GBU: Minnesota game 2 NFC North championship

[ghandi]

I feel sad for those that passed away before the playoff victories last year and then 15-2 this year...We have waited our whole lives for this.....hopefully it ends with a super bowl victory

[Sanders Fan]

I’ll admit that I was angry last night but only because I knew they could play even better…and they turned it on in the second half. I was doing fist pumps and jumping up and down with every Gibbs score. It’s been a great year so far.

[froot loops]

Sometimes you have to tip your cap to the other team. The Viking defense was playing with their hair on fire and shut down some of the bread and butter stuff the Lions were trying to do. Also, the Vikings were winning the field position battle. All that pretty much ended when Reichert kicked the ball out of bounds.

[CGVT]

Sometimes you have to tip your cap to the other team. The Viking defense was playing with their hair on fire and shut down some of the bread and butter stuff the Lions were trying to do. Also, the Vikings were winning the field position battle. All that pretty much ended when Reichert kicked the ball out of bounds.

Yeah. That Viking defense was really good in the first half. They were pretty good in the second half too, but the Lions offense was better.

The bad kick and the end of half three were huge, especially with Viking getting the ball at the start of the second half.

It changed the entire vibe going into halftime

[froot loops]

The defenses on both sides had a feeling like a basketball game. Each side was so in tune and going 100 percent, it takes halftime to dampen the adrenaline for the offenses to loosen up. The Vikings defense came back to earth, the Lions didn't. It seemed like by the 4th quarter the Vikings knew the jig was up.

As a fan you are always going through scenarios in which the Vikings could come back. But in restrospect, it was clear by the 3rd Gibbs TD that the game was over and both sides knew it

[Mainevent]

Yeah, Darnold was cooked and the Vikings defense was worn down from the Lions controlling the clock and pounding them with the run game. Doesn’t mean Darnold can’t bounce back but Glenn and the D were in his head last night. Jefferson too - he looked shellshocked on the sideline.

The thing with Jefferson and Addison, they are skinny mofos, and the Lions getting physical with them seemed to throw them off. It was a bit of the old school Patriots approach.

[Tom]

Did anyone else get the feeling Kevin O'Connell felt uncomfortable going for it on 4th? I thought he went for it on 4th just to show Campbell he can go for it also. I think Campbell has gotten into other coaches heads, Lefluer as well. The offsides the Lions drew on the Vikings getting them to jump on 4th down was a direct result of the players wanting to get off the ball to try and stop the 4th down conversion. They thought the Lions were going to do it because of the past. Another positive for going for it on 4th.


image.png

Agreed, DanO. I keep harping on it but the Lions look so comfortable when they go for it on 4th down thanks to Campbell’s first season. Other teams look so uneasy in that situation. And most good teams won’t take that risk in the regular season unless their backs are against the wall.

[whatever_gong82]

Three and Out: Coach of the Year reconsidered, Anzalone's impact and marveling at Gibbs' rapid ascension

Justin Rogers
Jan 6


Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 31-9 win over the Minnesota Vikings.


Re-assessing the vote

Coach of the Year, regardless of the league, has always felt more about exceeding expectations than strictly being the best coach. That's why I felt going into Sunday night Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell was the logical front-runner for the award.

Remember, the Vikings were projected to win seven games this season. And that was before they lost first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy. Regardless, O’Connell worked his magic with Sam Darnold, the QB equivalent of an afterthought after failing to amount to much in five seasons with the Jets and Panthers before serving as a backup in San Francisco the previous season.


The fact O’Connell turned Darnold into a Pro Bowl-caliber passer and squeezed 14 wins out of a team many thought was entering a rebuild is beyond impressive. If I had one of the 50 votes for the award heading into the season finale, I wouldn’t have hesitated to cast my ballot for the Vikings coach.

O’Connell’s status as front-runner left Dan Campbell as the logical runner-up, even though his team had somehow managed to exceed its lofty preseason expectations while navigating unprecedented injuries on the defensive side. Had the Lions faded following the loss of six starters, including the early-season leader for Defensive Player of the Year, fans would have been frustrated but understanding.


But, as the Lions like to preach in their building, the standard is the standard. That was impressed upon the roster — what was left of it after the injury bug feasted — and they answered the bell. Now, following a season-ending thrashing of the Vikings for the division crown and the conference’s No. 1 seed, I’m willing to reconsider.

Despite the Lions being slight favorites going into Sunday, the Vikings were a trendy pick nationally. If nothing else, their roster’s health gave them a presumptive edge.


In the end, they were just another team in the way and Campbell’s group steamrolled them. What looked like a game that could go down to the wire at the half ended in a blowout. Detroit’s depleted defense — admittedly a little less depleted with the return of Alex Anzalone — had an answer key for O’Connell’s offense, flustering Darnold into one of his worst performances of the year. And after some early-game issues solving the puzzle, the Lions’ offense overpowered the Vikings’ aggressive, takeaway-happy defense.

