Lions News

[El Axe]

Does anyone know why Vaitai wasn't playing?

I was wondering the same thing. Glasgow graded out as the #1 guard in the league last week by PFF, so maybe they didn't want to mess with a good thing. Put a healthy Awosike on the left and keep Glasgow on the right. Vaitai might not be at 100%. I don't know anything for sure though.

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A view from the people in Tampa:

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Wojo: Lions making themselves right at home as NFC heavyweight



Bob Wojnowski
The Detroit News


Tampa, Fla. — Once again, the Lions brought everyone and everything, and used it all. This team doesn’t travel light, that’s for sure. It’s a trend that’s becoming a habit, and taking the shape of something much bigger.

The Lions stomped into another city and another stadium and made themselves right at home. It wasn’t just Jared Goff, although he was clutch and accurate. It wasn’t just Amon-Ra St. Brown, although he caught everything thrown his way. It wasn’t just the rambunctious defense, which smothered the Buccaneers and quarterback Baker Mayfield.


The Lions’ 20-6 beating of Tampa Bay on Sunday was an accumulation of all of it, laid out in living color. The primary color was Honolulu blue, as thousands of Lions fans again invaded, and by the end, again crowded the field and serenaded their team with rousing echoes of “Let’s go Lions!”



It’s a scene become shockingly familiar, and yet no longer surprising. The Lions (5-1) have won four straight, each by at least 14 points, and their fans keep taking over storied stadiums. Going back to last season, the Lions are 13-3 over their past 16 games, in control of first place in the NFC North and tied for the best record in the entire league.

“If you’re gonna be a good team in this league, you gotta win on the road, our guys know that, they understand that,” Dan Campbell said. “They look forward to it, they really do. They love playing on the road, just something about it. And the fans that go on the road, I feel every game there’s more and more.”


The more they face, the more the Lions have responded. Their running game was stymied, then stopped when David Montgomery left with a rib injury. No big problem, as Craig Reynolds stepped in and made key plays. Two starting offensive linemen out? No big problem, as they stood in against a tough Tampa Bay defense and gave Goff plenty of time to throw.

Looking for receiver help? No problem as St. Brown returned from injury and did what he does, with 12 receptions for 124 yards. And when it was time to pop a big one, there was Jameson Williams streaking wide open and making an acrobatic catch for a 45-yard touchdown. People were wondering when Jamo would make an impact. The answer arrived: When they Lions needed it most.



Ten different players caught passes from Goff, who was precise and unflappable, 30-for-44 for 353 yards and two touchdowns.

“It speaks to how much trust and faith we have in everyone on the roster, all the receivers, all the tight ends, all the way down,” Goff said. “We know who we are, and I’ve said it a million times, we feel we can beat anyone right now.”


The defense was spectacular, stuffing the Bucs’ run and holding Mayfield to a 19-for-37 performance, limiting the Bucs to 2-for-12 on third downs. Linebacker Alex Anzalone was everywhere, leading the team with nine tackles, just days after he learned his parents had gotten out of danger in Israel and were back.

To win in the NFL, you need talent and coaching and perseverance. To keep winning, you need reinforcements.

The Lions came to Tampa and brought the house. An hour before kickoff, blue-clad Lions fans were swarming the concourse, and in the stands the blue kept growing. This is how it works now. If the Lions are willing and able to lead, the fans will fanatically follow. This contingent was even bigger than those that invaded Kansas City and Green Bay, where the Lions prevailed.


It takes everybody, and the Lions were tested again. In a defensive slugfest, one play, one run, one catch could be the difference. Or even one block. Locked in a 3-3 battle, it was the backup running back Reynolds who delivered the cruncher, as perfect a block as you’ll ever see. Playing because Montgomery left, Reynolds lined up Bucs defender Carlton Davis III and clobbered him, freeing St. Brown on a 27-yard touchdown reception late in the first half.


The NFL is a league of attrition and the Lions have built the depth to withstand it. On the Lions’ self-proclaimed hype train, there are no free riders. And in case anyone — or everyone — was wondering when Williams would make an impact, it came precisely when it was needed. The 2022 first-round pick has been slowed by injury and suspension and plagued by the occasional dropped pass. Last week, he let a pass slip between his hands, and vowed to shake it off. As an unquestioned leader, Goff demanded he shake it off.


"As long as he keeps getting himself open, I'm going to keep delivering him the ball,” Goff said last week. “He’ll make those plays."

Williams had two short catches last week, but his third grab of the season was a huge one. On third-and-10 from Tampa Bay’s 45 late in the third quarter, Goff lofted the ball toward the end zone. Williams, who had beaten defender Ryan Neal, slowed down, twisted around, and caught it as he fell to the turf. He leapt up and celebrated with a sprint to the sideline, and if you watched closely, you could see the pressure lifting.



