The Detroit Lions have their mojo back. On offense, at least.
Held to 20 points or less in regulation each of the first three weeks, the Lions exploded for six touchdowns Monday to beat the Seattle Seahawks, 42-29, in a battle of two of the NFC’s best teams at Ford Field.
The Lions (3-1) looked sluggish offensively in their first three games, running the ball well in spurts but lacking consistency overall. They got back to their run-first identity in last week’s win over the Arizona Cardinals, and hit all the right buttons – rushing and passing – Monday.
David Montgomery set the tone again with 39 yards rushing on seven carries on the opening drive, and Jared Goff had maybe his best game as a Lion, completing all 18 of his passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns.
Before Monday, only six players in NFL history have finished a game with a 100% completion rate with at least eight attempts, and Goff is the first QB to finish perfect with more than 10 attempts and first to do it with over 200 yards.
Goff's Perfect Performance
More than his perfect completion percentage, Goff did a magnificent job of evading and avoiding pressure. He was quick to find his check downs. He spread the ball around (completing passes to seven different receivers). And he authored a handful of big plays.
Jameson Williams scored on a 70-yard over route when the Lions caught Seattle in a six-man blitz. Montgomery broke three tackles on a 40-yard catch and run. And Goff caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Amon-Ra St. Brown on an end-around pass.
Trickeration aside, Goff played Monday like the quarterback who led the Lions to the NFC championship game last season and earned a massive extension this spring. If he plays near the same level going forward, the Lions will be tough to beat.
A Defensive Bright Spot
Carlton Davis III was flagged three times for pass interference Monday. That’s not good, but I thought his play overall was.
Davis spent most of the game in single coverage against DK Metcalf (seven catches, 104 yards). He had seven tackles, one for loss, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery that set up a Lions touchdown.
Davis was in coverage on Jake Bobo on the Seahawks’ failed two-point try in the third quarter, and he blanketed Metcalf on a jump ball in the end zone late in the game. Neither he nor the secondary were perfect; Terrion Arnold had two defensive holding penalties, a pass interference call and was out of position on Kenneth Walker III’s long run.
But in a game the Lions played without three defensive starters and didn’t tackle all that well in the second half, Davis was a bright spot overall.
A Night to Remember
The Lions honored Hall-of-Fame receiver Calvin Johnson in a halftime ceremony Monday, making him the 21st member of the Pride of the Lions. Johnson had a brilliant nine-year career and I was fortunate to cover most of it. I was there when he set the single-season NFL record for receiving yards, when he had 211 yards in his playoff debut against the New Orleans Saints and for most of the amazing catches he made over multiple defenders.
Johnson’s induction into the Pride of the Lions, nine years after his retirement, was long overdue, and my colleague Carlos Monarrez asked a question on press row Monday that got me thinking: Who will be the next Lion to get that honor?
Ndamukong Suh is the first name that comes to mind for me. Suh is a borderline Hall-of-Famer who had his best years – three first-team All-Pros – in Detroit. He only played five years as a Lion, so that might not be enough. Carlos suggested Robert Porcher, and Porcher and his 95.5 sacks may be more likely given the role he played on the team in the 1990s.
Kevin Glover, the longtime Lions center who helped open holes for Barry Sanders, is another name worthy of discussion, but as good as he was I’m not sure his credentials as a three-time Pro Bowler warrant induction.
One aside on Johnson’s ceremony, Lions owner Sheila Hamp was roundly cheered when she introduced Calvin to the sellout Ford Field crowd Sunday, a vastly different reception than she received at Johnson’s Hall-of-Fame ring ceremony in 2021.
Hamp deserved the cheers, and probably never should have been booed in the first place for the (football-related) sins of her family. But, wow, what a difference winning makes.