The physicality of the Lions overshadows the team’s mental toughness. They rarely blink in big moments, regularly delivering in critical situations. That’s a testament to how Campbell motivates and prepares them.


The voting for the Coach of the Year happens this week, with the full body of work considered. O’Connell is worthy of every ounce of praise he has and will continue to get. But Sunday was enough to sway my hypothetical vote. This should be Campbell’s award in 2024.

And if it’s about exceeding expectations, he might not have another shot at the honor any time soon, because Campbell has unquestionably raised the bar for this franchise.


A monumental return

I expected Anzalone to be warmly received by the home crowd during the pregame introductions, but the roof nearly came off Ford Field. I’d put the reaction against any received by a Lions player this season, including Jared Goff and Aidan Hutchinson.

There’s a natural appreciation from fans for a player’s ability to grind through rehab and battle through lingering pain to aid the cause, yet the response for Anzalone felt more like heartfelt recognition for what he means to this defense, which was hammered home by his absence.


There’s a clear statistical line that can be drawn from Detroit’s declining defensive consistency to Anzalone’s time on the shelf. He’s the heart of the operation, holding a schematic PhD, paired with infectious energy that elevates those around him.


As bold as it may sound, the return of Anzalone improves Detroit’s Super Bowl odds as much as any injured player, Hutchinson included.

Sunday’s performance — seven tackles, a QB hit and a pass breakup — provides a good opportunity to reflect on Anzalone’s journey. He came here with a history of durability issues but someone defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn knew he could trust to get the ball rolling on establishing a culture.


In 2021, Anzalone had some uncharacteristic struggles on the field, particularly with missed tackles. In hindsight, they were understandable. He was essentially running a daycare, constantly having to clean up after others. He couldn’t just do his job — as the football cliche goes — he was trying to do parts of so many others.

But he delivered as a cultural tone-setter, earning a second, one-year contract. And with that renewed opportunity, he delivered the finest year of his career, netting him a coveted long-term extension. He rewarded the Lions’ faith and investment with even better production in 2023.


Jack Campbell might be the no-nonsense, hard-hitting heir to Chris Spielman’s linebacking legacy in Detroit, but Anzalone personifies the grit, resilience and leadership that are the hallmarks of Campbell’s Lions, which mirrors the city they represent.

Anzalone’s role in this rebuild sometimes gets lost in the roster’s star power, but he’s a foundational piece. After Sunday’s reminder, it won’t be as easy to forget going forward.


Cream of the crop

Speaking of star power, running back Jahmyr Gibbs propelled himself into another stratosphere in his second season, rewriting the Lions’ record book with 20 touchdowns in 2024.

He became the 16th player in NFL history to gain 1,900 yards from scrimmage and score 20 times, and only Jonathan Taylor accomplished the feat before turning 23 like Gibbs.



Since Gibbs was drafted, we’ve conveniently compared him to New Orleans Saints superstar Alvin Kamara, based on Detroit’s stated vision for its backfield pairing with David Montgomery. But even before Sunday’s game, Gibbs already had more yards from scrimmage this season than Kamara has ever tallied in a single campaign. And while he might never match Karama’s receiving production, Gibbs is already a better runner, racking up more than 1,400 yards on the ground this year. Karama has never topped 1,000.

If not Kamara, what is the comp? Peak Jamaal Charles? How about another dual-threat speedster in Chris Johnson? If Gibbs’ receiving production continues to blossom, we might be talking about Chrsitian McCaffrey or Marshall Faulk.



In last night’s podcast with Mike “Stoney” Stone, I raised a question posed by former Detroit News colleague Nolan Bianchi after the game: Which running back in the NFL would you take over Gibbs right now?

For a single game or season? Probably Saquon Barkley. You can even make a case for the Derrick Henry? But as a franchise building block, factoring age and injury history, it’s Gibbs or the other first-rounder from the 2023 draft, Bijan Robinson. They’re 1A and 1B, depending on your stylistic preference. Five years older, Barkley is a distant third.



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

Bluesky: Justin-Rogers

[DanO]

"A monumental return

I expected Anzalone to be warmly received by the home crowd during the pregame introductions, but the roof nearly came off Ford Field. I’d put the reaction against any received by a Lions player this season, including Jared Goff and Aidan Hutchinson.

There’s a natural appreciation from fans for a player’s ability to grind through rehab and battle through lingering pain to aid the cause, yet the response for Anzalone felt more like heartfelt recognition for what he means to this defense, which was hammered home by his absence.


There’s a clear statistical line that can be drawn from Detroit’s declining defensive consistency to Anzalone’s time on the shelf. He’s the heart of the operation, holding a schematic PhD, paired with infectious energy that elevates those around him.


As bold as it may sound, the return of Anzalone improves Detroit’s Super Bowl odds as much as any injured player, Hutchinson included."
--------------------------------Agreed. I use to think he was "important" but he's way more than that. He was AWESOME against the Vikings and raised the level of the defense immensely. Him and Hutch are the heart of this defense.

