Post by D6 on Oct 20, 2024 23:15:32 GMT -5
Thoughts in ****
Instant observations: Lions take NFC North lead in comeback thriller vs Vikings
Instant observations: Lions take NFC North lead in comeback thriller vs Vikings
Updated: Oct. 20, 2024, 8:10 p.m.|Published: Oct. 20, 2024, 4:19 p.m.
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Detroit Lions have made late, critical mistakes that cost them games in Minnesota over the years. Just ask Dan Campbell. That man cried after one such loss in 2021.
They made another critical mistake on Sunday, with David Montgomery losing a fumble that was returned for a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
This time, they prevailed anyway.
Jahmyr Gibbs turned three straight touches into 34 yards in the final 2 minutes, Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown with a 14-yard bullet that moved the ball all the way to Minnesota’s 22-yard line and rookie kicker Jake Bates split the uprights on a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left to send the Lions to a 31-29 win in an NFC North thriller on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
**** Tremendous win by the Lions! This is the type of game the Lions lost in Minnesota a multitude of times over the years. The Lions of the present aren't the same old Lions! Grit, resolve, determination, concentration, and aggressiveness on the 2024 Lions all made a major difference in the Lions pulling this game out against a very good Vikings team, that has high caliber coaching. The Lions certainly made mistakes in this game that could have cost the Lions the game. Far too many penalties, in addition to the fumble by David Montgomery that was returned for a TD immediately come to mind. Yet, the Lions took advantage of opportunities and came up big in crunch time! ****
The Lions have now won four straight games overall, matching a franchise best since 2016, to move into a first-place tie with the Vikings in the best division in football. They’re 5-1 overall and hold an important tiebreaker over Minnesota (5-1) heading into next week’s game back home against the Tennessee Titans (1-5).
Not a bad way to start the post-Aidan Hutchinson era in Detroit.
**** Without Aidan Hutchinson and without a major pass rush addition to try to help compensate for the loss of Hutch, every game is going to be a battle for the Lions to win. The Lions having beaten the Titans since they were the HOUSTON OILERS. It would be insane to take the Titans for granted, which will be a temptation, with road games in Green Bay and Houston to follow. ****
The Lions did feel the loss of their star pass rusher throughout the game, and the struggles mounted early. After opening the game with a three-and-out on offense -- a drive that featured two holding penalties and one sack -- the Lions failed to convert a fake punt. Minnesota needed just two plays to find the end zone for a quick 7-0 lead.
****The loss of RG Kevin Zeitler for this game was felt greatly in the early part of the game and at a number of other times in the game. The Lions definitely need a relatively healthy Zeitler ASAP. ****
After another three-and-out on offense -- and yet another hold, this one by Taylor Decker -- the Lions allowed another scoring drive, tacking a field goal onto their 10-0 deficit.
**** The Lions Defense did a good job preventing the Vikings from getting a 2nd consecutive TD. Vikings rookie Kicker Will Reichard made a 57 yard FG with ease to put the Vikings up 10-0. He's yet to miss a kick, through 6 games. I was very concerned that the Lions gave the Vikings too much time to help set up a game winning FG. If not for an Illegal Formation, Reichard probably would have been going for a game winning, NFL record setting 68 yard FG. With the Lions history in these type of situations, it wouldn't have been surprising on this end that Reichard would have made a 68 yard FG on the last play of the game. The Vikings have a big time Kicking weapon in Reichard! ****
Then the NFL’s highest-scoring offense woke up. Gibbs ran for a 45-yard touchdown, the longest of hisPe career, and Goff threaded a 35-yard TD pass down the right seam to St. Brown to give the Lions their first lead. Right tackle Penei Sewell might have been the star of the play though, blocking two men to buy Goff enough time to find St. Brown running free over the top.
