Six things to remember from the Lions’ victory over the Saints.
Halfway through the first quarter, the Lions led 21-0 after they opened the game with three straight quick scores. But as soon as the offense faltered and the defense began to buckle, that fire was extinguished. After the half, a 21-0 lead would quickly become a 24-21 advantage. After a Lions touchdown, Detroit’s lead was increased to 33, but the Saints responded immediately to take a five-point advantage in the closing minutes.
Fortunately, the group performed admirably, winning the game to improve the Lions’ record to 9-3. Let’s look at a few conclusions.
Cursed offensive line
There is no break for the offensive line of the Lions. Despite being regarded as a superior team on paper, they have suffered severe injuries all season. On Sunday, it became apparent when Frank Ragnow left the game and did not come back. Graham Glasgow is a good substitute for him at center, but it allowed Colby Sorsdal to enter the game, which caused the forward blocking to become disorganized.
Although it’s not all about Sorsdal, this illustrates how crucial consistency is from the start. Thanks to Hank Fraley’s mentoring of the backups, the Lions have had none this season. It’s possible that Halapoulivaati Vaitai won’t ever play for the Lions again. Taylor Decker and Jonah Jackson have both missed numerous games. Considering all of the injuries, the Lions offensive line has performed better than expected, but losing Ragnow for an extended period of time could be too much to overcome. While we must wait and see, the preliminary indications are positive:
Much-needed Goff rebound
Jared Goff had to recover from consecutive games in which he committed three turnovers. The Lions needed Goff to get back on track because the offense had faltered when he did, and the defense was having problems as a whole.
Goff finished the game with just 213 yards and two touchdowns, so his final stats weren’t particularly impressive, but his confidence was evident the entire time. Despite additional injuries to the offensive line, Goff showed some unexpected elusiveness. Goff skillfully threaded his pass through a collapsing pocket as the game clock was winding down and found David Montgomery, but Montgomery missed the sure first down. The Saints were able to take the lead again after forcing a punt.
But Goff stepped up when the Saints failed to convert and the game was in the balance once more. To win the game, Goff again sidestepped traffic in the pocket and found Josh Reynolds with a last-ditch pass.
Goff would not make this play if he was still shaken and confused from the previous two games. Goff threw off the demons that had been bothering him lately. Without him stepping up, both literally and figuratively, the Lions cannot win this game.
Seatbelt malfunction
Jerry Jacobs, a former undrafted rookie, has definitely exceeded expectations. It speaks volumes about Jacobs’ character to even be on an NFL roster, much less be in the starting lineup. Having said that, he might not play a starting position next season.
Entering Week 13, Jacobs was credited with allowing touchdowns in three straight games, indicating his recent struggles. Although he did not receive an official touchdown against the Saints, he was given credit for it in spirit. Having failed to find the ball, Jacobs allowed Chris Olave to get a 33-yard reception, giving Olave the advantage early in the play.
The way that Jacobs has been matched up with the opposing team’s wide receiver on a regular basis, with at best indifferent results, has become an unexpected pattern for the Lions defense. Although Jacobs has good potential as a depth cornerback, it’s odd that the Lions depend on him to cover their best pass catchers.
There have also been letdowns with the safety measures. Jimmy Graham, who is 37 years old, juked Tracy Walker for a touchdown, and Kerby Joseph misplayed a tackle and almost let Olave get a bomb. The safeties as much as the corners are to blame for the coverage, which has been anything but lockdown. C.J. Gardner-Johnson needs to get back to this unit as soon as possible.
The need for speed
Jameson Williams is definitely deserving of the increased offensive presence that he has been seeing over time. When Williams touches the ball, amazing things can happen:
This is not a speed that can be caught. Take a look at how fast Williams outran the Saints defenders who were positioned to corner him. The following figures also support the eye test.
Williams demonstrated that he is not only a deep threat with an 11-yard contested catch in which he outwitted illegal coverage. Though I won’t go overboard and expect a 100-yard performance the following week, it’s obvious that he makes an impact.