"If not Kamara, what is the comp? Peak Jamaal Charles? How about another dual-threat speedster in Chris Johnson? If Gibbs’ receiving production continues to blossom, we might be talking about Chrsitian McCaffrey or Marshall Faulk.
------------------------------I've always thought Marshall Faulk

[whatever_gong82]

The 2024 Lions are historic, and not just for this franchise

Paywall article from yesterday. Sorry about the delay.



I have a bunch of scattered thoughts on this historic Victory Monday for the Detroit Lions, but nothing carries more weight than the immense sense of pride. For what feels like the hundredth time in the past three years, Detroit has proven that the huge stage and the national spotlight is not too big for them. In fact, it’s where they thrive.

The Lions have not only arrived, but they’re starting to build a franchise that will leave eventually leave the 70 years of ugliness behind us as a distant memory.


Welcome to the golden era, Lions fans. We’ve earned it.

The Detroit Lions are putting their stamp in the record books

Going into this season, the Lions’ best regular season in franchise history was 12 wins–a mark that was tied by last year’s squad. In all honesty, it’s a pretty pathetic mark. All but three other franchises (Bengals, Texans, and Jets) have notched seasons of at least 13 wins at some point in their franchise’s history. That includes newer teams like the Jaguars and Panthers.


But with their 15-win season, they have not only set a franchise mark, they have set the bar higher than most other NFL teams have ever. Sure, the 17-game season is doing some heavy lifting here, but only eight other teams have ever eclipsed the 15-win mark in a single season and no one has ever done it twice. Theoretically speaking, Detroit could become the first team ever to put together two 15-win seasons next year. Imagine the Detroit Lions – this Detroit Lions team you’ve known for decades – setting the bar for franchises to look up at.

Detroit’s +222 point differential is also a historic mark. It’s the 14th best season in NFL history, and fifth-best differential since the turn of the millennium. They’re just the 10th team to win all eight road games in a season, they produced the fourth most points (564) ever in a single season, the fifth-most first downs (410), and, shit, even their punter is producing at historic levels.


Nothing the Lions do will erase the 70 years of futility between the 1950s and the 2020s, but time will slowly erode those memories and the stigma that came along with it. Did you know that in between the Packers’ win in Super Bowl II and the Brett Favre era, there was a span of 24 years in which the Packers only went to the playoffs twice and only won a single postseason game? That era is lost and gone thanks to decades of chipping away at that negative reputation.

That’s what we’re witnessing right now. The Lions are building a generation of Lions fans who soon will only know success with this franchise. For the past three years, you can count the more successful franchises on one hand.


Records since 2022:


Chiefs: 40-11

Eagles: 39-12

Bills: 37-13

Lions: 36-15

Ravens: 35-16



I know franchises are ultimately judged by rings, and the Lions remain empty-handed in that respect. Maybe that changes in a month, maybe it doesn’t. But there’s a reason the Lions are now Super Bowl favorites again. Sunday’s win was a return to form in Detroit. That win looked reminiscent of how this team was playing in the first months of the season, when the defense was just as good as the offense. The Lions defense posted the third best EPA/play allowed (-0.260) and success rate (32.8%) of the week, besting their season average by considerable marks (-0.044; 42.4%).

If the Lions can play the way they did on Sunday night–and there’s very little suggesting they can’t–the rings are inevitable. The culture is too strong, too fortified from the tireless work and effort of every player and coach who has walked through the halls of Allen Park over the past four years.



“This has been three years in the making, some of it four,” coach Dan Campbell told his team after the momentous win. “That just doesn’t happen, you’ve gotta work through it, grind through it, and go through the downs to get to the ups of where we’re at.”

The foundation of this team was precisely crafted, intricately detailed, and expertly planned from Day 1. We’ve seen it withstand an avalanche of injuries on the personnel side, and survive a few offseasons of the front office getting picked apart by other franchises. Why can’t they survive when they eventually see similar attrition with the coaching staff–a near certainty in the not-too-distant future?.


This Black Monday, we’re reminded again of the teams that don’t have that kind of vision or patience. The Patriots dumped Jerod Mayo after a single season. The Jaguars are going to be hiring their fourth coach since 2016. The Jets’ coaching search will be their fourth since 2015.

The Lions had the opportunity to join these teams in their coaching carousels on October 24, 2022. The Detroit Lions had just been publicly embarrassed again by the Eagles, dropping the Lions to 1-5 on the season, and Campbell’s overall record in Detroit to 4-18-1. And while pressure from outside was closing in, owner Sheila Hamp cut off the calls for a coaching change in one swift, franchise-defining action.



“I really believe in the top leadership in this organization and I think we’ve got the people to do it, to carry this out,” Hamp said to a pool of reporters just three days after that Eagles loss. “I think that’s what’s different.”

