7 Winners from Lions' Dominant Win over Broncos
The Detroit Lions didn't waste their opportunity to get back into the win column in front of a national audience.
After losing two of their last three games, the Lions bounced back with a superb showing in a nationally televised, primetime showdown with the Denver Broncos.
The Lions knocked off the Broncos, 42-17, in a thorough performance, leading wire to wire after a scoreless first quarter. Here are seven winners from Saturday's game.
S Ifeatu Melifonwu
It was a statement effort for Melifonwu, who was making his second start of the season at safety. On Denver's first possession, the Syracuse product sacked Russell Wilson, and forced a fumble.
This takeaway ended a Broncos drive that was inside Detroit's red zone. That started what was a very solid showing for the third-year defender.
When the night ended, Melifonwu had recorded nine tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, two quarterback hits and two passes defensed. After spending much of the season sidelined with injury and playing behind Tracy Walker III, Melifonwu has staked his claim at a starting position moving forward.
QB Jared Goff
There were no issues with turnovers in primetime, as Goff was rocking Saturday night. The passer tied a career-high with five touchdown passes, committed no turnovers and demonstrated a smooth control in leading the Lions to a rout.
He hit Sam LaPorta for three touchdowns and Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs for one each. There was no carryover from his struggles in recent weeks, as his accuracy was on point.
Eight different Lions caught a pass as the veteran passer distributed the ball nicely amongst the plethora of playmakers. In all, Goff went 24-for-34 for 278 yards.
TE Sam LaPorta
LaPorta made history Saturday night, breaking the Lions' record for receiving touchdowns by a rookie. He hauled in three scores, including both the first and last scores recorded by the offense Saturday.
His first score was an impressive display of athleticism, as he weaved between defenders after catching a throwback screen pass.
LaPorta also converted a third down with a crisp pass from Goff over the middle of the field. He has become a security blanket for the veteran passer and is inching closer to the NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end, which is currently held by Mike Ditka at 1,076.
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
St. Brown was yearning to bounce back after back-to-back subpar performances. He did so in a big way under the bright lights, catching seven passes for 112 yards and a score.
His second quarter touchdown catch featured a mesmerizing leap into the end zone over a defender. The score was his seventh of the year, which sets a personal season-high.
He has also well surpassed his previous career-high in single-season yards, as he moved past the 1,100 mark for the first time in his three year career.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Gibbs was a force on the ground against a Denver defense that has struggled to stop the run. He averaged 9.1 yards per carry on his 11 attempts, good for an even 100 yards on the ground.
The rookie posted two scores on the evening, one through the air and one on the ground. He also logged a 34-yard run that featured multiple impressive moves to elude defenders.
With each game, the No. 12 overall pick has continued to accumulate impressive performances. He's passed 1,000 scrimmage yards on the season, with 792 rushing and 296 receiving.
DE Josh Paschal
The Lions have been searching for a reliable edge presence to work opposite Aidan Hutchinson throughout the season. On Saturday, Paschal put in a bid by recording his first sack of the season.
Paschal has been limited by injuries since the Lions drafted him in the second round of last year's Draft. This season, a lengthy injured reserve stint knocked him out multiple weeks.
However, he's impressed as a run defender since returning and took another step forward Saturday by taking down Russell Wilson.
WR Jameson Williams
Williams didn't score a touchdown, but he had another very encouraging performance. He notched a career-high in catches with four, and posted 47 receiving yards.
The young wideout converted two first downs when the Lions got behind the chains, and later hauled in an impressive, leaping grab that caused him to briefly leave the game.
Williams didn't have a catch last week, and had just one the week before. So, Saturday's showing demonstrated a confidence that the Lions' offense has in him, as the team gears up for a potential postseason opportunity.
