Lions News

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Lions officially activate Jameson Williams, downgrade Jahmyr Gibbs to doubtful



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Allen Park — The Detroit Lions formally activated wide receiver Jameson Williams and edge rusher Julian Okwara on Saturday, making the players eligible to play in Sunday's game against Carolina.

Both players returned to practice this week for different reasons. Williams is coming back from a four-game suspension, which was reduced by two games after the league made recent changes to its gambling policy. Okwara, meanwhile, spent the first four games on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury in the closing days of training camp.


The team already had one open roster spot. To clear the second, fullback Jason Cabinda was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury that first sidelined him last week. He'll be eligible to return Nov. 12 against the Chargers, the Lions' first game after the team's bye.


In addition to Okwara and Williams' activations, the Lions downgraded rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs to doubtful with the hamstring injury he suffered late in the practice week. He was essentially considered questionable on Friday afternoon's injury report.

With star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown also listed as doubtful for Sunday's game, the team temporarily elevated undrafted rookie receiver Dylan Drummond off the practice squad.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions' Jahmyr Gibbs likely out Sunday vs. Panthers after Friday hamstring injury



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Jameson Williams’ return is set but the Detroit Lions likely will be without Jahmyr Gibbs for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

The Lions downgraded Gibbs, the No. 12 pick in April’s draft, to doubtful because of a hamstring injury he suffered in practice Friday.

Gibbs has 179 yards rushing on 39 carries through four games while splitting time with David Montgomery in the Lions backfield. He also ranks third on the team with 14 catches.

Montgomery is coming off a career-high-tying 32-carry, three-touchdown performance in a win over the Green Bay Packers after he missed a Week 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons with a thigh bruise.


The Lions activated Williams from the commissioner’s exempt list Saturday, clearing the way for him to make his season debut after serving a four-game suspension.

Lions coach Dan Campbell indicates Williams will play a limited amount of snaps Sunday.


The Lions also activated linebacker Julian Okwara (shoulder) from injured reserve, placed fullback Jason Cabinda (knee) on IR and elevated receiver Dylan Drummond to their game day roster from practice squad with leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown likely out with an abdominal injury.


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

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Detroit Lions' Aidan Hutchinson off to hot start, has 'more levels to unlock'



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Aidan Hutchinson is an edge rusher, and edge rushers are supposed to rush from the edge. That’s what Hutchinson always thought, and that’s the spot he has always been most comfortable playing.

But Detroit Lions senior defensive assistant John Fox opened Hutchinson’s mind to a new way of thinking during training camp this summer.


“John Fox came up to me in camp and he was telling me when Michael Strahan broke the sack record that like half his sacks were on the interior,” Hutchinson said. “He was saying every edge guy, none of them want to rush inside but it can be a lot easier, just depending on how things go, to get production. And after I heard that, I kind of just, I just committed to it. I was like, ‘All right, screw it, dude. I’m going to just listen to the old man and do it.’ And it’s been working out.”

Hutchinson didn’t bother to fact-check Fox math’s on Strahan’s 22.5-sack season from 2002.


“He could have been (lying), but it felt like old man wisdom,” he said. “It was very like, the universe, it came to me and I was like, ‘All right, I’m going to listen to it and I’m going to ride with it.’”


But four games into the season, Hutchinson has been a disruptive force thanks in part to the versatility he’s shown lining up all over the defensive front.

He’s tied for 10th in the NFL with 3.5 sacks, forced and recovered a fumble to clinch the Lions’ Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons and has 11 quarterback hurries, three fewer than he had all last season, according to Pro Football Reference.


Hutchinson has sacks from three different spots on the defensive line: Left defensive end (1.5), right end and right tackle, and one of his sacks at left end came when he looped inside on a stunt and overpowered Green Bay Packers guard Jon Runyan.

He has played as a stand-up rusher and out of a four-point stance, and in last week’s win over the Packers, he rushed as a stand-up nose tackle from a few yards off the ball.


“I like moving around cause I can rush inside and I finally, I feel like I’ve got a lot of confidence with it this year compared to last year and now it’s something that I kind of want to do,” Hutchinson said. “If there’s a not-so-great guard, I want to be the guy to line up on him and attack him and attack the weakness of the O-line.”


Lions coach Dan Campbell indicated in his weekly radio spot Wednesday on 97.1 WXYT-FM that the Lions moved Hutchinson around more than normal against the Packers as a way to combat double teams, and Hutchinson has seen an excessive amount of help tilted his way in the first 21 games of his career.

Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said Thursday that Hutchinson is not being used any different than he was last season, though the Lions are conscious of trying to put him in the best spot to succeed.


“I come from a place where the saying was, and we even said it here, it’s not what you play, it’s how you play,” Glenn said. “And where I was at, we didn’t have a lot of calls, the guys just executed at a high level and the coaches made sure they put the players in positions to be successful. And really that’s our philosophy here for the most part, so Hutch is going to continue to do what he do and he’s going to play at a high level, that’s just who he is, along with the rest of the players.”