Since that statement, the Lions have gone 35-10, doubled the franchise’s career playoff wins, inked two NFC North titles, and now earned the team’s first ever one-seed in the NFC playoffs. If that isn’t enough to convince you that we’re in the golden era of Lions football that is not soon to leave us, I’m not sure what will.


Complementary defense wins the day!

By Brett Whitefield, owner and COO of Fantasy Points
*Before we dive in, remember that all data cited in this section is provided exclusively by Fantasy Points Data Suite - right now you can get 25% off of a Data Suite subscription by using our exclusive promo code POD25.

Alex Anzalone and defense are apparently synonymous



The Detroit Lions got Alex Anzalone back for the season finale against the Minnesota Vikings and with that also signaled the return of defense. Anzalone’s impact in his return can’t be overstated. He allows Glenn to go deep into his aggressiveness bag with his intelligence, play speed, and coverage ability. To go with excellent man-coverage against backs and tight ends, he also has a great feel for rushing the passer. I am sure it helps having two “quarterbacks” on the defensive side of the ball now with Anzalone and Jack Campbell. Case in point, there were no communication breakdowns in coverage this week. Juxtapose that to about 12 over the past three weeks.

Coverage unit and pass-rush plan mesh:



The Lions coverage unit on Sunday was insane and they complemented the pass-rush plan perfectly. Coverage was mostly tight across the board and when it broke down, the pass-rush was there to force an errant throw almost every single time. Aaron Glenn’s game plan was not only brilliant but arguably the most aggressive we have seen from him - in just about every single facet of playing defense. From the deployment of press-man coverages, to the dialing up of blitzes and stunts, Glenn was on a mission to dictate the terms of the game. He bet on his guys to execute and execute they did.



The tape on Sam Darnold coming into the game suggested this was the way as well. He came into the week tied for the most turnover worthy plays in the league with 24 and also third among QBs in the quantity of sacks we have held him responsible for. Glenn decided to force the hand of a turnover prone QB who likes to hold the ball for a long time. It worked.

Here are some fun nuggets on the Lions coverage unit vs the Vikings.



Just 18 of Darnold’s 38 aimed passes were charted with the pass-catcher as “open” (47.3%). For reference the Lions rank second in the NFL in preventing open targets on the season with a mark of 50.1%. So even with a depleted defense and missing multiple coverage players, they still beat their season average, which was near league leading. Here is the fun part, 15 of those 18 passes were thrown within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage. You read that correctly, Sam Darnold was only able to throw downfield to a pass-catcher charted as open three times. That is absurd.

It somehow gets better. Darnold air-mailed one of those passes and the two others were off-target because of pressure forcing an errant throw, allowing for immediate tackles by the defense. On those 15 “open” throws within 5 yards of the LOS, they accounted for 123 of Darnold’s 166 yards. There was literally nothing downfield for Darnold in this game.


Better yet, Darnold went just 2 of 15 on throws that were charted as “tight” coverage. On the two completions, one was a dump off at the LOS and the other Darnold was pressured again forcing an off-target throw that allowed for an immediate tackle once caught.

The Lions played straight man coverage or double-bracket coverage on 34 dropbacks (74%) including 10 zero blitzes!


I mentioned the aggressiveness rushing the passer. In total the Lions pressured Darnold on 48% of his dropbacks which resulted in two sacks, three scrambles for 10 yards, three throw-aways, and six completions.


Part of generating that pressure was coming after Darnold. They blitzed on 50% of dropbacks, got pressure on 50% of those snaps and only allowed a completion rate of 50%. They also dialed up stunts/twists on 56% of dropbacks (sometimes blitzes and stunts overlap) and again had a pressure rate of 50%. The best part of this aggressive, balls-to-the-wall approach is they did so responsibly. The EDGE defenders were disciplined in their contain, allowing the free runners to do the heavy lifting. Schematically, they also always made sure to have a late looper driving towards the escape route so in the event Darnold was able to break the pocket, there was immediately someone with a good angle on him in pursuit.

While Sam Darnold isn’t Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson by any stretch, it was a great sign to see the defense return to “playoff” quality in their biggest game of the season, against one of the league's top-offenses at that.


VIDEO: Lions vs. Vikings recap with Jeremy and Erik

[TheLondonLion]

G - Crowd. Game Plan (full of zero blitzes, tendency breaker for the Lions). Coaching (Ben's adjustments and Glenn's plan). Amik. Pass rush. Gibbs. Anzalone. Too many to mention.

B - TJ Hockenson. Glad we got rid of him. Never particularly liked him and couldn't block for shit. Play clock - can we just get a fucking buzzer please? I hate the current rule.

U - The Vikings offense. 7% Red Zone success rate, No TD, 170 yards, 43% pass completion rate. Jefferson 3 catches on 9 targets for 50 odd yards. Addison a non factor.

[ghandi]

Yeah. That Viking defense was really good in the first half. They were pretty good in the second half too, but the Lions offense was better.

The bad kick and the end of half three were huge, especially with Viking getting the ball at the start of the second half.

