The Lions have Super Bowl aspirations in 2024, and with the way things are going right now, there is little to question at how that isn’t possible.
Get your champagne ready, store that paid time off, and mark your calendars because this is the year the Detroit Lions can win the Super Bowl. The Lions have made some helpful additions in the offseason, players have improved from the previous year, and the coaching staff is thinking of new ways for this team to execute plays at a higher level.
The other day I went into why the Lions will come up short, but today it’s all about how they actually could win it all. As I said the other day, you can’t just look at the negative and question why this team will struggle, you have to look at the positives and see where this team can shine and be above the other 31 teams in the NFL.
Get your glass of Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid ready because I want to tell you why the Detroit Lions can finally win the Super Bowl.
Jared Goff’s strong start
While the first two games left some Lions fans questioning the decision to re-sign quarterback Jared Goff, he quickly turned it around. He went 18-for-23 for 199 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against the Arizona Cardinals. The following week, he was perfect, going 18-for-18 for 292 yards and two touchdowns, along with a seven-yard receiving touchdown.
Goff is looking comfortable as the season progresses. I am not sure if it was offseason rust or something else, but Goff is already in mid-season form. Against the Seattle Seahawks, Goff was doing well at evading pressures and keeping plays alive. His only miscue was the safety, but I would blame the play calling more than him.
Goff has been making safe throws, but also taking some deep shots when needed. He isn’t going to be a perfect quarterback all the time, but the team doesn’t need that from him. He doesn’t need to be the hero in the end either, throwing 40 or more times a game. Against Seattle, Goff played great, and he only threw the ball 18 times and the team put up 42 points in the end. If Goff can keep playing well and at this pace, the passing game will be electric and effective and should give opposing defenses headaches.
Running the football has never been easier
The best part about the Lions offense isn’t just the passing game becoming a well-oiled machine, it’s the fact they have two monsters in the backfield in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Gibbs has the shiftiness, quickness, and speed to cut to the outside and be a receiving back as well, but that doesn’t mean he can’t run between the tackles either. Montgomery, on the other hand, is your main, between-the-tackles running back that you need to get the tough yards. But he can also catch some passes as well—so his game isn’t limited to the short-yardage situations.
Last year, the combo of Gibbs and Montgomery combined for 1,960 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, along with 433 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown. This season, those numbers could increase and possibly set records. Right now, Gibbs has 285 yards, three rushing touchdowns, 76 receiving yards and a touchdown. Montgomery has 271 yards, four rushing touchdowns, and 94 receiving yards.
That means, Gibbs is on pace for 1,211 yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 323 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. Montgomery is on pace for 1,151 yards, 17 rushing touchdowns, and 399 receiving yards. With their powers combined, Gibbs and Montgomery are on pace for 2,362 rushing yards, 29 rushing touchdowns, 722 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. Talk about an increase in production and efficiency
Mind you, the Lions just recently set a new record for most rushing touchdowns in a season by Jamaal Williams back in 2022 with 17. Montgomery is on pace to tie that record, and I could see the front office wanting him to break it and make it his own of 18.
The main thing these two running backs have in common is who is blocking in front of them. They have an upgraded offensive line with the addition of Kevin Zeitler at right guard, so the job is even easier for them right now. Sure, center Frank Ragnow has missed a game and could miss more, but Kayode Awosika did well in his first game at left guard this season while left guard Graham Glasgow showed well over at center. This duo could still excel even if Ragnow misses significant time and with them playing well, it helps the passing game and vice versa.
A defensive line that can do more than stop the run
When it comes to the defensive line, the conversation has to start with defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who is having a Defensive Player of the Year type of season and is the current NFC Defensive Player of the Month. So far, Hutchinson leads the NFL in pressures with 25 per NextGen Stats (40 per PFF) and sacks with six and a half. He is a beast and has been taking over games himself. He is on pace for 97 pressures, and a record-breaking 27.5 sacks.