The runner-up for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, Hutchinson has been more consistently impactful this fall, even apart from the sacks.

He had three quarterback hits on Patrick Mahomes in the Lions’ Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, when the Lions were held without a sack as a team, and he’s played a whopping 91% of the Lions’ defensive snaps this season.


Hutchinson said he spent the spring preparing for an expanded role by tweaking his workout routine and diet. He came to camp 7 pounds heavier than he was as a rookie and is noticeably thicker in the legs.

Glenn compared Hutchinson’s stamina to that of New Orleans Saints star pass rusher Cam Jordan, who topped 90% play time in each of his first six NFL seasons and still plays more than 80% of his team’s defensive snaps at 34 years old.


“He’s a freak of nature when it comes to conditioning, when it comes to understanding, just mentally just on another level. And Hutch is no different,” Glenn said. “Listen, those players don’t come around too often. But in the first two years, he’s been that type of guy. Obviously, you want to manage him, but sometimes a player’s like, ‘Listen, coach, I can go. And that’s just who he is. And man, you do everything you can to alleviate that, but man, when they show you who they are, you allow them to go out there and play.”

Hutchinson has done that, above all else this season — and done it at a high level.


“I’m happy with how I’ve played,” he said. “I feel like I’m getting better every week, too, which is good. But yeah, man, every time I play a game I feel like I get so much better and I’m going to continue to do that and I’m happy with how I played but I still feel like there are way more levels to unlock in this game.”


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

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Short-handed Lions ride turnover-happy defense, pummel Panthers



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Detroit — The Detroit Lions continue to prove they are, in fact, built for this.

Despite dealing with a number of significant injuries coming into Sunday afternoon's game against the Carolina Panthers, the Lions didn't allow their hot start to the 2023 season to be derailed, taming the winless Carolina Panthers at Ford Field, 42-24. And for the second consecutive week, the Lions did it by jumping out to a huge lead at the half behind big plays from both the offense and defense.


Despite missing two of the team's top playmakers, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, the Lions (4-1) wasted little time opening the scoring with a quick-strike, 82-yard touchdown drive. Quarterback Jared Goff kickstarted the series with a pair of completions to Kalif Raymond and Marvin Jones for 39 yards before running back David Montgomery took a handoff, burst across the line and bounced left, racing down the sideline for a 42-yard touchdown.


Wide receiver Jameson Williams, making his 2023 debut, provided a critical downfield block to spring Montgomery for what would be the second-longest scoring run of his career.

Detroit expanded its early lead to 14 following the first of three turnovers forced by its defense. Making an excellent read on a delayed route, edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson was able to snag a one-handed interception intended for tight end Ian Thomas.


Starting at the edge of the red zone, the Lions needed five plays to return to the end zone, with rookie tight end Sam LaPorta hauling in a 4-yard strike on third-and-goal out of play-action.

Carolina (0-5) proved able to counterpunch after Detroit's second score, overcoming the emotional toll of seeing guard Chandler Zavala needing to be carted off the field after suffering a neck injury in the early stages of the ensuing drive. Efficiently moving down the field behind a balanced attack, the 14-play drive was capped when rookie quarterback Bryce Young connected with Tommy Tremble for a 1-yard touchdown. The tight end released late into the end zone after initially selling a block on linebacker Jack Campbell.


Drops spread like the flu on Detroit's next possession as Josh Reynolds, Williams and LaPorta all had balls make it to the ground after hitting them in the hands. Going for it on fourth-and-short in Panthers territory, the Lions fittingly gave up possession when Montgomery couldn't handle a pass in the flat, although he likely would have been stopped short even if he had hung on to make the grab.


But the Panthers quickly coughed the ball back to the Lions, when running back Miles Sanders had a handoff punched out by defensive tackle Alim McNeill. Defensive back Will Harris, starting in place of injured rookie Brian Branch, recovered the fumble, giving Detroit's offense excellent field position in Carolina territory.

A few plays later, the Lions faced another fourth-and-short, but were able to convert on a toss play to Montgomery. The running back kept the chains moving on a third-down screen pass, and on second-and-goal, Goff found Reynolds in the back of the end zone following a fake a handoff, pushing the Lions' lead back to 14 after the extra point, 21-7.


That score held all of two plays. For the second straight possession, the Panthers turned it over on their first snap when cornerback Jerry Jacobs effectively read the eyes of Young while in zone coverage, dropping into the throwing lane for his third interception in the past two games.

Taking advantage of their surge in momentum, the Lions ran a trick play for an immediate touchdown. Goff took the snap and tossed the ball to Montgomery, going right, who flipped it to Raymond running the opposite direction. But instead of continuing on the path of the reverse, the receiver immediately gave the ball back to Goff, who connected with a wide open LaPorta for a 31-yard touchdown, the rookie's second of the game.


Without St. Brown, his top target, Goff still put together a strong performance by spreading the ball around. Completing 20-of-28 for 236 yards and three touchdowns, the quarterback completed multiple passes to seven different targets. He also snapped a three-game streak with an interception.