It changed the entire vibe going into halftime

Yeah that was really shocking when he kicked it out of bounds...I think the prior kick barely was in bounds so maybe it wasnt accidental but why not just boot it out of the end zone? If the Lions had to start at the 30 instead of the 40 they may have just took a knee and went in at half up 10-9.

[whatever_gong82]

Plagued by injuries, Lions stay dominant to capture NFC’s No. 1 seed: ‘We’ve got a special group’


Paywall from yesterday. Sorry about the delay.


By Colton Pouncy
Jan 6, 2025

DETROIT — A little past 3 a.m. in Downtown Detroit, hours after the conclusion of a regular season this city won’t soon forget, the message continues to flash on the Ford Field video board, there for all remaining to see.

“Back-to-back NFC North Champions,” it reads. “Champions.”

Those words, for this team, used to be foreign. These days? It’s their standard. Sunday night was the culmination of what the Detroit Lions envisioned when they laid out their goals for the 2024 regular season. It’s what Dan Campbell hoped would become the norm when he took the job.


Another NFC North title. The No. 1 seed. Home-field advantage and a first-round bye.

That they got it done in this fashion, in a year like this, says everything about the people behind it.

“All I can think about is, man, we’ve been forged in this stuff now,” Campbell told his players after the Lions’ 31-9 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, pacing around the locker room with their undivided attention. “This has been three years in the making. …That just doesn’t happen. You gotta work through it, grind through it and go through the downs to get to the ups of where we’re at. That was unbelievable, man.”

https://x.com/Lions/status/1876148944851325084

Even though these Detroit Lions expected this, it’s hard to believe sometimes. Most teams in their situation would inevitably trip up, walking a mile in Detroit’s shoes. The number of injuries they’ve faced (21 players on IR at one point). The pressure of needing 15 wins to secure the division in the final week of the season, with no help along the way.

It would’ve been so easy for this team to wallow in self-pity over the hand it was dealt. To use it as an excuse. To point fingers and lose sight of what got them here in the first place.



But here? In Detroit? That doesn’t happen.

The guys in that locker room won’t let it.



“The core of this group has been doing it for four years now,” Campbell said, “And we’ve added to that, and those guys have just continued to add to it and help us along the way and enhance us. And they did it again now. Our guys did it again.”

The Lions welcomed a 14-2 Vikings team to Detroit with everything on the line. Minnesota had won nine in a row. They were hot at the right time. The organization spent $2 million on tickets to sell to Vikings season ticket holders at a discount and, hopefully, witness the team clinch the NFC North and home-field advantage on Detroit’s turf.


Instead, the Lions sent them packing their bags and sunscreen for a trip to Los Angeles, wondering what happened on their way out.

If you’re asking how the Lions continue to win games like this when conventional wisdom tells you they shouldn’t, look at the players they’ve assembled. Many have been here from the beginning — a 3-13-1 season in 2021. It’s not often you go from that to this with so many core players still in place. Usually, you’re moving on from those players. But the Lions rely on those who remember what those days were like. Linebacker Alex Anzalone is one of them.


Brought over from New Orleans with Campbell and Aaron Glenn, Anzalone, a multiyear team captain, provides a stabilizing presence in the locker room and on the field. But the Lions lost him for a time this season. On injured reserve with a broken forearm since mid-November, Detroit’s defense hadn’t been the same without him and so many others missing from the lineup. However, Anzalone returned to practice this week, just in time for the biggest game of the season. He was far from 100 percent and told reporters as much a few days ago. Even this week, he was weighing the pros and cons of playing or resting for the playoffs.

But Anzalone saw folks writing off the defense he leads and stating it wasn’t good enough to make a postseason run. He called it “B.S.” earlier this week. He wanted to remind a national audience what this group can look like when it’s right. In his return Sunday evening, Detroit’s defense felt whole again.

https://x.com/Lions/status/1876128950076019108

“Tonight was a statement,” Anzalone said. “I think that it was an opportunity to change the narrative against a really good offense, against great weapons, great running back, quarterback that’s really hot right now and it was an opportunity for us to affect that narrative that everyone else is talking about.”

“It was huge,” Campbell said of Anzalone’s return. “Look, I’ve said it before, he’s really our quarterback on defense. He’s our quarterback on defense. …There’s a lot of confidence he brings, a lot of energy. He can calm the storms.”

https://x.com/Lions/status/1876173593479991779

Then there’s the old guard, as Campbell refers to them. The pillars from a previous regime survived a change in leadership and lived to tell the story of what once was. They’re able to describe just how different things are. They’ve experienced the losing seasons most associate with the Detroit Lions.



They never want to go back. Not if they have anything to say about it.

“How do you describe it?” center Frank Ragnow said. “I mean, think about five years ago, six years ago. It was dark times, you know? We were not even thinking about the playoffs. And now it’s to be here, back-to-back division champs, the 1-seed. Just incredibly grateful for all these guys here, this whole staff, everything’s just so special. I’m so blessed to be a part of it.”



