Lions News

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[jaadam4]

Love Monty and Gibbs.

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[jaadam4]

How bad ass is that!

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[froot loops]

Best part of the clip is the circus letters in the end zone, bring them back!

[chemiclord]

But if Antonio Brown does it, it's a penalty. Game has gotten SO soft, lemme tell ya!

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Three-and-out: Good health reveals Lions' offensive potential; defense has marriage issues


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Los Angeles — Here are three observations after having a night to ponder the Detroit Lions' 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.


Full strength, all cylinders

Because the Lions emerged victorious, let's first focus on a positive. Good health can be a fickle mistress in the NFL, but it was remarkable to witness how potent this offense could be when as close to full strength as we've seen the unit.

Most of us don't get to see the Chargers too often, but that was a formidable defense, particularly up front. Led by a trio of impactful edge rushers, they entered the matchup tied for second in the league with 31 sacks. And much like the Lions, the Chargers had solved many of their run-game struggles from recent years. They were holding opponents to well under 4.0 yards per carry.


The Lions clearly weren't impressed.

As always with this group, it starts up front. Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell did a remarkable job on the edges, containing Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and rookie Tuli Tuipulotu, fueling a sack-less performance for Detroit's blocking. As for the ground game, we saw its dominance from the first snap, when the group reset the line of scrimmage 3 yards downfield on an 8-yard David Montgomery run.

Detroit Lions' running game vs LA Chargers_11-12-2023.jpg

The Chargers had held their previous five opponents under 100 yards rushing. The Lions needed just 31 carries to gain 200 on the ground, a plateau they've now hit in back-to-back games, and three times overall this season.


That multi-faceted blocking success opens up Detroit's equally versatile pass game. And when quarterback Jared Goff is taking care of the football, the offense is, without question, as dynamic as any in the league. They scored 41 in this game, but easily should have hung 50 on the Chargers, given they had a touchdown wiped off the board by an unnecessary penalty and later turned it over on downs after failing to punch it in with three tries inside the 2-yard line.

Here's another wild consideration: there's an opportunity to ratchet up the unit's potency further with the recent addition of receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. He should add another reliable option for Goff, particularly in the red zone, once the veteran is fully up to speed and past a minor rib injury.


With the performance on Sunday, the Lions are now sixth in the NFL in scoring. The 26.8 points they're averaging is a tick better than a year ago, when coordinator Ben Johnson unveiled his offense to the league.

At this point, the only thing slowing the Lions' offense is themselves or an injury-bug infestation. With some bad defenses on the docket, including league-worst Denver and two matchups with the Chicago Bears, the Lions could and should average 30 points per game the rest of the way.


A broken marriage

Given the frantic pace of the second half on Sunday, overlapping with trying to piece together a complex game story, it can admittedly be difficult to truly absorb what's happening in real time. That's the added value of my postgame re-watch, where I zero-in on some details, see the broadcast replay angles and gain a better understanding of what went into the final result.

The defense falling off a cliff was jarring, especially since the unit started the game so well. The Lions held the Chargers to 60 yards and three points in the first four possessions, while also forcing a turnover. And force is the appropriate word, since pressure from Alex Anzalone's blitz hurried quarterback Justin Herbert into a bad throw that was intercepted by playmaking safety Kerby Joseph. That's how it's designed to work.


But even during that successful stretch, there were signs of cracks in the dam, including Herbert overthrowing an open receiver deep and a dropped third-down pass in the flat that would have extended an early drive.

Coincidentally, the floodgates opened when the Lions made a physical error late in the second quarter. On the cusp of forcing another three-and-out, Anzalone whiffed on a tackle attempt, allowing running back Austin Ekeler to scurry for the first down. That drive culminated in touchdown, the first of five straight series finishing in the end zone for the Chargers.

The Detroit Lions' defensive line_11-12-2023.jpg

On the bright side, the Lions' run defense never really faltered. Outside of a 17-yard gain by Ekeler on an option pitch in the third quarter, the Chargers' backs mustered just 2.9 yards per carry. That's something the unit can hang its hat on as it plots a rebound.