The Panthers put together a solid drive to end the half, but the Lions defense tightened in the red zone, forcing the opposition to settle for a short field goal, sending the two sides to the locker room with the Lions holding a 28-10 lead.


The Lions continued a season-long struggle to put points on the board with their opening possession of the second half, but the Panthers couldn't capitalize as the two sides traded punts through a third quarter. But Detroit found itself on the move to end the frame, driving deep into Carolina territory. That led to a 1-yard touchdown for Goff on a sneak on the first play of the fourth quarter, making it 35-10, and all but sealing the game.

Still, the opposition refused to go down without a fight, driving 75 yards in a little more than three minutes to slice Detroit's lead to 18 with 11:52 remaining. Young completed all four of his passes on the series, finding former Lions receiver DJ Chark for an 18-yard touchdown to finish the drive.


Not willing to let the Panthers get too close, the Lions responded by going 75 yards on seven plays, leaning heavily on running back Craig Reynolds. Normally the No. 3 man in the team's backfield rotation, he took five straight handoffs, gaining 58 yards and ending with a 5-yard score. It was the first touchdown of his five-yard career.

The Lions finished with 159 rushing yards with Montgomery leading the way. He finished with 109 yards on 19 carries, topping the century mark for the second straight week.


The Panthers added a late touchdown, a 1-yard toss from Young to Adam Thielen, in the closing minutes to make the final margin more respectable.

The Lions will travel to Tampa Bay next week to face the 3-1 Buccaneers in a battle of division leaders.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

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Missing a couple of huge weapons, Detroit Lions' big fellas dominate Carolina Panthers


Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press



Today, let’s celebrate the Detroit Lions’ big fellas. The guys who never get enough credit.

Sure, you could focus on quarterback Jared Goff after the Lions’ 42-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers.


Or even tight end Sam LaPorta, who caught two touchdowns.

Or David Montgomery, who rushed for more than 100 yards.


And yes, give credit to the Lions' defense for creating turnovers and shutting down the Panthers.

And even offensive coordinator Ben Johnson had some wonderful moments.


Certainly, this was an all-encompassing team win.

But make no mistake. This all started with the big fellas – the Lions’ offensive and defensive lines. They led this team to their forth win of the season.


Big guys set the tone


About a half hour before the Lions played the Panthers, Penei Sewell, the Lions talented tackle, stood on the field with his teammates circled around him. Sewell was pumped up, screaming and encouraging, his face painted like a warrior.

It set a wonderful tone.


What was the risk in this game?

An emotional letdown. The kind we've seen this team do countless times over the years.

The Lions were expected to win this game, even without Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs. Because the Lions have a better roster. Because they have the better quarterback. But most of all, frankly, because they have better big fellas.


So, give credit to Sewell for getting everyone ready.

But this was never a game because the Lions big fellas took over. They blocked and cleared massive holes, as the Lions set a franchise record by scoring more than 20 points for the 14th-straight game.


The Lions' defensive line harassed Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, making him look incredibly uncomfortable and forcing bad throws, as well as a couple of interceptions.

But my favorite big-fella moment happened in the second quarter. It was fourth-and-1 from the 29, and the Lions held a 14-7 lead.


Lions coach Dan Campbell went for it, because he’s Dan Freakin’ Gamblin’-Man Campbell.

But this wasn’t a typical, ram the ball up the middle moment.

Nope, the Lions ran a play wide to the left, giving the ball to Montgomery.


But the real key?

They ran the play behind offensive tackle Taylor Decker and tight end Brock Wright.

Decker and Wright had some great blocks, clearing the way, and Montgomery picked up the first down with ease.


It showed how much confidence the Lions have in Montgomery, but it also showed the confidence in Decker and Wright. I know, technically, that Wright is a tight end. But face it, he’s a big fella. He plays a big fella role.

Six plays later, the Lions had a touchdown when Goff hit Josh Reynolds on a 1-yard TD.

Because of those big fellas.


Great play from the D line


Now, let's give some love to the Lions' defensive line. Yes, that means Aidan Hutchinson, who made plays all over the field.

He had a tremendous interception – the fourth of his career, which was also historic.


Do you know how many other defensive linemen – in history – have four interceptions in their first two seasons? None.

Just Hutchinson.


As he was returning the interception, he got whacked in the thigh.

He went to the bench and trainers worked on him.


But he was fine.

Because the Lions’ big fellas are tough.


And then, Hutchinson did all kinds of game-wrecking the rest of the way.

He joined Shaun Rogers (2007) as the only Lions defensive lineman with two tackles for a loss, a sack and an interception in a game. But that's just a fancy way of saying what we all know: he's relentless and changes games in so many ways.

Late in the second quarter, the Panthers got to the Lions' 15.


But Hutchinson and the rest of the Bad Company – and I mean that as a tremendous honor – forced a bad throw.


Second down: more pressure.

Third down: five big fellas surrounded Young, swamping him.


Yes, you needed great coverage to stop a passing game. But it starts with those big fells.

