Last week felt like a month, but the Detroit Lions righted their wrongs and ended the Motor City’s nightmare with an emphatic 50-burger against former Lions OC and recent hotshot head coaching candidate Ben Johnson’s Chicago Bears.
There have been only four games with 50+ points scored since the start of last season, and the Lions own three of them. Sunday’s 52-21 drubbing marked the first time in franchise history they topped 500 total net yards with five passing touchdowns and two rushing scores in the same game. It was a much-needed throttling and the total team effort was their fourth 30-point win in the last two seasons—only Denver has done it more than once over that span (nine teams done it once).
With so many players returning to form, there’s no shortage of risers in this week’s Stock Report.
Stock up: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
After a quiet four-catch, 45-yard opener, St. Brown broke the 100-yard barrier and logged the first three-touchdown game of his NFL career (fourth multi-TD outing overall). His red-zone finishing helped Detroit cash in on long drives and put the game out of reach—an underrated part of his skill set.
He also converted seven first downs (second most in Week 2) and threw key blocks near the tackle box to spring Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery for extra yards. He even took a pair of backfield carries. This was the full St. Brown package.
Stock up: Jared Goff, QB
Goff operated with extreme efficiency and confidence, delivering deadly accurate strikes from the pocket and stepping up when necessary. Against a reeling Bears defense, he posted an 80% completion rate, 300+ yards and five touchdown passes—the ideal version of Detroit’s distributor.
With games like this he joins rarified company (Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning) as a QB capable of putting up 50 points on a good day, and the Lions’ ceiling becomes sky-high.
Stock down: Terrion Arnold, CB
It was encouraging he suited up after last week’s groin issue, and his run defense remained a strength. But Detroit still needs the 2024 first-rounder to start stacking positive coverage games and playing more like the player that received rave reviews from fellow teammates and coaches this offseason. After giving up four catches for 86 yards and a TD in Green Bay, Arnold allowed a team-leading six for 89 in Week 2.
It’s worth noting that only 12 of his 38 coverage snaps were in man (same for D.J. Reed) this week. He did help shut down the Bears second drive with tight third down coverage, and ensuing tackle, on Olamide Zaccheaus that was a big-time play the Lions are hoping to see more of. Having his first career interception taken back due to a Branch penalty was a real twist of the knife for his coverage performance.
The high-flying Ravens offense is next on his aerial attack assignments and could be an opportunity to soar and clip the feathers on some of the squawking naysayers.
Stock up: Brian Branch, S
Branch was Detroit’s best defender on the field. He became the first Lions DB since at least 1999 to post five tackles, two TFLs, a sack, a pass defended and a forced fumble in one game.
He wasn’t just checking boxes flying downhill either. In coverage, aside from a 15-yard grab by Rome Odunze, Branch locked things down, including an incompletion to Zaccheaus and several dead-end reps versus first-rounder Colston Loveland.
Branch’s toughest task lies ahead to see what kind of moveable chess piece he can be for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in Week 3.
Stock up: John Morton, OC
No one had a bigger target on his back after Week 1 than Morton, and he answered in emphatic fashion. Detroit posted 8.8 yards per play—the highest single-game mark in franchise history—and scored seven touchdowns, six on consecutive drives before kneeling out the clock with backups.
Morton cleaned up protection calls, leaned more on motion, varied his run concepts and married intermediate/deep routes to play action. That’s how you beat your predecessor and silence critics in your second game
Stock down: Jack Campbell, LB
Nitpicking in a blowout, but Campbell was on the wrong end of a few Ben Johnson designs. His run-fit reads allowed a couple of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai runs to pop, and he gave up receptions to Zaccheaus and Monangai in coverage. The third-year LB has time, but his next step is leveling up in coverage to become a true top-tier backer.
Quick hits:
STOCK UP
Offensive line: Huge step forward — no sacks allowed, 175+ rushing yards, and a league-best 3.55 yards before contact per carry in Week 2. Goff’s elevated comfortability in the pocket was massive and so were some of the pulling blocks on the move this unit administered.
Aidan Hutchinson: Finally on the stat sheet with a sack and five pressures, looking like the dominant edge Detroit needs.
Jameson Williams. Two catches. 108 yards. One touchdown. 54 yards per catch. Ranny Moss stat line. Waymo was back looking like “The Blur” soapbox racer in the Little Rascals and earning every penny of his contract after showing off that game-breaking speed.
Al-Quadin Muhammad: He earned the shoutout from Dan Campbell on Monday but Muhammad’s three total QB pressures (second-team) including one sack are exactly what the defense needs from ancillary pass rushers
Tyleik Williams: Showing prowess in run defense and getting his big bear paws up in the pass game will earn you a spot here. Heads up plays in only his second career game.
STOCK DOWN:
Kick returners: Great heads-up play by Saylor downing the first kickoff out of bounds but the rest isn’t cutting it. Detroit averaged 31.4 yards per return last season (2nd NFL); now down to 23.4 (24th), which would be their worst league ranking since Dave Fipp took over in 2021.
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