Jalen Reeves-Mayhem
Given that Alex Anzalone was doubtful to play the entire game, Jack Campbell appeared to be the obvious choice to take his place. Even though Campbell led the team in tackles with nine, including two for a loss, and had an excellent game while wearing the green dot on defense, Jalen Reeves-Maybin surprised everyone the most that day.
In addition to being his usual menacing self on special teams, Reeves-Maybin made a significant defensive contribution. Including a blown up reverse, a pass defended, and a quarterback hit, he finished with six tackles. For the Lions, receiving such a performance from a player regarded as a special teams ace is incredible.
Gold stars for LaPorta and McNeill
Two young players on either side of the ball deserve my nod. Sam LaPorta’s influence was evident on offense. Though he scored a touchdown and amassed a career-high 140 receiving yards, his significance goes beyond the numbers. He has developed into as dependable a target as you can find, regularly putting up a strong fight for additional yards after the catch. Even though we consider Amon-Ra St. Brown to be Jared Goff’s safety net, LaPorta is equally dependable.
Compared to LaPorta, Alim McNeill had a quieter game, but he still deserves credit for his trench warfare. Despite taking a lot of hits in this one, McNeill held up admirably. Every game, it seems like McNeill is good for one or two plays, but if the Lions were more successful up front, that number might be higher. Josh Paschal played inside for the Lions and had some success, so this is something to watch moving forward.
Johnโs Turning Point:ย Brian Branchโs interception
In his two career interceptions, Brian Branch has produced plays deserving of a juggler.Following his season-opening interception of Patrick Mahomes, Branch added another well-timed pick against Derek Carr:
The Lions were now deep in Saints territory, a field position they would later use to their advantage three plays in. Soon after, the Lions jumped out to a 21-0 lead, which they would coast on for the majority of the game. That in and of itself is problematic. The game might have been much closer for the Lions if Branch had not made this interception early.
In the absence of that early 21-0 lead, do the Lions lose this game? If the lead is less, do the Lions play with greater aggression? These are open-ended questions, but one thing is certain: Brian Branch plays a significant role in this defense.
Jacobs has been struggling of late, being credited with allowing touchdowns in three straight games entering Week 13. He was not officially credited with a touchdown allowed against the Saints, but he was credited in spirit. Jacobs gave up a 33-yard reception to Chris Olave on a play where he failed to locate the ball and Olave had him beat early.
This has become a surprising trend for the Lions defense, as Jacobs has been matched up with the oppositionโs WR1 fairly frequently to mixed results at best. Jacobs projects well as a depth cornerback, but the Lions reliance on him to cover top pass catchers is bizarre.
The safeties have been disappointments as well. Tracy Walker got juked by a 37-year old Jimmy Graham for a touchdown, while Kerby Joseph had a bad missed tackle and nearly gave up a bomb to Olave. The coverage has been anything but lockdown, and the safeties are to blame as much as the corners. This unit badly needs C.J. Gardner-Johnson to return as soon as possible.
The need for speed
Jameson Williams has steadily seen an increased presence on offense, and he is certainly warranting it. When Williams gets his hands on the ball, magic can happen:
Jacobs has been struggling of late, being credited with allowing touchdowns in three straight games entering Week 13. He was not officially credited with a touchdown allowed against the Saints, but he was credited in spirit. Jacobs gave up a 33-yard reception to Chris Olave on a play where he failed to locate the ball and Olave had him beat early.
This has become a surprising trend for the Lions defense, as Jacobs has been matched up with the oppositionโs WR1 fairly frequently to mixed results at best. Jacobs projects well as a depth cornerback, but the Lions reliance on him to cover top pass catchers is bizarre.
The safeties have been disappointments as well. Tracy Walker got juked by a 37-year old Jimmy Graham for a touchdown, while Kerby Joseph had a bad missed tackle and nearly gave up a bomb to Olave. The coverage has been anything but lockdown, and the safeties are to blame as much as the corners. This unit badly needs C.J. Gardner-Johnson to return as soon as possible.
The need for speed
Jameson Williams has steadily seen an increased presence on offense, and he is certainly warranting it. When Williams gets his hands on the ball, magic can happen: