6 winners, 1 loser from the Lions’ BLOWOUT against the Jaguars

In the massive 52-6 win against the Jaguars on Sunday, almost every Lions player was a winner. Here are 6 winners, 1 loser from Week 11.

There was no mercy in the dojo of Ford Field on Sunday. The Detroit Lions returned home after a 16-point comeback against the Houston Texans last week, and took one of the worst teams in the NFL in the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars came in as the leader for the number one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and after the game I could see that being a lock.

Detroit was a 14-point favorite entering the game and people thought that was a tough line to beat, but in the end, Detroit played a damn near perfect game. Outside of the final drive where Detroit just ran out the clock, they scored on every single drive they had the football.

Check out my winners and losers in the 52-6 win against the Jaguars.

Winners

David Montgomery

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a big game by either of the running backs. The Jaguars pass defense is their biggest weakness, so I figured the Lions would attack that heavily over the running game. Lions running back David Montgomery didn’t like those plans and took the game over early on, starting with a touchdown run to give the Lions a lead at 7-3 they would never gave back.

Montgomery wouldn’t stop his scoring efforts there as he would find the end zone a second time, this time in the second quarter to make it 21-3, Detroit. He did everything he was asked to do and then some, catching passes and running down the Jaguars throat. Montgomery finished the game with 15 carries for 75 yards, two touchdowns, and three catches for 20 yards.

Brian Branch

Anywhere the Jaguars went on offense, safety Brian Branch was there to make a play. Branch was making big hits in the first quarter and was a menace when stopping the run. Branch finished with seven tackles and continues to have one of the biggest impacts on this defense. He lacked an interception and pass breakups, but he came out to hit people.

Jahmyr Gibbs

Montgomery wasn’t the only running back to have an impact in this one. His partner in crime, Jahmyr Gibbs, was just as explosive as Montgomery, but just didn’t happen to find the end zone as often. Gibbs finished with 11 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown.

Gibbs had more damage through the air than Montgomery, however, with just one catch. On the drive after the second Montgomery touchdown, Gibbs caught a pass in the flats, and turned it into a 54-yard gain thanks to his speed and quickness. There were a handful of times in the game where Gibbs made multiple players miss or ran straight into an open lane, but one lone straggler tripped him up or barely got enough to take him down.

Gibbs is so damn explosive with his speed and acceleration it feels like cheating at times. His ability to turn short-yardage gains into big plays is something unique. The Lions offense having two different styles of running backs to do damage, however they need to get it done, is a great luxury to have.

Jared Goff

As expected, Lions quarterback Jared Goff had a very nice rebound game against the Jaguars. People still think that Goff is in the MVP race and while I think his five-interception game eliminated him, he is still having a fantastic season. He got back on track by going 24-for-29 for 412 yards and four touchdowns—and most importantly no interceptions.

Goff even used his legs multiple times in the game, and not to just escape pressure, but to gain yardage and move the chains. Goff had four carries for 21 yards, his fourth-best rushing game of his career, and his most rushing yards in a game since 2017 when he had 22.

Goff looked comfortable for most of the game. Even when the Jaguars would generate pressure, Goff made smart decisions and threw the ball into the ground. Goff needed to rebound after a career-worst game, and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson set him up well.

Amon-Ra St. Brown

The passing game was due to have a big game against the poor Jaguars secondary and Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown took advantage of the struggling unit. St. Brown made all sorts of catches, and found the end zone two times. St. Brown finished with 11 catches for a career-high 161 yards and two touchdowns.

St. Brown also broke a record for the Lions, getting a touchdown in eight straight games. He is Goff’s favorite target and it’s clear why, he can do it all and is a reliable, consistent weapon this offense loves to use. This offense was doing it all on Sunday and St. Brown was the most consistent threat that the Jaguars couldn’t stop.

Jameson Williams

Speaking of wide receivers, I predicted earlier in the week that Jameson Williams would have a big game and boy did he. He was explosive in almost every play he had the ball, making the Jaguars secondary looking silly at times. After the running game and St. Brown found the end zone, Goff knew it was time for Williams to join in on the fun.

St. Brown wasn’t alone in career days as Williams had a career-high 124 yards on four catches and a touchdown. He even was on the receiving end of a hook and ladder play that gave him nine yards on a lateral from St. Brown, and on a jet sweep he picked up two yards. Williams was given multiple chances to make plays and he made the most of them.

Losers

Linebacker depth

The only negative thing coming out of the victory was the injury to yet another leader for the defensive: linebacker Alex Anzalone. He left the game with a forearm injury and wouldn’t return, testing the depth at the position. The team is already down Jalen Reeves-Maybin as he is on IR with a neck injury, and fellow linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez just returned from his ankle injury today against the Jaguars. The team being down two linebackers isn’t a good thing as we are in the back half of the season.

Anzalone will be out 6-8 weeks according to Dan Campbell during his postgame press conference, and the Lions will need someone else to step up to the plate. Linebacker Jack Campbell will have his chance to be the leader of the linebacker room with this opportunity, and it’s a good test for how he could be in the future if he has to be the main linebacker on the team.