**** Penei Sewell probably is the Lions 2nd most important player on Offense, only behind Jared Goff. Sewell made a huge positive difference as a run and pass blocker in this game, which is much more the norm than the exception for him in games. ****
They didn’t stop there, turning another Brian Branch pick into another Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown that stretched the lead to 21-10 with 23 seconds left before halftime. And they would need all of it to hold off the hard-charging Vikings.
**** With Aidan Hutchinson on IR, Brian Branch is making a strong case that he's the most valuable Defensive Player on the Lions roster. Branch's instincts and overall playmaking skills are through the roof! ****
Sam Darnold found Justin Jefferson for a 25-yard touchdown pass to open the third quarter, which Goff answered with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Raymond. But the Vikings added a field goal, then surged ahead on the rare Montgomery fumble midway through the fourth quarter.
****Justin Jefferson is the best WR in the NFL. Thankfully, the Lions did enough to prevent Jefferson from taking over the game.
Kalif Raymond had 3 catches on the drive that resulted in a TD, including a 3rd and 9 reception. Raymond plays much bigger than his size. He has the heart of a lion. ****
The Lions defense, playing its first game without Aidan Hutchinson, came up big on the 2-point conversion, holding Minnesota out of the end zone. That made it 29-28 with 6 minutes to go, and the defense generated another three-and-out to give Goff one more shot with 2:34 left.
**** Brian Branch's coverage was an immense part of preventing the Vikings from converting the 2 point attempt.
Sam Darnold's 3rd Down throw being high even for Justin Jefferson opened the door for the opportunity for the Lions to go ahead. ****
****
And with the way that guy is dealing, here’s betting Minnesota is rueing putting the ball back in his hands.
**** The Vikings Defense came up huge on the Lions previous 2 drives. The Vikings made the right decision to punt, regardless of what transpired. ****
Let’s get to some more instant observations:
-- First off, let’s give it up for Jake Bates eh? He isn’t just an NFL rookie, but didn’t so much as attempt a single field goal in college. That’s as inexperienced as it gets, and there were some inevitable struggles in training camp. But the Lions showed faith in the big-legged kicker, standing behind him through the ups and downs and eventually awarding him the starting job. Now he’s off to a 10-for-10 start as a pro, and just canned a 44-yard winner against the division leaders on the road. Not bad, kid. Not bad.
****Jake Bates seems to have the clutch factor. My guess is Dan Campbell believes this. Great job by Bates in an enormous pressure situation! ****
-- Jared Goff is on an all-time heater. Before him, there was only one quarterback who completed all his passes in the first half multiple times in his career, and that player was Peyton Manning. But Goff has now done it three times in four weeks, connecting on all 12 passes for 188 yards before halftime in Minnesota, including a dime piece to Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 35-yard touchdown.
**** Jared Goff is playing at a high to very high level! ****
Goff completed nine straight passes against Brian Flores’ blitzes, and hit on 15 overall to begin the afternoon, running his streak to 20 passes. That ended when a third-quarter pass was tipped near the line of scrimmage. No matter. Goff came right back to deliver a 22-yard bullet to Tim Patrick on second-and-15, then found Kalif Raymond for a 21-yard touchdown on third down. What a monumental series that was, snuffing out whatever momentum Minnesota hoped to get going with a Justin Jefferson touchdown to open the second half. And when the Vikings did take the lead, Goff calmly led the Lions back down the field for the game-winning field goal. He finished 22 of 25 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and no picks -- all of which came against one of the best and most aggressive defenses in the league. Dude’s on fire right now.
**** Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell, and Ben Johnson believed in Jared Goff. I think the vast majority of Lions fans now believe that Goff is a great fit for the Lions! ****
-- Brian Branch is not exactly known for braggadocio. The man usually doesn’t say much at all. He’s not being mean about it, he just prefers to let his play do the talking. Which made his comments after the Cowboys game all the more surprising.
“We the best duo in the league,” Branch said in the locker room. “Keep on feeding off each other, shoot, sky is the limit. I feel like the whole DB group this year, y’all see it. We got to keep on going. You got Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. You got one that can play the hell out of a post, and you got one that can play in the box and just -- our skill sets complement each other. I feel like no other safety duo in the league are like us.”
