Grades: Lions Play Complete Game in Dominant Victory
The Detroit Lions drubbed the Jacksonville Jaguars, 40-14, Sunday at Ford Field.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell led his team to yet another win, boosting the team’s record to 5-7. It’s the team’s fourth win in five tries, with the last two wins coming by double digits.
Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson called a gem, as the Lions never punted and maintained possession for over 36 minutes.
Here are the grades for each position group, based on the team's performance Sunday.
Quarterback: A
Jared Goff was excellent Sunday, completing 31-of-41 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns. He was turnover free, and completely in command of an offense that was humming on all cylinders.
Behind Goff’s leadership, the Lions scored on every drive, except for the game-ending kneel downs. He was crisp in his passes, getting the ball out of his hand quickly and cleanly.
His best throw of the day came in the first half, when he launched a deep pass to wide receiver DJ Chark, who pulled the ball into his outstretched hands for a 41-yard gain.
Goff played a superb game Sunday, and looked to be enjoying himself while doing it. He was seen high-fiving fans after his second touchdown pass, and shared a smiling moment with his offensive coordinator in Johnson.
Goff has dealt with criticism all season long, so Sunday’s performance came with plenty of vindication.
David Reginek, USA TODAY Sports
Running backs: A
D’Andre Swift had his biggest performance since Week 2, which was an encouraging sign, given the struggles that he’s had recently. He appeared rejuvenated after weeks of getting light touches, totaling over 100 all-purpose yards for the first time since the season opener.
Swift scored his fourth touchdown of the season in the third quarter, stretching over the goal line to bump Detroit’s advantage to 30-6. He finished with a game-high 62 rushing yards, in addition to 49 receiving yards.
Jamaal Williams, meanwhile, scored his league-leading 14th touchdown in the first quarter. He had a quieter day, but was still productive, with 35 rushing yards (on 11 carries). Justin Jackson added 19 yards (on three catches).
Wide receivers: A
Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark were both highly productive Sunday, keying Detroit’s passing attack. Chark posted season-high marks in both catches and yards, hauling in five passes for 98 yards. St. Brown added 11 catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns.
The toughness of St. Brown was on full display Sunday, as he took two massive hits and managed to hold onto the ball each time. On Detroit’s first possession, he bobbled the ball, but held on after taking a big hit.
In the third quarter, St. Brown was once again smacked over the middle, but maintained possession to convert a first down. His efforts were rewarded with two touchdowns.
Josh Reynolds caught three passes for 19 yards, while Kalif Raymond added two catches for 12 yards. Jameson Williams was active for the first time, but his only target fell incomplete.
Tight ends: A
Brock Wright had two catches for 25 yards, while Shane Zylstra had one catch for four yards. Both, along with rookie James Mitchell, were active as run blockers.
Wright caught a short screen pass, and turned it into a 14-yard gain, his longest catch of the day.
With a fully operational receiving corps, the tight ends were not utilized in the passing game as much as in recent weeks. However, the trio continued to make its presence felt in the run game.
Offensive line: B+
After a rough effort against the Buffalo Bills, Detroit’s offensive line bounced back in a big way against the Jaguars. Jonah Jackson returned to the lineup, while tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker performed admirably.
Goff was sacked twice, but the losses totaled just three yards. Each sack came at the end of a lengthy scramble attempt by the quarterback. At times, the Lions struggled to handle rookie Travon Walker, but the unit was largely sound.
Defensive line: A
Detroit’s defensive line is finding its stride at the right time. The emergence of young players like John Cominsky and James Houston, coupled with Aidan Hutchinson’s continued growth, has paid dividends.
David Reginek, USA TODAY Sports
The Lions limited Travis Etienne to just 54 yards, on 13 carries, stone-walling the Jaguars’ rushing attack. They were also able to generate plenty of pressure on young quarterback Trevor Lawrence, notching two sacks and getting in his face plenty.
Hutchinson and Benito Jones teamed up for a sack, while James Houston notched the third sack of his career in just his second game. Cominsky, meanwhile, tipped a pass, and nearly notched an interception.
Linebackers: A
Alex Anzalone recovered a fumble on the second play of the game, setting the tone for the Lions' defense. He finished with five tackles, including one for loss.
Rookie Malcolm Rodriguez performed well, totaling three tackles. Derrick Barnes also notched a tackle for loss, while Chris Board had one tackle.
Etienne’s abilities as a receiver posed a concern for the Lions, given the amount of man coverage they play. But, the linebackers did a good job in limiting him to just 12 yards (on three carries).
Secondary: B
Had Christian Kirk not gone for 104 yards on six catches, the Lions’ secondary would’ve had a day to remember. Kirk gave the cornerback trio of Jerry Jacobs, Jeff Okudah and Will Harris fits, as his quickness and sharp route-running was hard to contain.
Jacobs, to his credit, nearly came down with a second-quarter interception on a pass that went off his hands.
The safeties had a strong afternoon, led by DeShon Elliott’s forced fumble on the second play from scrimmage. In addition to his tone-setting play, Elliott finished with six tackles.
Rookie safety Kerby Joseph finished with a team-leading eight tackles.
Special teams: A
It was a smooth day for the Lions’ special teams units. Kicker Michael Badgley nailed four field goals, while Jack Fox only participated on kickoffs. For the first time all season, the Lions kept their punt team off the field.
Justin Jackson had a 39-yard kick return, while Kalif Raymond finished with 20 yards on two punt returns.
Coaching: A
Ben Johnson played a starring role in Sunday’s win, as every play he called turned to gold. The Lions' offense was firing on all cylinders, and amassed 437 total yards.
Campbell also made all the right moves. He made the decision to kick field goals rather than try to convert fourth downs, and wisely managed the game clock on a late field-goal drive in the first half.
Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn saw his unit bend plenty in the first half, but made plenty of adjustments to limit Jacksonville to just 14 points. Backed up twice in the first half, the defense rebounded, and held the Jaguars to field goals.
Sunday serves as the Lions’ largest win since a 2018 victory over the Green Bay Packers. It also marks Detroit’s fourth win in its last five games, creating a palpable buzz about the future of the organization.