And the Panthers settled for a field goal.


Wait.

I gotta tell you about another big fella.


In the second quarter, Miles Sanders had the ball, running into a wave of Lions. And Alim McNeil knocked it free, and Will Harris scooped it up.

McNeil is listed at 6-foot-2 and 315 pounds. Yes, that's a big, big fella.


The big fells were even part of the trickeration.

Frank Ragnow had a direct snap to Montgomery, right between Goff's legs.


Then, Ragnow had a wonderful block.


Big fellas were blocking and big fellas were tackling and big fellas were, frankly, just dominating.

And yes, the Lions turned this into a rout.


Behind that offensive line.

So give the Lions credit. All of them.


But start with the biggest and baddest of them all.

The big fellas.


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

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Detroit Lions start 4-1 (or better) for fourth time in 50 seasons


Ryan Ford
Detroit Free Press


The Detroit Lions are moving into uncharted territory.

Their 42-24 win over the Carolina Panthers improved their record to 4-1 in the 2023 season, the first time they’ve won at least four of their first five games since 2011. Incredibly, it’s also just the fourth time over 50 seasons — dating back to the start of the 1974 season — that the Lions have started at 4-1 or better. Actually, it’s only the sixth time the franchise has started 4-1 or better since the NFL and AFL merged for the 1970 season.

The bad news for the Lions: Only three of those five previous teams made the playoffs. Detroit’s 4-1 (or better) starts since 1970:


2011: 5-0

The only squad to go unbeaten in their first five lost in Week 6, kicking off a run of five losses in seven games. The Lions finished December with three straight wins to clinch the franchise’s first playoff berth since 1999 but lost the regular-season finale (45-41 to backup QB Matt Flynn and the Packers) to miss out on the NFC North title.


1991: 4-1

Detroit was blown out by Washington in Week 1, then rebounded for five straight wins before an October bye. After losses in three of four games, the Lions ripped off six straight wins to finish the season and win the NFC Central, then added a playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys at the Pontiac Silverdome — the franchise’s lone playoff win since 1957. And then the magic run ended, with another blowout by Washington in the NFC title game.


1980: 4-1

No. 1 overall pick Billy Sims launched the Lions to four straight wins before a Week 5 loss to Atlanta. That started a run in which the Lions went 3-7; they finished with two straight wins but missed the playoffs despite tying the division champion Vikings at 9-7.


1971: 4-1

After a season-opening loss to Minnesota, the Lions ripped off four straight wins. But a stretch of two losses and a tie over four games brought them back to earth; the Lions then missed out on the playoffs with a three-game skid to finish the season 7-6-1 in an age when only four teams from each conference made the postseason.



1970: 4-1

Only a Week 4 loss to Washington sullied coach Joe Schmidt’s early record. The Lions followed a three-game skid with a five-game winning streak to lock up the wild-card berth, two games behind Central champ Minnesota … but lost the playoff opener to the Cowboys in Dallas by an ignominious 5-0 score.


Contact Ryan Ford atrford@freepress.com. Follow him on X (which used to be Twitter, y’know?)@theford.

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Detroit Lions maul Carolina Panthers on both sides of the ball for convincing 42-24 win



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


The Detroit Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL. Their record shows it, and more importantly, so does their play on the field.

The Lions won their third straight game by double digits Sunday, destroying the winless Carolina Panthers, 42-24, at Ford Field.


David Montgomery had his second straight 100-yard rushing day, Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and snuck in for a score, and the Lions forced three first-half turnovers they turned into 21 points.

The Lions (4-1) sit alone in first place in the NFC North and off to their best start since going 5-0 to start the 2011 season. They made the playoffs that year, but did not win the division and lost a wild-card game against the New Orleans Saints.


The Lions play the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) next week and look like legitimate contenders for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Bucs had a bye this week.

On Sunday, they dominated all facets of the game, scoring touchdowns on four of their first five drives to build a commanding 28-10 halftime lead.


Montgomery, the hero of last week’s win over the Green Bay Packers with 32 carries for 121 yards and three touchdowns, opened the scoring Sunday with a 42-yard touchdown run on the Lions’ third offensive play.

Aidan Hutchinson intercepted a Bryce Young pass on Carolina’s next possession to set up Goff’s first touchdown pass, 4 yards to Sam LaPorta, and Alim McNeill forced a fumble and Jerry Jacobs had an interception that led to second-quarter scores.


Goff, who completed 20 of 28 passes for 236 yards, capped a 10-play, 38-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Josh Reynolds after Will Harris recovered Carolina’s fumble.

Jacobs intercepted Young on the Panthers’ next play – the second straight Carolina drive that lasted one play – and Goff found LaPorta wide open on a reverse flea flicker for his second touchdown.


Goff started the play with a toss to Montgomery, who handed the ball to Kalif Raymond, who flipped it back to Goff as LaPorta slipped away from his block at the line of scrimmage and into the Panthers secondary.

The Lions failed to score an offensive touchdown in the third quarter for the fourth time in five games, but Goff (on a 1-yard QB sneak) and Craig Reynolds (on a 5-yard run) scored in the fourth quarter.