Surprising, considering where those words came from. But not wrong, either.
****Agreed. ****
Kerby Joseph entered the weekend second in the league in interceptions and hasn’t even been the best player at the position. Branch has been that good -- so good, it’s easy to forget he just moved to the position a few weeks ago. Now five games into the move to safety, he’s making a case to be one of the best safeties in the league.
**** Brian Branch belongs in the conversation as the best all around Safety in the NFL. ****
Branch, the reigning NFC defensive player of the week because of his two picks in Dallas, added another to his mantle in Minnesota, dropping into coverage and diving for an errant Sam Darnold pass. That’s his fourth pick in five games as an NFL safety, which is just astounding. Consider this: He’s now broken up multiple passes in all five games at safety, the longest streak by any safety since the NFL began tracking that data in 1999.
**** A 3rd Down pass breakup by Branch forced the Vikings to Punt. ****
Just monumentally difference-making stuff, and it’s coming at the best possible time. With Aidan Hutchinson banged up -- and Marcus Davenport, and John Cominsky, and now Josh Paschal too -- the Lions need their other playmakers to step into the void. Lord knows it’s not going to be Isaac Ukwu, the practice-squader who just started on the edge. The Lions have to fundamentally change how they play the game, leaning into the other strengths they still have left. And these days, there’s no biggest strength at the safety position than in Detroit.un
-- The Branch pick turned out to be a huge pivot point in the game. The Lions had already stormed back from a 10-point deficit to take a 14-10 lead in the second quarter, then used the pick to race down the field for a Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown run, his second of the half. In the end, the Lions flipped a double-digit deficit into a double-digit lead heading into halftime against the division leaders.
**** Alabama fans are likely as thrilled as Lions fans to see Brian Branch and Jahmyr Gibbs make big plays. Both players are making a positive difference in other ways on the field. Gibbs' block after the catch was a key factor in Kalif Raymond scoring a TD. ****
-- Jared Goff says the Lions have two of the five best running backs in the league. That might be a little too much, but then again, it’s hard to argue right now. The Lions flexed that depth in Minnesota, losing David Montgomery to a knee injury (he later returned), then watching Jahmyr Gibbs scream down the field for a 45-yard touchdown run on the very next series, the longest run of his career. Gibbs later added a second touchdown and accounted for 160 yards on 19 touches overall. And let’s not forget the downfield block he laid on Kalif Raymond’s touchdown in the fourth quarter, too.
Two top-five running backs in the league? I don’t know. But best 1-2 combo in the league? I can’t find anyone better right now.
**** I'm thrilled the Lions have both RBs. I feel for David Montgomery, as he very likely was substantially limited by the knee injury. For the most part, he didn't look like the usual Montgomery after he came back into the game. Montgomery's 1st Down reception, on the first Lions play from scrimmage, following Justin Jefferson's TD, was a great play, when factoring in the knee injury. Thankfully, for Montgomery's sake and overall, the fumble didn't cost the Lions the game. ****
-- The Aidan Hutchinson injury was a big talking point this week, and rightfully so. He’s the NFL sack leader for a reason, a frontrunner for defensive player of the year, and there was just no way the Lions would be able to place that guy. Especially with fellow starter Marcus Davenport already out for the year, while John Cominsky and Derrick Barnes tend to long-term injuries.
The Lions turned to Josh Paschal and practice-squader Isaac Ukwu for starting roles in Minnesota, and while Paschal did record a big second-half sack, the lack of pass rush was evident up front throughout the game. Sam Darnold had lots of time to work through his progressions and had success when he did leave the pocket, scrambling for 39 yards on four carries.
Paschal also briefly left the game with an injury, forcing the Lions to turn to James Houston and rookie defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo for critical snaps. The situation is razor-thin, and there’s still so much football to play this season. You have to think another move is coming. For now, the Lions will hope new edge rusher Isaiah Thomas -- recently signed off Cincinnati’s practice squad -- will come along fast.