“This might sound crazy to people, but to me, going out there tonight, it wasn’t, ‘Are we going to win?’ It’s, ‘by how much?'” said left tackle Taylor Decker, the longest-tenured player on the team. “That’s how we felt. We know there’s a lot of people that didn’t feel that way. F— ‘em.”



Players like Anzalone, Ragnow, Decker, Jared Goff and so many others were brought or kept here because of their temperament in moments like this. They’ve been to the abyss and back. They carry the torch that lights Campbell’s fire and share the flame with each newcomer who steps foot in their building.

They embrace being the ones capable of changing how this franchise is perceived. And they embrace doing it together.



“It doesn’t really matter where you get drafted,” linebacker Jack Campbell told The Athletic. “You gotta remember what gave you that edge to get you there. I feel like every guy in this organization has had to deal with some sort of adversity and overcome it. I feel like that’s built a blueprint that this team embodies day in and day out. It might not always be perfect, but overcome it.”

“I mean this from the bottom of my heart, man, I appreciate y’all, man,” cornerback Amik Robertson — signed as a free agent this offseason — told his teammates in the locker room, after being handed a game ball by Campbell. “Y’all gave me a chance to showcase what I could do when they tried to bury me, dog. But they can’t bury what comes from the f—ing dirt.”

https://x.com/SNFonNBC/status/1876097157851197870

This group plays for a coaching staff with some of the best minds in football, and sometime down the road, we could look back and count a number of head coaches that were here together this season, trying to accomplish something special.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, a man who gets little praise when things go right and all the blame when they don’t, was masterful tonight. He pressured Sam Darnold all night long, daring him to beat them with a rushed internal clock. It led to errant throws and erratic plays — the perfect recipe for a game like this. The Vikings went 0-for-4 in the red zone. He did it all with a defense still missing half of its starters. He relied on guys who’ve been with him and guys added along the way, like Robertson and Za’Darius Smith, to come through in the biggest game of the season. And they did.


Cut from the same cloth as Campbell, Glenn gets better when the pressure is on. The Lions aren’t here without him. He made no excuses along the way. He expects performances like this no matter who’s lining up. He shines brightest in moments like this. And if he’s given the chance to lead his own franchise, expect his culture to look similar to what he’s built here in Detroit with Campbell.

“AG laid out the vision for it,” Campbell said. “The guys really showed up and performed, and man, it was great.”

https://x.com/NextGenStats/status/1876125414764261864

Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, arguably the most sought-after assistant in football, saw his offense muster up just 10 first-half points. It was an uncharacteristic start for a group that had recorded 34, 42, 34 and 40 points in its previous four games. Detroit’s offensive line wasn’t getting much push early. The chess match between Johnson and Vikings’ DC Brian Flores was as advertised. But then, the Lions took over in ways only they could.

In the third quarter, the Lions led the Vikings by one point. Then, they rattled off 21 unanswered to close the game. Johnson’s offense is like a microwave, capable of heating up in seconds. It’s why the Lions should have confidence in the postseason. Campbell’s fourth-down decisions and Johnson’s play-calling on such downs can demoralize a defense and force a head coach to try to beat Detroit at its own game. It can backfire if you aren’t built for it. His rushing attack, now led by the electrifying Jahmyr Gibbs (170 scrimmage yards), gets better as the game progresses. He has weapons at every corner, one of the league’s better offensive lines and a veteran quarterback who can get this offense out of bad looks and into good ones.

Four Gibbs touchdowns later, Johnson’s offense, once again, hit the 30-point mark — finishing with 31 and 391 yards. It looks postseason-ready.

https://x.com/LionsPR/status/1876144483827601911

And so, the Lions reminded the league what they do. Players arrived to talk about the regular season that was in their newly acquired NFC North Championship hats and t-shirts. Prior to the 2023 season, this franchise hadn’t won its division in 30 years. Now, back-to-back.

On Sunday, the Lions clinched their first No. 1 seed in team history. Home-field advantage in the NFC will run through Detroit. They’ll also have an extra week to rest. It couldn’t have come at a better time.


This franchise has never been to a Super Bowl, but the Lions entered 2024 with aspirations of winning one after falling short last January. For Campbell, the regular season was always about setting his team up to right those wrongs. What they accomplished Sunday evening gives them a shot.

It’s easy to question Campbell’s Lions, their approach and how they play the game. It’s…different. It’s not for everyone, certainly not for the faint of heart. But a night like this reinforces just how they got here. It’s a winning recipe because it’s their recipe — nobody else’s.


“What we’ve done is not easy,” Campbell said after the game. “It’s not easy. But I’m telling you what, man, we’ve said it all along — we’ve got a special group, man. This has been coming a long time.”

And there’s more to come.


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

[Meano.Culpa]

I’ll admit that I was angry last night but only because I knew they could play even better…and they turned it on in the second half. I was doing fist pumps and jumping up and down with every Gibbs score. It’s been a great year so far.

