4 Things We Learned about Lions in 2022
The Detroit Lions were one of the most improved teams in 2022.
They didn't start out the season the greatest, winning just once in their first seven tries. Yet, they won eight of their last 10 to end the season, finishing with a 9-8 record.
Without further ado, here are four things we learned about the Lions during the '22 campaign.
Lions are a competitive, gritty NFL football team
Detroit certainly upped its level of competitiveness in the 2022 campaign.
Dan Campbell's squad went from a dismal 3-13-1 a year ago to a 9-8 team this season that was on the verge of making the postseason.
It's a credit to Campbell and the players embracing his never-give-up mentality. On a consistent basis, you saw the Lions play until the final whistle in 2022, and it helped them win several games (i.e. Week 15 against the Jets and the season finale against the Packers).
Along the way, Detroit beat multiple playoff teams (the Giants, Jaguars and Vikings), and went 5-1 against its NFC North divisional foes.
More: Ranking Lions' 17 Unrestricted Free Agents
It was quite the jump in competitiveness from year No. 1 to year No. 2 for the Brad Holmes-Campbell regime. And, by closing out the season with a victory against the Packers at Lambeau Field, Campbell's bunch made a statement that it's not going anywhere.
Going into the 2023 season, the Lions are trending in the right direction, and have all the makings of a team that should contend for a playoff spot.
Jared Goff is 'QB1' headed into 2023
Forget Goff just being a "bridge" quarterback. From all accounts, Holmes & Co. are rolling with the veteran signal-caller as the starter for another season. And guess what, Goff has more than earned that right.
"I think what Jared has done this year, he captained the ship of a top-three offense and I want to say he was top-10 statistically in most of the passing categories," Holmes told reporters Tuesday at his season-ending press conference. "We have to watch the draft, because we’re never going to turn down a good football player. So, if there’s a football player we really love, we’re gonna make sure no stone is unturned. But, I do think Jared has proven to everybody that he is the starting quarterback for us.”
The former No. 1 overall pick helped spearhead the Lions' turnaround from 1-6 to a 9-8 team that barely missed out on making the playoffs. And, like Holmes said, Goff had a fine statistical season, too.
The one-time L.A. Rams passer played turnover-free football for most of the season (threw just seven interceptions). And, he finished the 2022 season on an impressive stretch.
In Detroit's final nine games, Goff threw for 15 touchdowns, as opposed to zero interceptions. Additionally, he completed an average of 67 percent of his passes, and recorded a passer rating of 105.9.
For the season, the two-time Pro Bowl QB threw for 29 touchdowns (the second-highest total of his career), and produced a 61.2 QBR (the fifth-best mark among all qualified passers in 2022).
Goff appears to be Detroit's "QB1" headed into the 2023 season, and based on his play this past season, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
Defense needs more work
For anyone that watched the Lions in 2022, it's obvious that the defense needs to be upgraded this offseason (and on a variety of levels).
For most of the campaign, Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn's unit struggled with both stopping the run and the pass. Additionally, there were too many times where the defense allowed chunk plays (i.e. Week 16 against the Panthers).
Going into the offseason, Holmes and the Lions' front office should look to add an interior defensive lineman, a reinforcement or two at linebacker and multiple defensive backs.
And, as I talked about in my offseason storylines piece, I'd be looking to add two defensive players with Detroit's two first-round selections in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Lions appear to have several building blocks for the future on the defensive side of the ball now (i.e. EDGEs Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston and safety Kerby Joseph). However, Glenn's unit is far from a finished product, and certainly needs some work done to it over the offseason.
Lions look for more than talent in their player evaluations
Sure, the Lions are in the business of building a team with talented football players. Every NFL team has to prioritize that when constructing a roster.
However, perhaps more than any other team in the league, the Holmes-Campbell regime has also emphasized acquiring high-character, high-energy guys that genuinely love playing football. It's an integral element of the culture that the duo has established in Motown in two years on the job.
So, if Holmes and Campbell don't believe a player will be able to easily adapt to the culture, there's a strong likelihood that the tandem will pass on the player (and even if he's a high-end talent).
Don't expect this player-acquisition strategy to change in the upcoming offseason, either.
