The NFL’s list of most disappointing Week 1 teams includes the Dolphins, Texans, Bengals, and Lions. And that pitiful display in Green Bay may have been the worst by any NFC squad. It was a nightmare start to life after Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, with national pundits’ preseason skepticism about the Lions looking prescient.
Sure, last year’s Super Bowl-winning Eagles lost to the Falcons in Week 2. The 2023 defending and eventual repeat champion Chiefs dropped their opener to this very Lions team. But this felt different. Detroit was demoralized in ways they hadn’t been since before their late-season run in 2022. This was a no-show on par with the 38-6 Ravens debacle in 2023—and worse than either playoff exit.
To put the loss into perspective, Detroit’s 3.8 yards per play were the second-lowest of the Dan Campbell era (only worse: 3.74 in a 34-11 loss to the Bengals in 2021). Their 22.7% rushing success rate was the second-lowest since 2021 (only worse: 13.3% in the 2022 loss to Carolina).
It was uncharacteristically inept, but it shouldn’t define the season. A rebound in the Ben Johnson Homecoming can change the narrative fast. But first, let’s rehash Week 1 in the inaugural Stock Report
Stock up: Jack Campbell, LB
Year 3 Jack Campbell looked like Detroit’s best back-seven defender. He led the team with nine tackles, consistently met Josh Jacobs at or near the line of scrimmage, and brought real pop against the run. Even more encouraging: Campbell’s strides in coverage. He forced incompletions step-for-step against tight ends and slammed John FitzPatrick to the turf like a drained can of Pabst Blue Ribbon on one short gain.
The one glaring hole remains his blitzing. Campbell was repeatedly sent through the A-gap but couldn’t generate pressure, continuing a career-long issue.
Stock down: Interior offensive line
The new trio of Christian Mahogany, Graham Glasgow, and Tate Ratledge was a disaster. Physically overmatched, mentally out of sync, and shredded by stunts. They looked like matadors eluding bulls.
Even Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker are not immune to this stock report, as they also struggled. Hank Fraley has a lot to clean up here.
Stock up: Tyleik Williams, DT
Williams didn’t flash as a pass rusher—somewhat expected in his debut—but he clogged lanes, ate double-teams, and stood up Aaron Banks and Sean Rhyan on multiple occasions. That helped hold Jacobs to just 30 yards on 11 carries through three quarters. His stout presence freed second-level defenders to attack downhill, making Green Bay one-dimensional for stretches (something they navigated just fine).
Stock down: Aidan Hutchinson, DE
Fair note: this was Hutchinson’s first game back from a significant leg injury. He’ll likely look stronger in October than September.
But this wasn’t the performance of a $50M man. Hutchinson was locked down by Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom, faded as the game wore on, and even struggled against Green Bay’s backups late. Detroit’s pass rush was invisible, and that falls on their star. The team’s kicker, back-up running back, and star receiver should never have more tackles than him.
Stock up: Derrick Barnes, LB
Barnes’ role at SAM linebacker evolved under Kelvin Sheppard. Less time as a de facto fifth lineman, more time scraping and tackling. He made his presence felt, including a short-yardage tackle-for-loss on Jacobs and a stop on a short pass to Tucker Kraft for no gain. Like his fellow linebackers, though, Barnes failed to generate any juice as a blitzer.
Stock down: Jarred Goff, QB
Yes, the line was bad. Yes, the play-calling didn’t help. But Goff did nothing to elevate the offense. His red-zone interception before halftime was brutal. His 7.3 yards per completion were the third-lowest of his Lions career. And 27 of his attempts came within five yards of the line—the fifth-most of his Detroit tenure. At some point, he needs to be able to dig the offense out of that reckless abandon and not be part of the problem.
Stock up: Isaac TeSlaa, WR
If you flipped channels before the final whistle, you may have missed it. Yes, that was indeed a catch. One helluva catch.
Detroit needs to roll with TeSlaa more. His physical prowess and ceiling give the Lions something different at receiver, and with the offense sputtering under John Morton, they can’t afford to keep him in the garage, even if it comes at the expense of Kalif Raymond’s snaps.
Stock down: Kerby Joseph, S
The NFL’s second-highest-paid safety was a ghost. No impact in the run game, no plays in coverage, and burned deep. On passes of 15+ air yards, Jordan Love went 5-of-8 for 126 yards and two scores. Joseph has to erase those throws, not invite them.
Stock up: Jeff Hafley & DeMarcus Covington, Packers staff
Credit where it’s due. Green Bay’s defensive front was overwhelming. DeMarcus Covington’s hire as DL coach already looks like a coup. Detroit had 15 of its first 21 runs stuffed behind the line—the most of the Campbell era. Stunts consistently confused the Lions’ line, generating four sacks and nine QB hits.
Stock down: Lions coordinators
I hate to second-guess, but this team and the new coordinators looked like they could have used a preseason dress rehearsal. The joint practices are calculated and coordinated, and while they are live bullets for the 1s vs the 1s, they didn’t simulate a real game experience for the new coordinators.
John Morton’s offense was static and disjointed. Pre-snap motion lacked the usual teeth, failed to get the Packers defenders on their heels. The run game was less varied and predictable. The intermediate middle of the field—Goff’s sweet spot—was invisible. Worse, the unit looked confused: continually running the clock down, sorting out assignments, miscommunicating, and draining their own rhythm. At times, it resembled the Anthony Lynn era more than what we had become accustomed to.
Kelvin Sheppard’s defense held up decently against the run but failed to stop Green Bay early, generated no consistent pass rush, particularly from pressure packages, and produced few impact plays despite the heavy investment in talent.
And Dave Fipp’s special teams? Multiple penalties, zero spark.
Quick hits
Stock up
Sam LaPorta, TE: His two catches for 48 yards jump-started the second-half drive. His blocking, though, had the fortitude of a sloppy joe.
Carl Lawson, FA: With Za’Darius Smith in Philly, Detroit may need to learn the error of their bull-headed ways and call the last remaining free agent capable of disrupting quarterbacks.
Stock down
Jameson Williams, WR: Four catches, 23 yards, 5.8 per reception. Not good enough for a $67M guaranteed receiver. Amon-Ra St. Brown isn’t too far behind him in inability to get open, getting gobbled up by the Packers’ coverage.
D.J. Reed, CB: Targeted and beaten by Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. Not what you want from your top free-agent pickup.
Marcus Davenport, DE: Some plays on the ground but barely noticeable as a rusher despite heavy reliance and being a supposed bull rush dynamo.
Brian Branch, S: A TFL and a called-back pick-six, but otherwise beaten in coverage and guilty of a boneheaded penalty. Confidence is fine—stupidity isn’t.
Tony Romo, CBS: Trainwreck broadcast. Wrong names, bad anecdotes, and word salad. Felt like a cramming student guessing through the final exam.
Lions’ Mojo: This wasn’t a Dan Campbell team. No grit, no resilience, no infectious energy. Just tight, lifeless football. They’ll hope to find it quickly with Ford Field faithful waiting for them in Week 2.
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