That's a good cardio workout! Congrats on handling that many reps.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions film review: What went right for defense in red zone and third down, plus some additional observations

Justin Rogers
Jan 7



One thing above all others fueled the Detroit Lions’ top-seed-clinching victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday: Red zone defense.

The Vikings made four trips inside the 20-yard line, had first-and-goal on three occasions, and came away with nine measly points. For all of Detroit's defensive ups and downs this season, their ability to protect the end zone has been steady. Opponents have translated just 50.9% of their red-zone trips into touchdowns, ranking seventh in the league.



Additionally, the Lions capped off a season’s worth of success on third down, holding the Vikings to 3-for-13 on those critical plays, as well as an additional 0-for-3 on fourth down.


For the season, no defense was better than the Lions on third down. Opponents converted just 32.4% in 2024, a 5% improvement from the previous season.

For this week's film review, we're going to break down the red zone trips, plus Minnesota's third- and fourth-down plays to determine why Detroit was able to have so much success.


Red zone trips

After being forced to punt on the team’s first two possessions, the Vikings started their third drive at midfield. And when a Cover-0 blitz backfired (more on that later), allowing star receiver Justin Jefferson to catch a long completion down to the 5-yard line, Detroit’s defense found itself with its back against the wall.

On first-and-goal, the Vikings handed the ball to backup running back Cam Akers, who met resistance in his preferred gap from Josh Paschal. That forced the run to bounce around the edge where it was cleaned up by safety Brian Branch and cornerback Terrion Arnold for a modest, 2-yard gain.


On the next snap, quarterback Sam Darnold looked to throw from shotgun. Detroit’s match-zone coverage smothered the early reads in the QB's progression and Levi Onwuzurike crushed the pocket from the right edge. That forced Darnold to roll away from the pressure and throw it away to avoid the sack.


We see more strong coverage on third down when returning linebacker Alex Anzalone cleanly navigates underneath an attempted pick after switching on to T.J. Hockenson (87) when the tight end motioned into the left slot, taking away the wheel route.


On fourth down, the Vikings opted to go for it, and the Lions caught a break on the snap. Again, the Vikings ran a rub route, this time for Jordan Addison (3) to Darnold’s right. It was effective and open when Arnold got hung up in traffic, but the QB inexplicably didn’t pull the trigger.

Looking left, Darnold tried to get it to Jefferson, who managed to get late separation working against Amik Robertson. Fortunately, pressure from Onwuzurike forced the QB to throw off his back foot, causing the throw to sail wide of its intended target.


Starting at the 50-yard line is good, but starting at the opponent’s 7? That’s what the Vikings offense was blessed with after linebacker Ivan Pace intercepted a dump-off pass from Jared Goff intended for Craig Reynolds.

With three tries, Darnold looked to Jefferson each time to no avail. The receiver wasn’t the first read on first down, but the QB went to his star after Detroit took away the early option. It turned out to be a forced throw as Robertson mirrored Jefferson’s route adjustment and undercut the route, nearly picking the pass.


The Lions benefited from another Darnold miscue on second down as Jefferson came wide open along the back line, but the quarterback put too much air under the throw. Interior push from Onwuzurike did seem to affect Darnold’s ability to follow through on the throw.


On third down, Robertson was baited into driving on the slant by a subtle pump fake by Darnold paired with a jab step by the receiver. That created plenty of space for a ball to the back corner, but Darnold’s throw was again affected by the pass rush. This time it was Branch, on the blitz off the left side of the defensive formation, altering the trajectory of the pass, causing an incompletion.


The Vikings worked into the red zone a third consecutive drive late in the first half, earning a first down at the 18-yard line with 76 seconds remaining.

Running back Aaron Jones got touches the next two snaps, running into DJ Reader on a handoff for a gain of 1 yard before being quickly dropped on a check-down reception across the middle by linebacker Jack Campbell to set up third-and-5.

Jones looked to be Darnold’s target on third down, as well. The back ran a wheel route from the backfield and was picked up by Anzalone. But as the QB fired, he was hit by Paschal, who had blown by the left guard.


Minnesota knocked on the door once more with their opening possession of the third quarter. Following a 58-yard run by Akers, the offense had it first-and-goal at Detroit’s 5-yard line, trailing by just four points at the time.

Strong at the point of attack, Reader delivered another stop of first down, this time for no gain.

On second down, Robertson was key, communicating a coverage switch as Jefferson motioned through the backfield as if he was taking a tap pass. The scrappy cornerback read through the eye candy, navigated through traffic and stopped Aaron Jones for a gain of just 2 yards on the backside throw to the back.


Darnold wanted tight end Josh Oliver in the right flat on third down, but the Lions took it away. Before the QB could progress to his next read, his pocket collapsed. Paschal and Onwuzurike each beat their blocks on opposite edges, flushing Darnold from the pocket and forcing a throwaway.


