After a rough loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week, the Detroit Lions needed to make a statement. Back at Ford Field in a primetime game, the Lions hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just to send them packing in a 24-9 win for the home team.
Contrary to what the score shows, Detroit’s offense did not play to their usual standards. Jared Goff was efficient as a passer, but uncharacteristically turned over the ball twice, fumbling once and throwing an interception.
Game ball: Jahmyr Gibbs
The player who sparked some life into the offense was running back Jahmyr Gibbs. On the first drive alone, Gibbs got four touches in a row, totaling 37 yards, to set up an Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown. He was more involved in the passing game this time around, with 30 of those yards coming from a catch-and-run that put the Lions in scoring range.
Though the Lions turned over on downs on their second drive of the first quarter, Gibbs still managed to put up 24 more yards receiving and 14 yards on the ground.
In the second quarter, the running back set a personal best with a 78-yard touchdown run to give Detroit a comfortable lead. He finished the half with an impressive 103 yards on the ground and another 54 receiving.
In the third quarter, Detroit only had one offensive drive. In that four-minute possession, Gibbs once again carried the load for the offense. He started the drive strong with a 5-yard run and followed it up with 15 more a few plays later. After a 28-yard reception, Detroit was suddenly within five yards of the end zone. The ball went right back to Gibbs, who took the handoff, put a defender through the spin cycle, and got in for his second score of the day.
Gibbs put the offense on his back in this primetime victory, and nobody is more deserving of earning the game ball than him.
Honorable mention: Nick Whiteside
Many were concerned about Detroit’s depth in their defensive secondary given how many starters had to sit out in this matchup. Those concerns were quelled quickly after some unlikely players stepped up.
Cornerback Nick Whiteside, who spent time with Detroit in the preseason and was later added to the practice squad, ended up making his name known in the second half against Tampa Bay with a handful of pass breakups during the Buccaneers last-ditch effort at a comeback.
The 25-year-old cornerback was a playmaker in the second half of the game and came away with a team-leading three pass defenses. All three of those plays came as Tampa Bay attempted their comeback. Whiteside’s coverage skills were on-par with a starting NFL cornerback, all while covering the likes of Mike Evans, Emeka Egbuka, and Sterling Shepard throughout the game.
His performance not only kept Tampa Bay from closing the scoring gap, but also might have earned him some serious reps on defense if Terrion Arnold continues to miss time.
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