It’s going to be tough to tie the sack record of 22.5, especially when teams are starting to game plan around Hutchinson more and bring in extra blockers to accommodate for him. The good part about that extra attention is it gives others along the defensive line an opportunity to step up and contribute with fewer eyes and focus on them.
Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike has stepped up in a big way this season, as he has 10 tackles, 11 pressures per NextGen Stats (16 per PFF), and one-and-a-half sacks so far. He can play on the interior and edge, so wherever the team needs help, he is there. You have the obvious help at defensive tackle with Alim McNeil who continues to help stop the run alongside the newly signed defensive tackle DJ Reader.
The defensive line has done a great job in helping stop the run, the Lions have allowed the fourth fewest rushing yards in the NFL this season. However, the upgrades on the defensive line can be felt most with the emergence of the pass rush. While Onwuzurike and Hutchinson are leading the charge, they have also gotten contributions from others including defensive end Josh Pascal and rookie defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo. This group isn’t a one-trick pony anymore and can be considered one of the top defensive lines in the NFL.
What wide receiver depth issues?
Entering this season, there were questions as to who would step up in the WR3 role. Would Detroit make a trade before the season? Would they try and lure a former star receiver over in free agency? Could they draft a potential addition to the offense?
After not drafting a wide receiver and coming up empty early in free agency, the Lions got reinforcements at the last moment. When the preseason was over, the Lions were able to sign wide receivers Tim Patrick and Allen Robinson. While Robinson hasn’t played much and has yet to record a catch for the team, Patrick has started to fill that role as the number three guy.
He only has five catches for 72 yards in the three games he has played so far, but Patrick is gaining more confidence in himself and in Goff as a trustworthy option. As the season progresses, that is going to be a stronger and stronger connection that gives Detroit another shot in the arm in the receiving game.
“We’re learning each other each and every day,” Patrick said of his evolving chemistry with Goff. “That’s why we practice and (we) practice until we get it right. When we do get it right, and it’s time to really go, it’s going to be beautiful.”
Kalif Raymond is still on the field and seeing playing time, but not as much as was expected. What has also helped the receiving core is the takeover of Jameson Williams. I don’t think anybody would think heading into the bye week that Williams would be the team’s leading receiver, but he is at 298 yards, as Amon-Ra St. Brown has 252. I predicted back in August that Williams would hit 1,000 yards this season and boy that is looking better and better.
Offseason additions come up big
In years past, the Lions have made some big free agent signings only for them to fizzle out and not be who Detroit was expecting on the field. So far, the players the Lions have added since the end of last season have had an impact on the team.
Beyond Patrick, Zeitler has stood out. He was an upgrade for the Lions, already strong, offensive line, and helps keep them in that top-tier of offensive lines in the NFL. Him next to Sewell has been a joy to see and we’ve seen the running backs feast running behind him and the rest of the crew.
I mentioned Reader earlier but didn’t get far into how he has helped the defense out. His veteran experience has helped out with the pass rush, not because of what he is doing to generate sacks (he doesn’t have any), but what he is doing to help everyone else get home. He is a problem for opposing interior linemen, often forcing them to choose between who to double team, him or Hutchinson. Reader, along with McNeil and Onwuzurike, have produced some big stops on the ground and generated pressure on the pass.
Bumping back to the secondary, cornerback Carlton Davis III and Amik Robertson have been helpful in defending the pass. Davis has been a helpful CB1 on the team, who has had a few struggles but doesn’t give up if a play fails. Davis was the number two cornerback in Tampa Bay, so it was expected for him to have a little bit of struggles in a new role, but it’s nothing worrisome.
Robertson is having the best year of his career so far according to PFF. He has his highest defensive grade ever of 70.2, run defense of 77.2, and coverage of 69.3. Deploying Robertson in the slot, while defensive back Brian Branch moved to safety, has been a great move by the front office and coaching staff.
Finally, while he hasn’t been perfect this year, kicker Jake Bates is still a nice option to have on the team if they need it. The longest kick he has had this year is 35 yards, so he hasn’t been tested on anything further, but having a big leg in the team’s back pocket is a luxury if they ever need it.