Montgomery finished with 19 carries for 109 yards and the Lions ran for 159 yards as a team on a day they played without leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs because of injuries. St. Brown suffered an abdominal injury against the Packers, and Gibbs pulled a hamstring in practice Friday.

Even without two of their top offensive weapons, the Lions scored a season-high in points and averaged 6.3 yards per play.


Lions second-year receiver Jameson Williams caught two passes for 2 yards and played 27 snaps in his season debut after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. He dropped a pass in the middle of the field in the first half.

Young was 25 of 41 for 247 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, and Adam Thielen had 11 catches for 107 yards for the Panthers, who remain the only NFL team without a win at 0-5.


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

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Lions lineman Jonah Jackson spotted leaving Ford Field in walking boot



Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News


After another 100-plus-yard performance from running back David Montgomery, it’s safe to say the Detroit Lions’ offensive line is rolling. The dominant performance in Sunday’s 42-24 win over the Carolina Panthers may have come at a cost, though.

Starting left guard Jonah Jackson left Ford Field with a walking boot on his left foot following the win.


It’s unclear when Jackson suffered the injury, but reserve linemen Kayode Awosika entered for the final two snaps with the game out of hand. Jackson played 100% of offensive snaps through the first four games, so there’s reason to believe the Lions were exercising caution with the injury.

After the team’s Week 1 win at Kansas City, it was Lions left tackle Taylor Decker who was spotted leaving the stadium in a boot. He ultimately missed two games with an ankle injury but returned for a Week 4 win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.


If there was ever a time for the Lions to be dealing with an injury to Jackson, it seems now is the time. Halapoulivaati Vaitai — the typical starter at right guard — was active Sunday for the first time since suffering a knee injury in the Week 2 loss to Seattle, though Graham Glasgow started in his place.

Jackson, 26, was drafted by Detroit as a third-rounder in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl in 2021. He is set to become a free agent at the end of this season.


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @nolanbianchi

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Detroit Lions grades: Offense outstanding all around, defense solid in taming of Panthers



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News

Detroit — Justin Rogers grades the Detroit Lions' performance in their 42-24 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Quarterbacks

Despite his go-to receiver being sidelined by injury, Jared Goff was nearly perfect in the first half, hitting his targets in the hands on all 17 of this throws. He finished the game with one of the most efficient stat lines of his career, completing 20-of-28 for 236 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

That last number is always an important one, but particularly valuable for Goff this week after he was picked off three straight games coming into this contest. The cherry on top for the QB was a 1-yard rushing touchdown — a fourth-quarter sneak that solidified the victory. Grade: A


Running backs

David Montgomery came out on fire, breaking free for a 42-yard touchdown on Detroit's third offensive snap. He ran into a second-level traffic jam on the carry, but found an outside lane, got to the sideline, then into the end zone. He had to work for every yard the rest of the way, but finished with 109 on 19 carries, becoming the first Lions running back since Kevin Jones in 2004 to gain more than 100 yards on the ground and score a touchdown in consecutive games.

And with Jahmyr Gibbs sidelined by a hamstring injury, Craig Reynolds stepped into a larger role and delivered 52 yards on seven carries, most of which came on a late-game touchdown drive. He capped that series with a 5-yard score, the first of his NFL career. Grade: A



Wide receivers/tight ends

With Amon-Ra St. Brown sidelined by an abdominal injury, the pass-catching collective stepped up to effectively shoulder the load. Josh Reynolds, as he's done already a couple of times this season, paced the group with four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. And rookie tight end Sam LaPorta continued the strong start to his career with a pair of scoring grabs.

Kalif Raymond had a productive 45 yards, including a 23-yard grab to open the game, while also playing a key role as a decoy on the flea flicker out of reverse handoff. About the only complaint from the group was a brief stretch where three balls that hit a player in the hands ended up on the ground.

Jameson Williams was quiet in his debut, including one of those drops, but he did some understated work as a run blocker. Maybe that's not the fireworks everyone hoped to see, but it still brought value to his performance. Grade: A-


Offensive line

The Lions put a lot of stress on their offensive line by throwing the ball on many first downs, but the unit delivered as we've grown accustomed to seeing. Goff ate a couple of sacks, but only one the result of a blown block, while the ground game churned out 5.3 yards per carry, fueled by Montgomery's early touchdown and Craig Reynolds' late-game statement. Grade: A


Defensive line

The run defense wasn't as locked down as it's been to begin the season, but the group still managed to hold the Panthers under 100 yards. As for the pass rush, it harassed rookie quarterback Bryce Young plenty, but struggled to wrap him up because of his elusiveness in the pocket. But keeping him in the pocket and limiting him to 4 yards rushing was a clear win for Detroit's front.