For the second time, the Vikings opted to go for it on fourth-and-goal, and again Darnold let them down. The QB had an easy throw to Addison (top of the screen) after the receiver cut along the goal line underneath a pick.

Instead, the QB held it before he was forced from the pocket, where he tried to go back to Addison. By this time, Arnold had recovered and was there to make a diving breakup.



Remaining third (and fourth) downs

Much of the Vikings’ struggles on third and fourth down obviously happened in the red zone, where they went 0-6 on those downs. But what about the remaining 10 situational snaps? Let’s take a look.

Very early in the game, on the first defensive series, Detroit had some coverage confusion on third-and-2 as Branch was scrambling to get into position as the ball was being snapped. Ultimately, Campbell was late to trigger on Jones’ route to the right flat, resulting in an easy pitch-and-catch for the conversion.


The Lions would get a stop and force a punt three snaps later thanks to Darnold’s first misfire. Operating from a clean pocket, the QB had Hockenson open on an out route after Anzalone stumbled in coverage, but the throw was wide.


Darnold would overshoot an open Hockenson to end the team’s next drive, as well. On third-and-18, after the Lions got home for a sack earlier in the series, Hockenson ran a post pattern from the left slot, finding space between the layers of Detroit’s Cover-3 zone.

Hockenson drew some criticism for alligator-arming the ball across the middle, but when you look at it frame-by-frame you can see the throw was beyond the tight end's reach.


As noted earlier in this post, we've returned to Jefferson’s 31-yard grab on a third-and-10 play that set up first-and-goal on Minnesota’s third possession.

Detroit aggressively ran Cover-0 on the snap, sending deep safety Kerby Joseph on the blitz. He got home for a big hit on Darnold, but not before Jefferson came open on a sail route against Robertson for the big gain.


The Vikings tacked on a field goal late in the first half after the Lions failed to force a punt on an earlier third-and-6. The play was a good coverage design, morphing from a Cover-2 shell to pure man-to-man with a double-team on Jefferson. But one of those men didn’t hold up. Slot receiver Jalen Nailor ditched a slipping Branch on a shake route across the middle for an 18-yard gain.


Branch was the culprit again on Minnesota’s first drive of the second half. He was appropriately flagged for grabbing Addison on a vertical route, negating Robertson’s pass breakup on a throw to Jefferson.

During the following series, we saw Detroit’s strategy of doubling Jefferson work effectively as Ifeatu Melifonwu provided the bracket coverage and drove down from his split-safety alignment to break up a shallow, in-breaking route to the receiver.


The Vikings next drive also ended on a PBU. With Branch and Joseph giving extra attention to Jefferson and Addison in Detroit’s Cover-1 robber look, Darnold opted to try for Hockenson on the slant from the left slot. But Anzalone was sticky in man-to-man coverage, recovering nicely from some early separation created through contact to make the diving breakup.


The Vikings got a second third-down conversion via a penalty early in the fourth quarter. This time it was Anzalone flagged for holding downfield, which wasted pressure from Paschal and Onwuzurike that had forced a throwaway.

Three snaps later, the rush got home again. With the Vikings’ vertical routes covered, the Lions got heavy pressure via a blitz before Al-Quadin Muhammad finished off the QB in the pocket.


Detroit closed out their final defensive series with Za’Darius Smith pressuring Darnold into incompletions on third and fourth down. The edge rusher hit the QB’s arm as he threw on third down before combining with the blitzing Joseph to clobber Darnold on the opposition’s next snap.



Final thoughts and additional observations

● His box score production might have been modest, but this was one of the better performances of Levi Onwuzurike’s career. He generated a significant amount of pressure, especially in critical situations.

● Anzalone was clearly knocking off a little rust but was still a massive upgrade to what the Lions had been running out next to Campbell in recent weeks. Anzalone made some key plays, but none were better than the first snap of the Vikings’ final possession. He rocked Jefferson with a jam before coming forward to drop Hockenson for a gain of 1-yard on a check-down throw.


● Detroit was pretty good against the run, but the final numbers are ugly due to a 59-yard run by Akers in the third quarter.

I’m not entirely sure about the reason for the breakdown, but it looks like the Lions were reacting to something they had previously seen on film. Campbell (46) aggressively pursues Hockenson’s backside pull, leaving a wide cutback lane for Akers.


● The moment looked too big for Darnold. He missed multiple throws that resulted in the final score being more lopsided than it should have been. Detroit’s pressure looks certainly contributed to some of the miscues, and the coverage plan was good, between Robertson shadowing the receiver and getting a lot of bracket help from the safeties, especially on third downs, but the QB didn’t live up to the bar he set with his breakout 2024 season.

● I’d like to see the Lions flip the usage of Branch and Melifonwu a bit more. The latter is probably Detroit’s best blitzer, but he didn’t rush the passer once on Sunday, and Branch’s playmaking is negated a bit by his heavy nickel workload.



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

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