Williams shrugged off the previous drop before the game, saying “one drop don’t define anybody." And then he proved it. As great as St. Brown is, he can’t keep doing it all. Although admittedly, sometimes it looks like he can. His 27-yard touchdown came on a short crossing pattern, and he just kept eluding defenders and picking up blocks.


That’s what it takes, a block here, a catch there, a tackle here, a stop there. The Lions hit the 20-point mark for the 15th straight game, just another in a long list of newly hatched streaks. It was enough because the defense made sure it was enough, pressuring Mayfield and making clutch stops on third downs again and again.

Ho-hum. Another stadium takeover, another grinding gutsy effort, another two-touchdown victory. Lions fans were celebrating in Tampa long after the game, while their team headed home to go back to work. Although these days, home is wherever the Lions want it to be.


Bob.wojnowski@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @bobwojnowski

[Iron Lion]

The Williams TD was among Goff’s worst throws today. Great adjustment by JaMo to haul it in.

3rd and long just air it out is not a bad idea. I don't see how it's a bad throw. Jamo didn't have to slow down.

[Iron Lion]

Does anyone know why Vaitai wasn't playing?

I'm thinking the knee wasn't 100%.

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Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown key Lions win vs. Bucs after David Montgomery injury


By Colton Pouncy and The Athletic Staff
7h ago


Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 12 passes for 124 yards and quarterback Jared Goff threw for 353 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Detroit Lions in a 20-6 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here’s what you need to know:

* The Lions lost top running back David Montgomery in the first half to a rib injury.

* Goff threw touchdown passes to St. Brown and receiver Jameson Williams, playing in his second game this season after returning from a suspension for gambling violations.

* The Lions (5-1) allowed the Buccaneers (3-2) just two third-down conversions.


Lions continue to prove themselves

The Lions are 5-1 and winners of four in a row. They just took down a 3-1 Buccaneers team on the road, winning by two touchdowns. The offense did enough against one of the better defenses in the league. Detroit’s defense held Tampa Bay to just six points at home. They’re doing this on the road, without key pieces, without much trouble. Folks, the Lions are a good football team. Sunday is the latest example. They’re running out of ways to prove that. — Colton Pouncy, Detroit Lions beat writer


Road-field advantage

The Lions are 3-0 on the road this season, taking down the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and now the Buccaneers. Dan Campbell didn’t get his first road win as Lions head coach until Nov. 13, 2022 — more than a year and a half into his tenure. Now, it’s almost as though his team thrives in this environment. Detroit has won seven of its last eight games on the road dating back to last season. By the end of the three games this season, you’ve been able to hear “Let’s go Lions” chants late in the fourth quarter from the fans in attendance. — Pouncy

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Jameson Williams’ TD sparks Lions vs. Bucs, and he’s just getting started



By Colton Pouncy
1h ago


TAMPA, Fla. — The ball hung in the air. Drifting, drifting, drifting some more. Catch or drop, touchdown or letdown, the opinions of many were ready to be shared.

For the intended target, Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams, that’s a typical Sunday. But this one was different.


That ball would eventually land. Right into Williams’ outstretched arms, after an on-the-fly adjustment, for a score, on a deep ball that kissed the Tampa sun before touching down for a 45-yard touchdown.


It was a play Lions fans had been waiting for. It was one that Williams had been waiting for. It reminds you what he can be for this Lions team — now 5-1, tied for the best record in football, with reinforcements like Williams working themselves into the mix.

“I feel like it was a big play for us,” Williams said of his touchdown that helped seal a 20-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) on Sunday. “It was just momentum, I feel like, for the team. You see how the guys got excited, everybody running up. I was just excited, man. It felt like that play added a little spark for me.”

A little spark goes a long way sometimes, and Williams is the ultimate spark plug. Right now, he’s a luxury for one of the best offenses in football. But as he continues to play, continues to navigate life in the NFL and what it takes to be here, the potential still lingers for him to be much, much more.


Of course, when the season began, Williams wasn’t supposed to be eligible to play Sunday. Had his initial six-game suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy not been reduced to four games, he wouldn’t have been able to participate. That suspension is the source of so much frustration regarding Williams, mainly because it was yet another thing that kept him away from football.

The No. 12 pick in 2022 who’s played in just eight of his first 23 games to start his career, Williams is viewed as a raw talent who needs reps to improve. It’s something the coaching staff always points to when his name is brought up. He didn’t get them as a rookie, as he recovered from a torn ACL. He didn’t get as much as the Lions would have liked this summer, after a hamstring injury derailed his preseason. And he didn’t get them while suspended early this season.