Aidan Hutchinson got Detroit's lone sack (although Young was flagged for a grounding later in the game) and the second-year edge rusher also delivered an incredible, one-handed interception near the line of scrimmage. Alim McNeill also had a role in Detroit's three-turnover day, punching the ball free from running back Miles Sanders' grasp. Grade: A


Linebackers

Alex Anzalone was all over the field, racking up 11 tackles, hitting Young twice behind the line of scrimmage and shutting down a screen early in the contest. Derrick Barnes and rookie Jack Campbell added eight more stops, but none of the group's tackles were for a loss. There was also some coverage lapses, including not condensing some zones well on third down and Campbell getting beat on a delayed route for a touchdown. Grade: B


Secondary

Jerry Jacobs continued his recent turnover binge with his third interception in the past two games, impressively baiting Young into a sideline throw and jumping the route. That shows tremendous growth for a player who had struggled with some of his early-season zone assignments.

Overall, beyond the interceptions, Young was allowed to be pretty efficient, particularly when working the ball to veteran slot receiver Adam Thielen, who caught 11 passes in the game. And the Panthers were a little too effective on third down, including the conversion of multiple third-and-long situations, because of breakdowns in the back end. Grade: B


Special teams

It was kind of a light workday for special teams, outside of the six extra points Riley Patterson converted. Jack Fox punted just twice, pinning Carolina inside their 20 both times, while averaging a respectable 42.5 yards net. Additionally, the Panthers return game wasn't a factor because of continued excellence by Detroit's coverage groups. Grade: B+



Coaching

Dan Campbell wasted a challenge early in the contest, but there's not much else you can say negatively about the preparation or execution of the game plan, on either side of the ball.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson offered up outstanding solutions for a unit missing key pieces, spreading the ball around and unleashing well-time creativity that staggered the Panthers in critical moments in the game. And defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn picked good spots to attack with aggression and the right times to bait a young quarterback, including the call that resulted in Jacobs' pick. Grade: A-


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

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Eminem loves Detroit Lions' dominating win at Ford Field over Carolina Panthers



Jared Ramsey
Detroit Free Press


Eminem loved every second of the Detroit Lions' convincing 42-24 win over the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field.

The Detroit hip-hop legend sat in a luxury box with members of his family and cheered along with every touchdown and turnover in the Lions' favor. The Lions welcomed the Panthers to Detroit in true Slim Shady style by scoring six touchdowns and forcing three turnovers in the bruising blowout.

Eminem was not the only star in attendance; Phoenix Suns guard and Michigan native Devin Booker showed up in a Tigers jersey to hang out on the sideline pregame with Calvin Johnson. The Lions put on a show for the star-studded and sold out crowd, moving to 4-1 on the season, their best start in 12 seasons.

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Detroit Lions grades: Straight A's for offense in dominating performance vs. Panthers



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press


Detroit Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett grades the Detroit Lions in their 42-24 win over the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field to move to 4-1 on the season.

Quarterback

Jared Goff had his second three-touchdown game of the season Sunday, completing 20 of 28 passes for 236 yards. He didn’t throw an interception for the first time since Week 1 and four of his incompletions were throwaways or drops. Goff took advantage of favorable field position as the Lions started three of their four first-half touchdown drives in Carolina territory, and he engineered the second touchdown by getting to the line with pace out of the huddle, calling for a quick snap from center Frank Ragnow and hitting Sam LaPorta in rhythm for an easy score. He is playing high-level football right now, and as long as that continues the Lions will be tough to beat. Grade: A


Running backs

David Montgomery became the first Lions running back to top 100 yards rushing and score a touchdown in back-to-back games since Kevin Jones in 2004. Montgomery’s big day came with a reduced workload of 19 carries after rushing 32 times in last week’s win over the Green Bay Packers. He made efficient use of his touches on a day the Lions played without Jahmyr Gibbs. Craig Reynolds added 52 yards on seven carries, including carrying the ball six times on a seven-play drive that he capped with a 5-yard touchdown. Grade: A

Receivers/tight ends

Eight different players caught passes Sunday as the Lions used a committee approach to make up for the absence of leading receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown due to injury. Josh Reynolds (four catches, 76 yards) had a strong day. He made a nice one-handed catch while being held by C.J. Henderson for a 27-yard gain in the fourth quarter and he showed nice body control to get both feet inbounds on his touchdown catch. Reynolds and Jameson Williams had drops, and Williams was largely a non-factor in his 26 snaps, catching two passes for 2 yards on 14 routes. The receiving corps played a big hand in the Lions’ 159-yard rushing day, with Reynolds, Kalif Raymond and left tackle Taylor Decker out front blocking on Montgomery’s fourth-and-1 pickup and Reynolds, Raymond and LaPorta throwing the blocks to spring Montgomery for a 12-yard gain on a screen. Marvin Jones also had a nice block on Montgomery’s touchdown run, and LaPorta caught two TD passes. Grade: A