****Josh Paschal was by far the Lions best DE in this game.
James Houston was quiet for the most part but he did get a key 3rd Down pressure vs. RT Brian O'Neill that helped lead to a FG, instead of the 4th QTR Drive continuing.
Isaac Ukwu wasn't much of a factor as a pass rusher. But his play recognition what was going to be a screen to RB Aaron Jones and on the trick play that Justin Jefferson wanted to throw to Sam Darnold, contributed greatly to the Lions winning the game. Very impressive, that much more for an UDRFA who isn't on the 53 man roster! ****
-- While there was a lot to like on offense, the Lions did really miss Kevin Zeitler. The Pro Bowl right guard did not suit up in Minnesota because of a groin/hip injury, and Kayode Awosika struggled in his place. Awosika drew two early holding penalties, then later jumped early on a fourth-and-inches play, forcing the Lions to punt away the possession.
****Absolutely, positively! ****
-- Since taking over in 2021, Dan Campbell has been the best in the league at fake punts, accounting for more successful conversions than everybody else combined. He opened the Minnesota game by dialing up another, but the play was doomed from the start. Jalen Reeves-Maybin took a direct snap and tried to get round the right end, and appeared to have a pitch option to rookie Sione Vaki to work with. But Reeves-Maybin held onto the football and was dropped behind the line of scrimmage. The failed attempt snowballed a difficult start, turning a three-and-out on offense (with two penalties) into a Minnesota touchdown two plays later.
***** The Vikings did a great job of recognition and execution on the Punt Fake.
I thought the Lions might try a Fake Punt in that situation. The Vikings clearly did.
I'm reluctant to criticize Dan Campbell on the Fake Punt Attempt, as the Lions Punt Team likely saw a look that led to them attempting the Fake Punt. Thankfully, the Lions overcame the failed play. ****
............
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions at Vikings preview: Game # 6 ( 2024 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/2281/lions-vikings-preview-game-2024
Instant observations: Lions take NFC North lead in comeback thriller vs Vikings
Instant observations: Lions take NFC North lead in comeback thriller vs Vikings
Updated: Oct. 20, 2024, 8:10 p.m.|Published: Oct. 20, 2024, 4:19 p.m.
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Detroit Lions have made late, critical mistakes that cost them games in Minnesota over the years. Just ask Dan Campbell. That man cried after one such loss in 2021.
They made another critical mistake on Sunday, with David Montgomery losing a fumble that was returned for a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
This time, they prevailed anyway.
Jahmyr Gibbs turned three straight touches into 34 yards in the final 2 minutes, Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown with a 14-yard bullet that moved the ball all the way to Minnesota’s 22-yard line and rookie kicker Jake Bates split the uprights on a 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left to send the Lions to a 31-29 win in an NFC North thriller on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
**** Tremendous win by the Lions! This is the type of game the Lions lost in Minnesota a multitude of times over the years. The Lions of the present aren't the same old Lions! Grit, resolve, determination, concentration, and aggressiveness on the 2024 Lions all made a major difference in the Lions pulling this game out against a very good Vikings team, that has high caliber coaching. The Lions certainly made mistakes in this game that could have cost the Lions the game. Far too many penalties, in addition to the fumble by David Montgomery that was returned for a TD immediately come to mind. Yet, the Lions took advantage of opportunities and came up big in crunch time! ****
The Lions have now won four straight games overall, matching a franchise best since 2016, to move into a first-place tie with the Vikings in the best division in football. They’re 5-1 overall and hold an important tiebreaker over Minnesota (5-1) heading into next week’s game back home against the Tennessee Titans (1-5).
Not a bad way to start the post-Aidan Hutchinson era in Detroit.