Williams, much to his surprise, learned the news of his reinstatement around the same time as everyone else. The NFL revised its gambling policy and declared him eligible to return in Week 5. GM Brad Holmes was the one who let Williams know, sharing the story on NFL Network this week.

“What’s the best news that you could receive?” Holmes asked Williams.


“Besides me playing?” Williams said in response.

“Dude, that’s it,” Holmes told him. “You’re back.”



Holmes said he’ll never forget that moment, being able to tell Williams he was cleared to return. Lions wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, who couldn’t communicate with Williams during his suspension, said Williams yelled his name in the facility from down the hall his first day back, and the two chopped it up after seeing each other. During his absence, Williams’ teammates wore “Free Jamo” T-shirts, and now that he’s back in the locker room, he has a noticeable presence that tends to draw visitors over for conversations.

There seems to be a genuine care for Williams. Now that he’s back, he’s showing he cares, too.

It’s hard not to notice a newfound a sense of urgency from Williams. Part of that comes from the time missed. During his suspension, Williams watched the Lions win without him. They were 3-1 when he was reinstated. A competitor who just wants to be out there on the field, he’d have to earn every snap and prove capable of contributing. Nothing given, everything earned.


That all starts in practice. So when both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and quarterback Jared Goff say Williams’ first week back was the best week of practice of his young career, and that he continued that this past week, that’s notable.

“It’s continually getting better and he’s continually working hard on everything,” Goff said. “When he does it right, it’s hard to find someone that can do it better. It’s just a matter of getting on the same page and feeling confidence with everything. He’s working hard and it’s fun to get him involved like that to put some credibility to some of the work he has done.”



Of course, Williams becoming a factor is going to take time. The Lions are not in the business of force-feeding any one player for the sake of padding stats. Everything has to come within the flow of the offense. There are other ways to impact games, though, as we saw last week.

While the stats from his 2023 debut against the Carolina Panthers — two receptions for 2 yards — were quiet, Williams’ game was loud because of his willingness and eagerness to block. On one particular play, Williams tossed a Panthers cornerback to the ground, paving the way for a David Montgomery touchdown. His blocking flashed multiple times in the game, catching the attention of his offensive coordinator.


“The coolest thing that came from the game the other day is, the guy is such a big competitor,” Johnson said. “You see him block in the run game like he is. If he blocks like that, there’ll be snaps for him every week.”

His best week of practice. Doing the dirty work for others. That’s how Williams earns the trust of the people in charge of his playing time, and how he shows them he’s ready for more. Results tend to come for those who put in the work. For Williams, that came on Sunday.

With the offense struggling to put points on the board against a stout Tampa Bay defense, this was as tight a game Detroit has played in weeks, leading just 10-6 late in the third quarter.

The Lions were in need of breathing room. So Williams breathed life into the offense.



Williams’ touchdown and the subsequent extra point gave the Lions a 17-6 lead, creating some much-needed separation on the scoreboard. It allowed Detroit to play the brand of football it likes — in position to close things out in the fourth quarter — rather than playing tense with a small lead. Williams’ speed changed the game. It’s what the Lions drafted him for.


What makes the touchdown all the more significant is what happened right before it. Two plays earlier, Williams dropped a pass from Goff, unable to fully work back to his quarterback and secure the catch. It was his second drop in two weeks, an issue that might cause a quarterback or OC to think twice before working back to the receiver in question.

But there was no hesitation. When Williams caught the ball and paraded around the stadium, teammates from all positions ran out to celebrate with him. There was a genuine joy in seeing him make that play.


“I tried to celebrate with him but he’s fast,” running back Craig Reynolds said, laughing. “He was doing the dash around the stadium. … It was a great catch and we needed it. We definitely needed it in a situation like that.”

“Man, that’s my guy,” Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone said. “He’s, like, Mr. Misunderstood. It’s just so great to see him make that play. I hear outside noise for him. … It just makes me so proud to see him do that. Yeah, that’s my guy. I love him.”


Williams has work to do before he lives up to his status as a first-round pick. One game doesn’t change that. There will be growing pains, as he continues to navigate the NFL and how to be a professional. The focus needs to be there, and the mental lapses don’t.

But if this is a sign of things to come, Williams further improves a Detroit Lions team that has the look of one of the NFL’s best.



Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy

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Beard: Lions make more believers as the bandwagon starts to fill



Rod Beard
The Detroit News


There’s still room on the Detroit Lions’ bandwagon, but maybe not for long.

It’s been that way for decades, as the Lions have been a laughingstock franchise for as long as many Lions fans can remember.


