Lions' Week 2 Grades: Amon-Ra St. Brown Shines, Pass Rush Comes to Life

The first win is out of the way for the Detroit Lions.

After waiting until Week 13 of the 2021 season, head coach Dan Campbell and company claimed their first win in 2022 in Week 2. The Lions defeated the Washington Commanders, 36-27, moving the team to 1-1 on the young season.

Here are the grades for each position group in Sunday’s victory.

Quarterbacks: A

Goff put forth what is likely his best performance as a Lion Sunday. The veteran quarterback tossed four touchdowns, and didn’t turn the ball over. As a result of the mistake-free performance, the Lions looked as good as they’ve ever offensively under Campbell.

There were still occasional missed throws sprinkled in, and Detroit’s wideouts dropped passes. But, it was a clean showing for the most part. Goff wasn’t afraid to press the issue when needed, tossing the ball downfield on a handful of occasions. He narrowly missed a touchdown on a flea-flicker, with his pass to DJ Chark deflected away.

Overall, Goff was impressive, and did enough to win the game. In the season-opener, his pick-six served as the difference in the loss. He avoided the mistake Sunday, and the offense looked efficient and dangerous as a result.

Running backs: B

With Goff throwing 34 times, the running backs weren’t asked to do a ton. D’Andre Swift entered the game dealing with an injury, and ran the ball just five times but totaled 87 all-purpose yards, thanks in part to a receiving touchdown. Swift also had a 50-yard run early in the game.

Jamaal Williams averaged 4.4 yards per carry (on 12 attempts), notching 53 yards on the ground. However, he had a long of just 12 yards running, behind an offensive line missing three of its five starters.

Craig Reynolds also saw action, rushing three times for 16 yards and catching a 13-yard pass on a check-down from Goff.

Wide receivers: B+

Amon-Ra St. Brown set an NFL record in the win. With his nine-catch, 116-yard performance, he became the first player in league history to catch at least eight passes and score a touchdown in six consecutive games.

The receiver also ran the ball twice, including a 58-yard dash that set up Swift’s touchdown in the third quarter. The second-year wideout is proving himself to be a top young talent in the league, with his versatile display Sunday serving as a showcase.

Elsewhere, Josh Reynolds reached the end zone for the first time in 2022, with a 3-yard reception in the second quarter. He finished with three receptions for 38 yards.

Chark was not a factor, as he finished without a catch (on four targets). Quintez Cephus didn’t receive a target, but had a good downfield block on Swift’s big run.

Tight ends: B-

T.J. Hockenson made an impressive catch in the fourth quarter, but didn’t make a sizable impact on the Lions’ offense Sunday afternoon. The talented tight end finished with three catches, on seven targets, and twice couldn’t complete catches through contact.

Brock Wright, meanwhile, made an acrobatic grab to set up a touchdown later in the final quarter. It was the first catch of the season for the second-year tight end, who makes his mark as a run-blocker.

Offensive line: B-

The Lions did an admirable job putting an offensive line together on short notice. Three of the team’s five starters were out of action on Sunday, and the Lions were forced to start Logan Stenberg and Dan Skipper at guard, with Evan Brown at center.

The unit played well enough to win, but was not without its flaws. On the first series, Goff was sacked when the line failed to pick up a stunted blitzing linebacker. Detroit’s quarterback was sacked three times on the day.

Yet, the Lions were able to amass nearly 200 yards rushing. Averaging eight yards a carry, Detroit was successful on the afternoon moving the football. For a group comprised of three backups, it was more than acceptable.

Defensive line: A-

The first half was the Aidan Hutchinson show. The rookie, out of Michigan, finished with three sacks in the first two quarters, and totaled six tackles in all. All throughout the game, the unit was able to put pressure on Carson Wentz and make him uncomfortable.

Washington didn’t notch its first first down until the second quarter, as the Lions’ defensive line made Wentz constantly uncomfortable. After Detroit’s offense turned the ball over on downs near the goal line, Charles Harris strip-sacked Wentz, resulting in a safety.

John Cominsky had another solid showing, but suffered a hand injury late. His condition is worth monitoring, as he had an X-ray after the game. Meanwhile, the defensive tackle duo of Isaiah Buggs and Alim McNeill held Washington to 88 rushing yards (on 21 attempts).

The Lions finished with five sacks in total. Hutchinson had three, while Harris and Cominsky each had one.

Linebackers: B-

Malcolm Rodriguez made his second straight start next to Alex Anzalone, and started with a bang. On his first defensive series, he got pressure on Wentz, and nearly notched a sack. He finished the game with eight tackles.

However, the Lions struggled in the second half, as Wentz attacked the second level of the field with his speedy receivers. Rodriguez missed an open field tackle in the fourth quarter, and Wentz tossed a touchdown to tight end Logan Thomas over the middle of the field.

The unit was also fooled on a wheel route, as nobody covered Curtis Samuel on his touchdown grab. Later, it bit on a play-action fake that allowed Samuel to run free for a big gain.

Secondary: C-

In the first half, the back of Detroit’s defense wasn’t asked to do too much, while the defensive line tormented Wentz. The second half was a different story, as the Commanders were able to generate time for downfield passes.

Wentz finished the day with 337 passing yards and three touchdown passes. Will Harris, who was thrust into the starting lineup after Amani Oruwariye was ruled out, was beaten for a long completion, but rebounded with an interception.

Jeff Okudah was serviceable in his second start covering Terry McLaurin, who had 78 yards (on four catches).

Okudah finished with five tackles. Tracy Walker III also finished with five stops.

Special teams: A-

The Lions allowed one kick return of note, as Washington’s Dax Milne dashed 33 yards on an attempt. However, the unit was sound otherwise in covering kicks, and held the Commanders in check. JuJu Hughes and Josh Woods made play after play covering kicks and punts.

Jack Fox averaged 54 yards on his five punts, while kicker Austin Seibert made both of his field-goal attempts. Kalif Raymond also returned the free kick, following the safety, 52 yards, and was one broken tackle away from a score.

Coaching: B+

There were no head-scratching timeouts to speak of, and both sides of the ball had solid gameplans. The Lions were sound in their time management.

The decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal in the first quarter, rather than take the points, was questionable. But, Detroit’s defense delivered a safety after the offense was stopped.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was comfortable in his calls, as he opened the playbook up early.

There was the flea-flicker attempt to start the second quarter, and later, he called a jet sweep with St. Brown that resulted in a big gain. Goff was comfortable, as well, making all the right reads and delivering on key throws.

Defensively, Aaron Glenn’s scheme caused all sorts of problems for Washington’s front line. The secondary struggles are a concern, but the defensive line showed firepower. It was a much better showing than in the opener.