The bigger issue was Herbert and the passing attack, which sliced its way up and down the field. Some will point to the lack of a pass rush, which failed to record a sack for the third time this season. Others are dismayed with the coverage, which got torched by star receiver Keenan Allen, couldn't get off the field on third down and committed several costly penalties. But arguably the biggest issue was the misalignment of the marriage between the two defensive principles.

When the pass rush was on the cusp of generating pressure, Herbert was able to get the ball out quickly because of soft coverage. And when the Lions had the QB's options blanketed in the back end, the rush was either stymied or couldn't contain Herbert to the pocket.

We similarly saw a fractured union between Detroit's rush and coverage early in the season, and the fact they continue to get worked over by upper-tier quarterbacks only heightens concerns about the team's ability to win in the postseason. The Lions' offense can go toe-to-toe with anyone, but as we saw against the Ravens, if the defense falters early and the offense gets off to a slow start, everything can come crumbling down in a hurry.

We can all acknowledge the Lions still need more talent on defense, but that's an offseason concern, after general manager Brad Holmes opted to stand pat at the trade deadline. In the meantime, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn's challenge is cultivating better symbiosis between his rush and coverage to cover up the inconsistencies that continue to plague both.


Still in the hunt

As the NFL season crosses its midway point, the NFC North is a two-horse race. With the Lions at 7-2, you might have expected that they would be running away with a division — which most analysts expected to be down this year — but those pesky Minnesota Vikings are refusing to fade.


Despite All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson missing the past five games because of a hamstring injury, an already-anemic ground game losing running back Cam Akers to a torn Achilles, and starting quarterback Kirk Cousins also suffering a season-ending Achilles injury, the Vikings just keep winning. They dismissed the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, 27-19, for a fifth consecutive victory, moving to 6-4 on the year.

In any other scenario, Lions fans could more willingly appreciate what the Vikings are doing, particularly at the quarterback position. They picked up journeyman Josh Dobbs at the trade deadline for a song and he's stepped in and played exceptionally well, posting a passer rating over 100 in his first two weeks with the team. That's wild, particularly without Jefferson. Remember, Dobbs was without a permanent home late last season, even spending a couple of weeks on Detroit's practice squad.

Former Detroit Lions practice squad QB Joshua Dobbs.jpg

And there's a good chance the Vikings keep the pressure on the Lions. The opposition's next three games are at Denver, home against Chicago and on the road against Las Vegas. Nothing is given in the NFL, obviously, but those are clearly three winnable matchups.

It goes without saying Detroit controls its own destiny. They maintain a 1.5-game lead in the division, but the reality is they might not get an opportunity to slam the door on Minnesota until the closing stretch of the season, when the sides play twice in the final three weeks.


jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

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Detroit Lions game balls and goats: Dan Campbell deserves credit for 4th down play call



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett highlights the best and worst performances from the Detroit Lions' 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium:

Game balls

Dan Campbell

I don’t know how many NFL coaches would have made the decision to pass on a 44-yard field goal to try and convert on fourth-and-2 in a tie game with 1:47 left, but it’s safe to say it’s (maybe far) less than 100%.

Campbell is known for his bold decision making, especially on fourth downs, on which he went for it five times on Sunday with four conversions. He ran the ball on fourth-and-5 and passed on that late kick in what was absolutely the right decision given the flow of the game but was a risky decision nonetheless. Players love his aggressiveness and rewarded him with a big win Sunday.



“We want to make him right and it gets us a little bit more motivation to make things work,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “He trusts us, he’s showing us he has full faith in us to make it work in a scenario that maybe the odds are stacked against us in some way and he’s saying no they’re not. He trusts us and lets us go to work.”


OL Jonah Jackson

The Lions got huge days from running backs David Montgomery (12 carries, 116 yards, one touchdown) and Jahmyr Gibbs (14-77-2), and they’re deserving of game balls, too. But I’m giving one to Jackson for his play in his first game back from a high ankle sprain and the play of the entire offensive line
Dan Campbell against LA Chargers_11-12-2023.jpg

The Lions intentionally ran behind Jackson early, much in the way some teams may target a receiver early to get him in the flow of a game. Jackson had a double-team block that sprung Gibbs on an early 35-yard run, made key pulling blocks on Gibbs’ first touchdown and a fourth-and-5 conversion by Montgomery and had a big hand in the team’s 200-yard rushing day.