**** Without Aidan Hutchinson and without a major pass rush addition to try to help compensate for the loss of Hutch, every game is going to be a battle for the Lions to win. The Lions having beaten the Titans since they were the HOUSTON OILERS. It would be insane to take the Titans for granted, which will be a temptation, with road games in Green Bay and Houston to follow. ****
The Lions did feel the loss of their star pass rusher throughout the game, and the struggles mounted early. After opening the game with a three-and-out on offense -- a drive that featured two holding penalties and one sack -- the Lions failed to convert a fake punt. Minnesota needed just two plays to find the end zone for a quick 7-0 lead.
****The loss of RG Kevin Zeitler for this game was felt greatly in the early part of the game and at a number of other times in the game. The Lions definitely need a relatively healthy Zeitler ASAP. ****
After another three-and-out on offense -- and yet another hold, this one by Taylor Decker -- the Lions allowed another scoring drive, tacking a field goal onto their 10-0 deficit.
**** The Lions Defense did a good job preventing the Vikings from getting a 2nd consecutive TD. Vikings rookie Kicker Will Reichard made a 57 yard FG with ease to put the Vikings up 10-0. He's yet to miss a kick, through 6 games. I was very concerned that the Lions gave the Vikings too much time to help set up a game winning FG. If not for an Illegal Formation, Reichard probably would have been going for a game winning, NFL record setting 68 yard FG. With the Lions history in these type of situations, it wouldn't have been surprising on this end that Reichard would have made a 68 yard FG on the last play of the game. The Vikings have a big time Kicking weapon in Reichard! ****
Then the NFL’s highest-scoring offense woke up. Gibbs ran for a 45-yard touchdown, the longest of hisPe career, and Goff threaded a 35-yard TD pass down the right seam to St. Brown to give the Lions their first lead. Right tackle Penei Sewell might have been the star of the play though, blocking two men to buy Goff enough time to find St. Brown running free over the top.
**** Penei Sewell probably is the Lions 2nd most important player on Offense, only behind Jared Goff. Sewell made a huge positive difference as a run and pass blocker in this game, which is much more the norm than the exception for him in games. ****
They didn’t stop there, turning another Brian Branch pick into another Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown that stretched the lead to 21-10 with 23 seconds left before halftime. And they would need all of it to hold off the hard-charging Vikings.
**** With Aidan Hutchinson on IR, Brian Branch is making a strong case that he's the most valuable Defensive Player on the Lions roster. Branch's instincts and overall playmaking skills are through the roof! ****
Sam Darnold found Justin Jefferson for a 25-yard touchdown pass to open the third quarter, which Goff answered with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Raymond. But the Vikings added a field goal, then surged ahead on the rare Montgomery fumble midway through the fourth quarter.
****Justin Jefferson is the best WR in the NFL. Thankfully, the Lions did enough to prevent Jefferson from taking over the game.
Kalif Raymond had 3 catches on the drive that resulted in a TD, including a 3rd and 9 reception. Raymond plays much bigger than his size. He has the heart of a lion. ****
The Lions defense, playing its first game without Aidan Hutchinson, came up big on the 2-point conversion, holding Minnesota out of the end zone. That made it 29-28 with 6 minutes to go, and the defense generated another three-and-out to give Goff one more shot with 2:34 left.
**** Brian Branch's coverage was an immense part of preventing the Vikings from converting the 2 point attempt.
Sam Darnold's 3rd Down throw being high even for Justin Jefferson opened the door for the opportunity for the Lions to go ahead. ****
****
And with the way that guy is dealing, here’s betting Minnesota is rueing putting the ball back in his hands.
**** The Vikings Defense came up huge on the Lions previous 2 drives. The Vikings made the right decision to punt, regardless of what transpired. ****
Let’s get to some more instant observations:
-- First off, let’s give it up for Jake Bates eh? He isn’t just an NFL rookie, but didn’t so much as attempt a single field goal in college. That’s as inexperienced as it gets, and there were some inevitable struggles in training camp. But the Lions showed faith in the big-legged kicker, standing behind him through the ups and downs and eventually awarding him the starting job. Now he’s off to a 10-for-10 start as a pro, and just canned a 44-yard winner against the division leaders on the road. Not bad, kid. Not bad.