Offensive line

The Lions threw the ball on 16 of their first 21 first-down plays, not including a kneel-down at the end of the half, and the line delivered a solid day in pass protection. Goff took two sacks; one was a coverage sack when Brian Burns beat Decker with a wide rush as Goff drifted out of the pocket looking downfield, and the other came on a cornerback blitz. Graham Glasgow started at right guard over Halapoulivaati Vaitai. He allowed one pressure to Derrick Brown in the third quarter, but helped key the Lions’ big day on the ground. Ragnow pulled off a perfect snap on the Lions’ trick direct snap play to Montgomery, and the line helped move bodies on Goff’s 1-yard touchdown run and Montgomery’s fourth-and-1 conversion. Decker had a pancake block on Craig Reynolds' TD run. Grade: A


Defensive line

The Lions didn’t pile up sacks like they did the past two weeks, but they got enough pressure on rookie quarterback Bryce Young to directly or indirectly force three turnovers. Aidan Hutchinson made a great play on his interception, reacting to a fake block on a tight end screen to make a one-handed catch on a pass intended for Ian Thomas, Alim McNeill ripped a fumble out of Miles Sanders’ hands, and Jerry Jacobs said his pick was the result of good pressure from the defensive line. Hutchinson had the Lions’ only sack, when Young stepped up into pressure as Hutchinson tried a spin move on right tackle Taylor Moton. He also had a pressure on a third-and-10 incompletion when Young was flushed from the pocket, and Romeo Okwara drew an intentional grounding penalty at the 1-yard line with a good rush on Moton. Charles Harris was flagged for roughing the passer, and while the penalty was questionable, it set up a Panthers score. Grade: A


Linebackers

The Lions allowed a season-high 99 yards rushing, but 27 of those yards came on gimmick plays from slot receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. Neither Sanders nor Chuba Hubbard had a gain longer than 9 yards as the Lions got solid overall play from their linebacking unit. Alex Anzalone had a game-high 11 tackles and two quarterback hits, though he was flagged for unnecessary roughness on Young. Jack Campbell also had an illegal contact penalty on a second-and-11 late in the first quarter that gave the Panthers a first down. Campbell got beat on a tough-to-cover goal line touchdown by Tommy Tremble, but the group did a good job on Carolina’s tight ends (five catches, 50 yards and a score). Grade: A-minus

Defensive backs

Jacobs got his third interception in two weeks Sunday by baiting Young into a bad throw. Playing zone coverage, he faked as if he was coming up to play the flat receiver then bailed into Young’s passing lane to Jonathan Mingo for an easy pick. Will Harris had nine tackles, a fumble recovery and made a diving pass breakup in the end zone on a pass to Mingo. Cam Sutton got beat on DJ Chark’s touchdown, when he gave a little too much cushion on a post route, and Emmanuel Moseley lasted only two snaps in his return from a torn ACL before injuring his right knee. The Panthers converted three third-and-6-or-longers in the first half, two on passes and one on a Jacobs holding penalty. Grade: A-minus


Special teams

Riley Patterson stayed perfect on the season, making all six of his extra points, and LaPorta recovered an onside kick in the final minutes. Neither Raymond nor Zonovan Knight had much opportunity in the return game, but Anthony Pittman made a big tackle in coverage when Shenault tried to bring a first-quarter kick out of the end zone. Jack Fox dropped his first punt at the 10-yard line, and Dave Fipp apparently didn’t hit the Powerball because the Lions didn’t try any fakes. Grade: A

Coaching

The Lions better enjoy offensive coordinator Ben Johnson while he’s around, because he’s going to be in high demand after the season. They scored a season-high in points despite missing two key offensive weapons, and Johnson showed his creativity with a reverse flea flicker after a turnover, the direct snap to Montgomery through Goff’s legs and a slick screen pass to Montgomery out of a five-wide formation. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn didn’t have things as tough from a personnel standpoint, but he’s had his unit playing at a high level all season and Sunday was no exception. I didn’t like Dan Campbell’s wasted challenge on Chark’s catch on the game-opening drive, and I would have liked to see the Lions stick with the run more when they passed the ball seven times in an eight-play span after Montgomery gained 56 yards on his first four carries. But good teams sometimes end up slogging their way through games like Sunday’s against an overmatched opponent and the Lions came out and kicked Carolina’s butt, a credit to Campbell and his staff. Grade: A

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

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'Moments that you live for': Lions show love for Craig Reynolds after first career TD



Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News


Detroit — In his 24th career game, Craig Reynolds finally found the end zone.

The Detroit Lions gave the running back some action in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 42-24 blowout win over the Carolina Panthers, and Reynolds made it count in a big way.

He ran for 52 yards on seven carries — an average of 7.4 yards per carry — but none were more special than the one he took with 7:27 remaining to score his first career touchdown.

It was very obviously a special moment for Reynolds, and while he couldn’t be found in the locker room to talk about it after the win, he didn’t have to — his teammates’ words spoke volumes.


“Those are the moments that you live for when you play this game,” said Lions running back David Montgomery, who rushed for 109 yards on 19 carries.

“Craig works his ass off every time he comes in the building. For him to get the opportunity to go out and play ball and get his first (touchdown), that was the happiest moment of the game for me. It wasn’t about me rushing for 100 or scoring, it was more so like, ‘He gotta get one.’