These Lions are changing that perception.

Following Sunday’s 20-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium, the Lions are 5-1 and puffing their chests out, no longer the Cowardly Lions searching aimlessly for their courage — and wins.


They’ve found it, behind the leadership and vision of general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, who have overhauled the roster, added some key picks through the draft and changed the culture, embracing hard work as the creed and grit as the tagline.

For many Lions fans, there’s still some hesitation before stepping foot on the bandwagon — and understandably so. They’ve been hurt before, being foolhardy enough to believe in the fool’s gold of positive starts in past seasons.


It’s the same belief that makes Charlie Brown believe that Lucy isn’t going to pull the football away at the last second before he runs to kick it.


These Lions seem to be different, though.

They're 5-1 for the first time since 2011, and they’re not only leading the North Division but they’re also tied for the best record in the NFC, along with the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, who both lost on Sunday.


Each week, stranger things are happening, and these Lions are living in the NFL’s version of the Upside Down.

The professionals in Las Vegas had installed the Lions as the favorites to win the NFC North, but the local cynics passed it off as bluster, believing that someone — anyone —would rise up and trip the Lions, as has always happened when the fans dare to have even a mustard seed of hope about being among the NFL’s elite.



The Green Bay Packers are essentially three games behind, with the Lions’ impressive win at Lambeau in Week 4. It’s the first time since 1980 that they’ve had a lead of at least two games in the division.

There’s momentum and reason to believe. After Campbell needed an early adjustment period to figure things out, these Lions are now heading in the right direction. It’s more than just some marketing ploy with a mantra and an appearance on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” to fuel another ride on the struggle bus.


This bandwagon seems to have a smooth ride, with the Lions holding the Buccaneers to a pair of field goals, and roaring to snuff out a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by Baker Mayfield. These Lions are built to win at Ford Field, as well as on the road, where they had a hearty horde of fans, with “Let’s go, Lions!” chants heard on the TV broadcast.

The Lions are 13-3 in their last 16 games, their best such stretch since 1961-62. You might have to ask a parent or grandparent about that one, because there hasn’t been that kind of optimism in — well, a generation or two.


The road ahead


Sunday’s win was big, the Lions' third win on the road this season, but there will be little time to dwell on this one before they set their eyes on the next challenge — another road game, against the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) next week. Campbell won't let the Lions look too far ahead, only focusing on the immediate task in front of them. The Ravens held on to beat the Tennessee Titans in London on Sunday morning, and quarterback Lamar Jackson has the elusiveness and arm talent that has hurt the Lions in the past.


Then there's the looming Monday Night Football matchup at Ford Field against the Las Vegas Raiders on the night before Halloween that could be another pothole on the road to winning the division.


There's a reason for optimism — cautious optimism, for the cynics — that this season could be something special. In the second half of the schedule, the Lions have two matchups each against the woeful Chicago Bears and the struggling Minnesota Vikings, as well as a Thanksgiving rematch versus the Packers.

Things look promising, but as any face-paint-wearing Lions fan can attest, they've been there before. Remember the 2013 season when they started 6-3, only to go 1-6 down the stretch and miss the playoffs? That spelled the end for coach Jim Schwartz, and ushered in the Jim Caldwell era — which has been the highest point since the Wayne Fontes squads of the 1980s and '90s.


Caldwell was shown the exit because his 36-28 record over four seasons, which included a pair of trips to the playoffs, wasn't good enough. That 11-5 finish in 2014 was the Lions' last season with double-digit wins, and though Caldwell finished with a pair of 9-7 seasons, that wasn't deemed good enough.

Finally, these Lions are well on their way to double digits again, and the enthusiasm — and level of expectation — is building with each passing week.


Overcoming obstacles


If the doubters say that they've seen this movie before, they're not entirely wrong. The strong starts have happened before, but fans are so used to seeing the reruns of those Lions finding ways to lose in the most unimaginable ways that it's still hard to buy a ticket to the bandwagon.

When running back David Montgomery left Sunday's game because of a rib injury in the second quarter, the collective groan and refrain of "Here we go, again" could be heard through TVs around the country. But these Lions, already without injured rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, found a way to overcome.

The Lions broke the game open with a 45-yard touchdown catch by Jameson Williams in the third quarter for a 17-6 lead, and the defense held Tampa Bay scoreless in the fourth quarter, before the celebrations with the horde of Lions fans began in Tampa.

Things are coming together for these Lions, and Sunday's win only serves to bring more believers to the bandwagon.

Watch your step as you board, and buckle up when you sit down. The bandwagon has a few more stops to go before it gets to the final destination.


Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com

Twitter/X: @detnewsRodBeard

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