keeps this up, he’ll be a head coach somewhere next season.


Goats

QB Jordan Love

It’s not fair to compare Love to former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers after just four career starts, but if Thursday’s start was any indication, the Lions don’t have to worry about Green Bay stumbling into its third straight Hall-of-Fame quarterback.


Love completed a respectable 23 of 36 passes for 246 yards Thursday, but he threw two interceptions, took five sacks, looked paralyzed with some of his decision making and was so bad to start the game that he had passer rating of zero midway through the second quarter.

A first-round pick in 2020, Love settled down some in the second half and did some good things with his feet. But as far as growing pains go, Thursday’s was a big one.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' Jameson Williams returns early from suspension thanks to new NFL gambling policy



Jared Ramsey
Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press



Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will be returning earlier than expected from his suspension due to gambling because of a change in NFL gambling policies.

The NFL announced new punishments for betting on NFL and non-NFL games. A first violation of betting on non-NFL games, which Williams did, is now a two-game suspension and will increase after each offense. Punishments for betting on NFL games increased to a one-year minimum ban and two years if a player bets on his own team.


"The NFL and NFL Players Association share a longstanding and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the game," the NFL and NFLPA said in a joint statement released Friday. "The NFL periodically reviews the gambling policy in consultation with the NFLPA and clubs to ensure it is responsive to changing circumstances and fully addresses this commitment."


Lions officials confirmed Williams will return to practice Monday to prepare for next week's game against the Carolina Panthers. Under the old rules, Williams was not allowed in the facility for the first three weeks, though he was permitted to return to the practice facility to attend team meetings earlier this week. He was not allowed to practice.


"It’s good to have him back," Lions coach Dan Campbell said on Monday. "He was in the team meeting. It was good to see him and be around the teammates and so we’ll see what we can do."

But now, he will be fully reinstated when the team returns to work next week.


Williams was initially suspended six games in April for placing bets on non-NFL football games from an NFL facility while he was rehabbing from his ACL injury during the 2022 season. He appeared in the final six games of last season as a rookie after being drafted 12th overall in 2022 due to the ACL and had one catch for a touchdown.

The speedy receiver rejoins a 3-1 team fresh off a dominant win on the road over the Packers and will be another weapon for Detroit's offense that is averaging 26.5 points through four games.


Williams suffered a hamstring injury during training camp, between the first and second games of the preseason schedule.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' Brian Branch avoided major injury; no decision on Hendon Hooker return yet



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



Rookie safety Brian Branch avoided major injury after twice leaving the Detroit Lions' 34-20 win over the Green Bay Packers with an ankle injury.

"Doesn’t appear to be anything too serious with Branch," Lions coach Dan Campbell said Friday. "But there again, don’t know exactly how he’s going to feel until we get going when we get back (next) week."

Branch rolled his ankle in the third quarter after getting blocked on a running play.


He limped off the field, took a cart to the locker room for X-rays and returned briefly in the fourth quarter before aggravating the injury again.

Branch said after the game X-rays were negative.


Will Harris finished Thursday's game at slot cornerback, but the Lions could turn to other options in their secondary if Branch can't play in their Oct. 8 game against the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley is due back next week from knee and hamstring injuries, and the Lions could move cornerback Jerry Jacobs to the slot and play Moseley outside.

Safety Kerby Joseph also could return after missing two games with a hip injury.


Campbell said left tackle Taylor Decker also "got out of the game pretty good" after playing through a high ankle sprain. Decker said after the game he was disappointed in his performance, but happy to help the Lions get a win.

"Decker did a heck of a job by the way," Campbell said. "He was not 100% and, man, he helped us win that game. And talk about being unselfish and just giving us what he’s got, he battled over there, man. We appreciate the hell out of him."


No decision on Hooker


Third-round pick Hendon Hooker is eligible to come off the nonfootball injury list next week, but Campbell said the Lions still are deciding what to do with their rookie quarterback.

Hooker tore his ACL last November at Tennessee and missed all of training camp. He spent the summer rehabbing with trainers, running personal throwing scripts after practice, and has been a regular in the locker room and at team meetings since the start of the season.


The Lions can use a 21-day practice window for Hooker before activating him to the 53-man roster or placing him on the NFI list for the rest of the season. Barring any setbacks, they plan to activate Hooker at some point this fall, though he likely will remain behind backup Teddy Bridgewater on the depth chart.

Campbell said the Lions have not made any decisions on linebacker Julian Okawara, either.


Okwara suffered an arm injury at the end of the preseason. Like Hooker, he can return for a three-week practice window before he has to be reinstated to the 53-man roster.

"(General manager) Brad (Holmes) and I talked just a little bit about it, but we’re not ready to commit as to what we want to do just yet on that," Campbell said. "We’re kind of going to gauge this as we go through the week, think about what Carolina presents to us, but also just long-term. So, I don’t really have an answer for you yet on those two."


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[Whitley]

Since JaMo was out for 4 games does that mean he gets a 2 game credit?

[dpatnod]

I love this so much.

[Iron Lion]

"What's blue and big and in Wisconsin? Lambeau Field."