****Jake Bates seems to have the clutch factor. My guess is Dan Campbell believes this. Great job by Bates in an enormous pressure situation! ****
-- Jared Goff is on an all-time heater. Before him, there was only one quarterback who completed all his passes in the first half multiple times in his career, and that player was Peyton Manning. But Goff has now done it three times in four weeks, connecting on all 12 passes for 188 yards before halftime in Minnesota, including a dime piece to Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 35-yard touchdown.
**** Jared Goff is playing at a high to very high level! ****
Goff completed nine straight passes against Brian Flores’ blitzes, and hit on 15 overall to begin the afternoon, running his streak to 20 passes. That ended when a third-quarter pass was tipped near the line of scrimmage. No matter. Goff came right back to deliver a 22-yard bullet to Tim Patrick on second-and-15, then found Kalif Raymond for a 21-yard touchdown on third down. What a monumental series that was, snuffing out whatever momentum Minnesota hoped to get going with a Justin Jefferson touchdown to open the second half. And when the Vikings did take the lead, Goff calmly led the Lions back down the field for the game-winning field goal. He finished 22 of 25 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and no picks -- all of which came against one of the best and most aggressive defenses in the league. Dude’s on fire right now.
**** Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell, and Ben Johnson believed in Jared Goff. I think the vast majority of Lions fans now believe that Goff is a great fit for the Lions! ****
-- Brian Branch is not exactly known for braggadocio. The man usually doesn’t say much at all. He’s not being mean about it, he just prefers to let his play do the talking. Which made his comments after the Cowboys game all the more surprising.
“We the best duo in the league,” Branch said in the locker room. “Keep on feeding off each other, shoot, sky is the limit. I feel like the whole DB group this year, y’all see it. We got to keep on going. You got Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. You got one that can play the hell out of a post, and you got one that can play in the box and just -- our skill sets complement each other. I feel like no other safety duo in the league are like us.”
Surprising, considering where those words came from. But not wrong, either.
****Agreed. ****
Kerby Joseph entered the weekend second in the league in interceptions and hasn’t even been the best player at the position. Branch has been that good -- so good, it’s easy to forget he just moved to the position a few weeks ago. Now five games into the move to safety, he’s making a case to be one of the best safeties in the league.
**** Brian Branch belongs in the conversation as the best all around Safety in the NFL. ****
Branch, the reigning NFC defensive player of the week because of his two picks in Dallas, added another to his mantle in Minnesota, dropping into coverage and diving for an errant Sam Darnold pass. That’s his fourth pick in five games as an NFL safety, which is just astounding. Consider this: He’s now broken up multiple passes in all five games at safety, the longest streak by any safety since the NFL began tracking that data in 1999.
**** A 3rd Down pass breakup by Branch forced the Vikings to Punt. ****
Just monumentally difference-making stuff, and it’s coming at the best possible time. With Aidan Hutchinson banged up -- and Marcus Davenport, and John Cominsky, and now Josh Paschal too -- the Lions need their other playmakers to step into the void. Lord knows it’s not going to be Isaac Ukwu, the practice-squader who just started on the edge. The Lions have to fundamentally change how they play the game, leaning into the other strengths they still have left. And these days, there’s no biggest strength at the safety position than in Detroit.un
-- The Branch pick turned out to be a huge pivot point in the game. The Lions had already stormed back from a 10-point deficit to take a 14-10 lead in the second quarter, then used the pick to race down the field for a Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown run, his second of the half. In the end, the Lions flipped a double-digit deficit into a double-digit lead heading into halftime against the division leaders.