“I’m so happy and proud of him doing that. Hopefully there’s more to come from him.”

The Lions were without rookie rusher Jahmyr Gibbs after he suffered a hamstring injury in Friday’s practice. Montgomery got a majority of the work until the fourth quarter, when the game was in hand. Backup running back Zonovan Knight already had been knocked out with an apparent upper-body injury, so it was Reynolds who got all the carries in the effort to close things out.

After the game, Lions head coach Dan Campbell used Reynolds as an example of how well the team’s backup players have filled in for injured starters.

“If you don’t feel good about a guy going, I’d rather have the healthy player. And once again the healthy player was Craig for us today,” Campbell said. “Craig did a heck of a job for us. … And to be able to know that you don’t have the full roster at your disposal and you’re trying to heal some of these guys up and you’re still able to get a win, it’s big. It really is big.”

Of Reynolds' 24 games, 19 of them have come in Detroit, where the former undrafted free agent signed ahead of the 2021 season. Entering Sunday, he'd gotten just 30 rushing attempts over the last two seasons.

“It’s awesome, man. He’s been working like that for as long as I’ve (been) here,” Lions receiver Josh Reynolds (no relation) said.

“You see it every day with the consistency, so to be able to finally see it on the field and him get his shine, it’s awesome.”


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @nolanbianchi

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Lions' Emmanuel Moseley will have MRI on knee injury suffered two snaps into season debut



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News


Detroit — The Detroit Lions waited an entire offseason, plus the first four games of the regular season, to get Emmanuel Moseley in the lineup. Unfortunately, the long-awaited debut lasted two snaps before a knee injury — the opposite knee from the one he rehabbed the year after tearing his ACL — forced the veteran cornerback out of Sunday's 42-24 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Covering Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble, Moseley's right leg slid out from under him while trying to mirror the in-breaking route. The veteran cornerback was in obvious pain while the training staff worked on the leg before helping him to the bench for a more thorough evaluation.


Initially listed as questionable to return, Moseley was eventually ruled out. After the game, coach Dan Campbell acknowledged it didn't look good, but wanted to wait until Moseley got an MRI on Monday before commenting on specifics of the injury.

Teammate Jerry Jacobs, who had rotated out of the game to allow Moseley to enter the action in the opening quarter, was devastated to see his teammate injured after a lengthy rehab to return to football.


"That's my brother. Honestly, I don't even think people know, me and him were really tighter than y'all were thinking," Jacobs said. "I just went through that same injury if you (remember). I was in his shoes, being in his corner every day.

"...To see something like that. I was just speechless," Jacobs said. "I couldn't even really talk about it because I know he's hurting."

Coincidentally, Moseley was playing in his first game just one day shy of the one-year anniversary of his previous knee injury. And he tore the ACL in his left knee while playing against the Carolina Panthers, as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

Even though he was still rehabbing, the Lions signed Moseley to a one-year deal as a free agent this March.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers

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Dan Campbell happy with season debut for Lions' Jameson Williams


Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News


Detroit — When Jameson Williams made his season debut a year ago, he entered the game to a standing ovation and all of Ford Field chanting his name.

It wasn’t so overwhelming Sunday.


After missing the first four games with a gambling suspension, Williams quietly took his first reps of the regular season. His final stat line: Two catches for two yards and a drop — plus a touchdown-springing block for the Lions’ first score of the game, a 42-yard run to the outside by David Montgomery.

Earlier in the week, Lions head coach Dan Campbell noted Williams “can’t play 60 plays,” and even with the team missing wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, he stuck to his word.


Campbell said after Sunday’s 42-24 win over the Carolina Panthers that he saw what he wanted to from the former No. 12-overall pick and praised the receiver’s blocking.

“This is his first one back and really last week was his first practice since he was out of the building, and so, man, I just wanted to get him back on the grass,” Campbell said. “Get him lined up, get him some runs, we gave him a couple opportunities in the pass game and now we just grow from there.


“So this is all I expected, let’s just get him acclimated back in and he’ll get a few more plays next week and we’ll just continue to let him grow. … He showed up on a couple of those runs in there.”

The terms of Williams’ suspension meant he could not be at the Lions facility until Monday of last week. His six-game suspension was reduced to four games a few days earlier, after the league revised its gambling policy.


Lions quarterback Jared Goff detailed the difficulties of getting a guy into the gameplan with little practice time.

“I might’ve had him for a shot there at one point down the field that I didn’t pull the trigger on with a little pass rush there,” Goff said. “He’s done a good job. He’s done a really good job. I thought this was a great week of practice for him and continue to get him acclimated. It’s hard. It's hard.


“He came off the ACL last year and (everyone) expected fireworks from the get-go…we kind of knew there was some acclimation time and then this time, it’s offa suspension, and again, it takes a couple of weeks, so want to keep getting him involved and want to keep working with him and finding new ways to get him in space and get him the ball.”

In limited action last season, Williams caught one pass for 41 yards and a touchdown.


nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @nolanbianchi