Isaiah Buggs: ‘We’re Unstoppable’ When Lions Unite, Jared Goff Is Not a Game Manager, According to the Stats
After struggling in prior games, Goff’s finest was on display for the Lions Saturday. He tied a career-high with five touchdowns and recorded a passer rating of 134.6 in the 42-17 victory over the Broncos. Though overshadowed at times by his struggles, Goff rates statistically among the best quarterbacks in the league in a number of categories. For this reason, Goff told 97.1 The Ticket Tuesday that his performance was not one to unduly celebrate. “No, no. I’ve been playing well year, so just going to keep doing it and keep attempting to win games,” he said.
On the season, the veteran passer has been one of the highest-graded by PFF. He currently rates 10th in PFF’s passing grade with an 82.4 mark. He also ranks top-10 in many categories. Among them, he places third in passing yards with 3,727, third in completions at 335 and tied for third in passing touchdowns with 26.
Isaiah Buggs: ‘We’re Unstoppable’ When Lions Unite
Buggs made a huge play in Lions win over Denver. Detroit Lions defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs’ eyes lit up when he saw comrade Ifeatu Melifonwu jar the football loose from Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
The third-year defensive tackle saw the ball strike the Ford Field turf and wasted no time picking it up. His recovery and subsequent 33-yard return ended a Denver drive deep in Detroit territory and help shift the tide of what eventually ended as a 42-17 victory for his Lions.
“The first thing I said (was), ‘Oh s**t, it’s a miscue. I’ve gotta get it.'” Buggs told reporters after the contest. “So when I got it, man, I just seen green grass and I took it and sprinted with it. I was attempting to score, I couldn’t score. It was just a blessing, man, overall feeling dude. And being able to give my mom that ball, right there, that means a lot. That means a lot, brother.”
It’s been a bit of a tumultuous season for Buggs, who has seen his playing time fluctuate in 2023. After being a vital rotational piece for the defensive line last season, Saturday marked just the eighth time he’s been active this year. The veteran has stayed the course and always appears primed when his number is called. In his appearances, Buggs has recorded 12 tackles, two for loss, a rush and a fumble recovery.
With an injury to defensive tackle Alim McNeill opening up playing time, Buggs has been part of a rotation also featuring Levi Onwuzurike and Brodric Martin on the interior. “I play D-line, buddy. D-line does all the gritty labor, the hard-nosed work,” Buggs explained. “Don’t always get noticed but the people inside the building note it. Just gotta continue to ball and be team players and execute the game plan when it arrives.”
Detroit’s defense has been the subject of criticism throughout the season, as it has struggled in recent weeks. However, the unit put forth a remarkable performance against a Denver team that came in winners of six of its last seven games.
“That’s what it’s all about, buddy. Once we connect and gel like that, we’re unstoppable. That’s what we’ve been exercising on all week, really since Week 1,” Buggs stated. “Just gelling together and making the plays when it comes to us, being in the right spot, technique, fundamentally sound and we made that happen tonight.”
The victory can be a stepping stone for the Lions, who are now one win away from clinching the NFC North division title. After losing two of their previous three games, the Lions made a resounding statement in Saturday’s win.
“Most definitely,” Buggs explained. “Like Dan said, the Broncos are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now and to be able to come out on fire against a team like that, against a great quarterback, it was incredible. We can’t just live right here though, we’ve got to keep stacking, keep stacking man and attempt to win this division.”