**** Alabama fans are likely as thrilled as Lions fans to see Brian Branch and Jahmyr Gibbs make big plays. Both players are making a positive difference in other ways on the field. Gibbs' block after the catch was a key factor in Kalif Raymond scoring a TD. ****
-- Jared Goff says the Lions have two of the five best running backs in the league. That might be a little too much, but then again, it’s hard to argue right now. The Lions flexed that depth in Minnesota, losing David Montgomery to a knee injury (he later returned), then watching Jahmyr Gibbs scream down the field for a 45-yard touchdown run on the very next series, the longest run of his career. Gibbs later added a second touchdown and accounted for 160 yards on 19 touches overall. And let’s not forget the downfield block he laid on Kalif Raymond’s touchdown in the fourth quarter, too.
Two top-five running backs in the league? I don’t know. But best 1-2 combo in the league? I can’t find anyone better right now.
**** I'm thrilled the Lions have both RBs. I feel for David Montgomery, as he very likely was substantially limited by the knee injury. For the most part, he didn't look like the usual Montgomery after he came back into the game. Montgomery's 1st Down reception, on the first Lions play from scrimmage, following Justin Jefferson's TD, was a great play, when factoring in the knee injury. Thankfully, for Montgomery's sake and overall, the fumble didn't cost the Lions the game. ****
-- The Aidan Hutchinson injury was a big talking point this week, and rightfully so. He’s the NFL sack leader for a reason, a frontrunner for defensive player of the year, and there was just no way the Lions would be able to place that guy. Especially with fellow starter Marcus Davenport already out for the year, while John Cominsky and Derrick Barnes tend to long-term injuries.
The Lions turned to Josh Paschal and practice-squader Isaac Ukwu for starting roles in Minnesota, and while Paschal did record a big second-half sack, the lack of pass rush was evident up front throughout the game. Sam Darnold had lots of time to work through his progressions and had success when he did leave the pocket, scrambling for 39 yards on four carries.
Paschal also briefly left the game with an injury, forcing the Lions to turn to James Houston and rookie defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo for critical snaps. The situation is razor-thin, and there’s still so much football to play this season. You have to think another move is coming. For now, the Lions will hope new edge rusher Isaiah Thomas -- recently signed off Cincinnati’s practice squad -- will come along fast.
****Josh Paschal was by far the Lions best DE in this game.
James Houston was quiet for the most part but he did get a key 3rd Down pressure vs. RT Brian O'Neill that helped lead to a FG, instead of the 4th QTR Drive continuing.
Isaac Ukwu wasn't much of a factor as a pass rusher. But his play recognition what was going to be a screen to RB Aaron Jones and on the trick play that Justin Jefferson wanted to throw to Sam Darnold, contributed greatly to the Lions winning the game. Very impressive, that much more for an UDRFA who isn't on the 53 man roster! ****
-- While there was a lot to like on offense, the Lions did really miss Kevin Zeitler. The Pro Bowl right guard did not suit up in Minnesota because of a groin/hip injury, and Kayode Awosika struggled in his place. Awosika drew two early holding penalties, then later jumped early on a fourth-and-inches play, forcing the Lions to punt away the possession.
****Absolutely, positively! ****
-- Since taking over in 2021, Dan Campbell has been the best in the league at fake punts, accounting for more successful conversions than everybody else combined. He opened the Minnesota game by dialing up another, but the play was doomed from the start. Jalen Reeves-Maybin took a direct snap and tried to get round the right end, and appeared to have a pitch option to rookie Sione Vaki to work with. But Reeves-Maybin held onto the football and was dropped behind the line of scrimmage. The failed attempt snowballed a difficult start, turning a three-and-out on offense (with two penalties) into a Minnesota touchdown two plays later.
***** The Vikings did a great job of recognition and execution on the Punt Fake.
I thought the Lions might try a Fake Punt in that situation. The Vikings clearly did.
I'm reluctant to criticize Dan Campbell on the Fake Punt Attempt, as the Lions Punt Team likely saw a look that led to them attempting the Fake Punt. Thankfully, the Lions overcame the failed play. ****
............
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions at Vikings preview: Game # 6 ( 2024 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/2281/lions-vikings-preview-game-2024