Handing out positional grades for the Detroit Lions’ 24-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
The Detroit Lions continue to check every box this season. On Sunday, they proved they can win in the elements and are built for just about every situation. Their 24-14 win over the Green Bay Packers wasn’t flashy, but it didn’t need to be. They were fundamentally sound, and that couldn’t be said for both teams.
Let’s hand out some grades in our Week 9 report card.
Quarterback: A-
Jared Goff didn’t have to do too much in this game. He completed 18-of-22 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, and just two of those completions were beyond 10 yards downfield.
But therein lies Goff’s brilliance all year. He’s taking what the defense is giving him, living to see another down, and allowing his teammates to make plays with the ball in their hands. While Goff’s 3.7 air yards per pass attempt tied for the league low this week, he still managed to put up the highest completion percentage over expected of the week (+16.7%).
Running backs: A
On the ground, the Lions were successful again. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 28 carries, 138 yards (4.9 YPC), and a touchdown. The two also pitched in a combined 34 yards in the passing game.
What remains fantastic about this duo is their ability to be interchangeable. Gibbs can run between the tackles just as easily as Montgomery can. Montgomery has nearly caught as many passes (17) and Gibbs (20).
Gibbs finished Week 9 fourth in rushing yards over expected per attempt (1.04), while Montgomery was 15th (0.25).
Tight ends: A-
I swear this group gets better as a pass/run blocking unit every week. Sam LaPorta continues to grow as a multi-faceted weapon. Shane Zylstra has won the fullback role and ran with it. The receiving production may not be where it was last year, but don’t kid yourself, this unit is still making a big difference on Sundays.
Wide receivers: A-
Amon-Ra St. Brown carries most of the load here for another perfect performance. For the fifth-straight game, St. Brown caught every single one of his targets, and the concentration it took to haul in that touchdown pass was impressive.
It was a pretty quiet day from everyone else, but that was simply because the Lions didn’t feel the need to attack the perimeter of the Packers’ defense. They just flooded the short, middle part of the field and it largely worked. That said, it was nice to see Allen Robinson catch a critical third-down pass to keep a scoring drive alive late in the first half.
Offensive line: A-
Jared Goff was protected extremely well in this game, with his only sack being an extremely uncharacteristic loss by Penei Sewell that may have been caused by tripping up with Kevin Zeitler. Otherwise, the Packers produced just four quarterback hits and zero passes defended.
In the run game, the Lions were pretty successful between the 20s. And the blocking on Gibbs’ 15-yard touchdown run was immaculate.
I’m only docking the offensive line here because of the run game in the red zone, which struggled for most of the game. The Lions had nine rushes in the red zone, and five were stopped for 3 yards or less. Per NFL Pro, Detroit actually finished with a negative run EPA (-1.2, 15th) and their overall success rate of 34.4% was the ninth worst of Week 9 and well below their season average (45.6%).
Defensive line: D
It was not a particularly great day for the Lions edge defenders, further highlighting their need to make a trade at the deadline. Not a single defensive end managed as much as a quarterback hit, and Al-Quadin Muhammad, James Houston, and Isaiah Thomas combined for a total of… one tackle (with 77 total defensive snaps between the three). It wasn’t any better when it came to the running game, as the Lions edge defenders were regularly cleaned out by tight ends.
That said, I thought Alim McNeill was fantastic on the inside, providing disruption in both the run and pass game. Also, that was one hell of a box out from Levi Onwuzurike on the pick-six.
Linebackers: B+
An underrated part of the Lions’ performance on Sunday was the consistently steady play from the linebacking corps. While tackles aren’t the most telling statistic, it’s not surprising to see that Jack Campbell (10) and Alex Anzalone (six) were among the top tacklers on the team. Their steady tackling often forced the Packers into third and fourth-down situations, and Green Bay was not very good on those critical downs (3-of-12 on third downs, 2-of-3 on fourth down).
Anzalone’s pressure also led to Jordan Love’s pick-six.
Secondary: B+
Admittedly, the secondary was often bailed out by Packers receivers dropping a heck of a lot of passes. But there’s a ton of credit that this group deserves. With a non-existent pass rush, they had to hold up their coverage for often four seconds in slippery conditions. That is not easy. On top of that, the defensive backs kept almost everything in front of them, taking away Green Bay’s biggest threat on offense: the long ball. Love’s only notable deep shot he connected on was a 41-yard pass to Jayden Reed, in which Ennis Rakestraw had nearly perfect coverage. No other receiver had a catch for 20 yards or more.
Oh, plus Kerby Joseph is an alien.
As for the Brian Branch stuff, it was a dumb play by Branch, and whether or not you think it should have been an ejection, Branch is ultimately at fault for a clear violation of the rules.
Special teams: B
Jack Fox was excellent again, often booting big kicks to get Detroit out of a field position jam. Jake Bates was a perfect four-for-four on his kicks (three XPs, one FG). Isaiah Williams had a nice kick return, and the Packers’ return team didn’t do anything of note.
The only bad note from the group was a holding call on Terrion Arnold—who is not typically a protection gunner—that set Detroit up inside their own 10-yard line.
Coaching: A+
First, let’s take a moment to appreciate Dan Campbell’s aggressive nature. How many coaches do you think trot out their offense on fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line in a 3-0 game in the first half? I’m willing to bet the answer is just one. An encroachment penalty and a 3-yard touchdown pass later, and Campbell’s risky nature turned an early three points into seven. The Lions’ only other offensive touchdown on the day was also on a fourth down.
Additionally, I thought the Lions’ clock management was superb. Their final offensive drive of the first half bled four of the remaining five minutes. And they were just aggressive enough on the final drive of the day to end the game on offense.
Most importantly, however, the Lions coaching staff had this team ready for the elements. Where the Packers were dropping balls, botching snaps, and committing untimely penalties, the Lions looked like the team that plays outdoor games regularly. They were obviously prepared for rain, while the Packers looked blindsided.
If I were to nitpick here, Campbell’s challenge was an obvious loss, but there was little risk, holding a three-score lead at the time, and he had to make a rushed decision. I also thought the Lions got a little conservative in the red zone on offense, but they were still 2-of-3 in red zone trips (they were technically listed as 2-of-4, but I’m not counting the final possession when they kneeled down).