“It was good to have him back,” Campbell said. “He does bring an athleticism. There’s some power that certainly he brings, but the athleticism on the perimeter. His ability to pull is something that really helps us.”



QB Jared Goff

Goff shined in his second road game at the stadium he used to call home with the Los Angeles Rams, completing 23 of 33 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns.

Jared Goff celebrates with Jahmyr Gibbs_11-12-2023.jpg

He was masterful at getting the offense in the right play, checking to a pass play on his TD throw to Brock Wright and audibling to a run when the Lions had the wrong personnel on the field for Montgomery’s 75-yard touchdown.

The Chargers have a special quarterback in Justin Herbert who’s considered just outside the game’s elite: Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen. Goff matched Herbert throw for throw Sunday and deserves kudos for making the Lions into one of the best teams in the NFL.


Goats

Aaron Glenn

There wasn’t one player who was responsible for the Lions’ defensive struggles Sunday, so Glenn falls on this sword for his unit’s collective failure. The Lions actually held Herbert and the Chargers offense in check for most of the first half, but they allowed touchdowns on five straight possessions to end the game and had no answer for Keenan Allen (11 catches, 175 yards).

Detroit Lions defenders coordinator Aaron Glenn_9-24-2023.jpg

The Chargers were at their best in the no huddle, which Campbell said caused his defense to lose its composure.

The Lions gave up 38 points for the second time in three games and they did not record a sack for the third time this year. Coming off a bye week, that’s unacceptable.


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

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National pundits believe in Detroit Lions' chances for No. 1 seed in NFC



Jared Ramsey
Detroit Free Press




The Detroit Lions are firmly sewn into the NFL's upper class and are being recognized nationally as one of the best on Monday following the last-second 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The main storyline was Dan Campbell's decision to keep the offense on the field for fourth-and-2 with 1:48 left and the game tied at 38 instead of attempting a 43-yard field goal to take the lead. The roll of the dice paid off for Detroit, who converted the fourth down and whittled the clock down to 3 seconds before Riley Patterson hit the game-winning 41-yard kick.

The last-second win over a playoff team from last year was another reminder the Lions are different under Campbell. The win moved the Lions to 7-2, tied for the best start in franchise history since the NFL merger in 1970.


The realization of general manager Brad Holmes' vision for the backfield was also a topic of conversation. David Montgomery returned from his rib injury and made an immediate impact with a 75-yard touchdown — the longest Lions' rushing touchdown in 12 years — while first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs added explosive plays and two goal line touchdowns. The two-headed attack combined for 228 total yards and three touchdowns on 29 touches.


Here's what national NFL writers are saying about the Lions victory the morning after:


ESPN: One seed Lions a possibility


ESPN's late-night host Scott Van Pelt said the path exists for the Lions to finish atop the NFC standings and secure a first-round bye in the playoffs in his weekly "One Big Thing" column.

"The Detroit Lions are going to have a chance to play themselves to the top of the NFC — their schedule is not nearly as difficult in the coming weeks as the Philadelphia Eagles'," Van Pelt wrote. "The Lions' aggressiveness was on display in Los Angeles on Sunday as they went for it on fourth down five times — the last of the four they converted allowed them to exhaust the clock and prevent Justin Herbert from tying this game for a fifth time. The Lions kicked the game-winning FG as time expired to move to 7-2, which is tied for their best nine-game start in the last 50 years."

Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams_11-12-2023.jpg

CBS: Lions are biggest threat to Eagles in NFC


CBS' Jeff Kerr had a similar assessment and declared the Lions as the biggest threat to the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles for the one seed in the NFC playoff bracket. He said Detroit's offensive line could be the equalizer against the Eagles' devastating pass rush and the team can stack wins with a favorable schedule.

"The Lions put up 41 points and 533 yards in winning a shootout against the Chargers," Kerr wrote. "The key part of that game was Detroit not allowing a sack and giving up just two quarterback hits against a Los Angeles pass rush that has Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. The Lions' offensive line can neutralize an Eagles defensive line that is excellent at getting to the quarterback, something the 49ers and Cowboys have struggled with this year late in games."



NBC: Where will Ben Johnson be coaching next year?


NBC Sports columnist Peter King did not have much about the Lions in his Week 10 review, but he did pose a question about the future of Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. His play calling helped Detroit score on seven of its nine drives excluding the one to close the first half in the shootout win.

Jared Goff and Ben Johnson_11-12-2023.jpg

The savvy playcaller has elevated Detroit's offense to one of the best in the league and helped revitalize Jared Goff's career. Now, his time as a head coach in the NFL is expected around the football world at this point.

"Ben Johnson, the Detroit offensive coordinator, had one heck of a game in the 41-38 nipping of the Chargers at SoFi Sunday," King wrote. "Tony Romo couldn’t stop screaming about him. I just wonder: Which young quarterback will get the gift of being coached by Johnson next year?"



New York Times: Lions have 99% chance to make playoffs

The New York Times developed a playoff odds calculator which simulates future NFL games thousands of times to try to make an accurate prediction. Based on their numbers, it would take a miracle for Detroit to miss out on the postseason. It also has a feature to see how the odds change if the Lions win or lose upcoming games on the schedule if you want to see how a possible misstep could impact the team.

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5 Detroit Lions thoughts: The Dan Campbell advantage, NFL playoffs oddity brewing



Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Five thoughts on the Detroit Lions after Sunday's thrilling 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium:


Decisive advantage


It's hard to overstate what coach Dan Campbell's aggressive approach means to the Lions, the confidence he has instilled in players with his willingness to go for it on fourth down at almost anytime on just about any part of the field.


"With our guy, I kind of lean towards we’re going until he tells us we’re not," quarterback Jared Goff said Sunday. "And that’s not just in that situation (at the end of the Chargers game), that’s kind of in every fourth down that we get."

Campbell's boldest decision Sunday was the choice to pass up a go-ahead 44-yard field goal attempt with 1:44 to play to try and convert a fourth-and-2. The Lions did, on a Goff pass to Sam LaPorta, and were able to run out the rest of the clock, sending Riley Patterson on to kick the winning field goal as time expired, rather than give Justin Herbert and the Chargers a chance to tie or steal the game.



That was the right call, of course, given the way Herbert had diced up the Lions' defense in the second half, but that doesn't make it an easy one — and it wasn't the only big fourth down the Lions went for Sunday.

The Lions converted four of five fourth down tries against the Chargers, and now have three games this year with more fourth down attempts than punts (and two more with the same amount). That's an incredible stat when you think about the conservative nature of the NFL, and it has given the Lions a decisive advantage over opponents.



Beyond the confidence Campbell has instilled in players with his decision making, his aggressive approach has opened up the playbook for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, one of the most brilliant play callers in the NFL.


On a third-and-10 from the Chargers' 33-yard line late in Sunday's third quarter, Johnson called a quick pass to Kalif Raymond that went for 5 yards. Johnson knew he had two plays to get the first down, so while plenty of teams would throw to the sticks in that situation and settle for a long field goal (albeit with a more reliable kicker from distance than the one the Lions have on their roster), the Lions were content to try to get the 10 yards in two chunks.

On fourth-and-5, an obvious passing situation, David Montgomery ran up the middle for 6 yards.



The Lions ultimately failed on that drive when they were stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 1, but more often than not, those decisions have yielded touchdowns, four-point swings.

"Dan and Ben, ballsy, ballsy play callers," Montgomery said. "You got to have some appreciation for that."



Award favorite


Campbell is the NFL Coach of the Year favorite in a season where there are plenty of worthwile candidates for the award.

What DeMeco Ryans has done with the Houston Texans is masterful. To have that team, with a future star of a rookie quarterback, in the playoff hunt one year after going 3-13-1 would be enough to win the award most years. Mike Tomlin does more with less than any coach in the NFL. And Nick Sirianni, Andy Reid and Kevin O'Connell deserve mention, too.

Dan Campbell against LA Chargers_11-12-2023.jpg

But no coach has had as direct an impact on winning games as Campbell this season. I believe his fourth-and-2 decision late in Sunday's game was the difference between the Lions winning and losing. The fake punt from his own 17-yard line in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs remains the call of the season (remember, it led to the Lions' first touchdown in what turned out to be a 21-20 win).

I don't know if Campbell will become the first Lions coach to win the award since Wayne Fontes in 1991 (and the third Lions coach ever, along with George Wilson in 1957). But I do believe his decision making will provide a template for future NFL coaches to follow, and you can bet when his coaching tree springs its own branches — Johnson, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, maybe linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard down the road — his disciples will take a similarly aggressive approach.


Pass patch

Now for the bad from Sunday: the defense.

To be fair, it wasn't all bad. The Lions held the Chargers to two first downs on their first four possessions and did a fair job stopping the run (3.5 yards per carry) all day.


But they gave up 38 points for the second time in three games and had no answer for arguably the best quarterback-receiver duo (Herbart and Keenan Allen) on their schedule.

Keenan Allen vs. Detroit Lions_11-12-2023.jpg

To go where they are capable of going in January, the Lions need to patch up a pass defense ranked 20th in the league at 231.6 yards per game. The secondary can be too undisciplined at times and the pass rush is too often a one-man show. The Lions will need better from both groups to beat the Philadelphia Eagles or San Francisco 49ers in the postseason.



We're past the trade deadline, so whatever solutions the Lions can find for their defense will have to come internally. If safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is able to return for the postseason, that should help.

But the Lions can't count on winning shootouts in the playoffs, where points are historically harder to come by after the wild-card round. They need to get better quickly on that side of the ball.


Lingering lament


Patterson's lack of leg strength is the other lingering concern that could come back to bite the Lions, who passed on a 55-yard field goal try for their lone punt Sunday. Those are kicks most other playoff teams will try confidently in virtual indoor conditions, and those are lost points that could make the difference in postseason games.

But let's give Patterson credit for drilling the game-winner against the Chargers. That's why the Lions brought him back from the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason, and why they never really had a true kicking competition this summer.

Riley Patterson kicking vs. Chargers_11-12-2023.jpg

Patterson is among the NFL's most accurate kickers from inside 45 yards. He's 28-for-28 on extra points this year and 12 of 13 on short-distance kicks, with his lone miss a Week 8 shank vs. Las Vegas from 26 yards.


Patterson made a game-winner for the Jaguars in the playoffs last winter and was unflappable in a pressure situation Sunday. The vast majority of NFL kickers would make that same field goal, but it's no lock.

The Lions stand alone with the second-best record in the NFC right now because the 49ers' Jake Moody (a Northville and Michigan graduate) missed a 41-yard field goal at the end of a 19-17 Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns, after they spent a third-round pick on him in April's draft.


Playoff picture and a brewing oddity

The Lions (7-2) look like a 12-5 or 13-4 team, which should be enough to win the division and maybe get the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. But the Vikings won't be going down without a fight.

Minnesota won its NFL-best fifth straight game Sunday — and second straight with Joshua Dobbs at quarterback — to keep the heat on the Lions in the NFC North.


The Vikings (6-4) play two of the league's worst teams, the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears, the next two weeks, and should get All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson back before a difficult stretch run that includes road trips to Cincinnati and Las Vegas and two games with the Lions.

While some may fear Minnesota's resurgence may cost the Lions (7-2) a home playoff game, I think a competitive race is good for a Lions team that might otherwise coast into January. The best way to ensure playing your best football when it counts is stay in tune with meaningful games every week.


One oddity to watch: The Lions and Vikings play twice in the final three weeks of the regular season, and the way the playoff seedings stand right now, would meet in the first round of the playoffs. That'd be three games in four weeks, including back-to-back battles in Week 18 and the wild-card round.

I'm not sure how the Lions will approach those end-of-season games with the Vikings should that scenario hold, but the good news is they have the potential NFL Coach of the Year to figure it out.


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