It wasn’t a stress-free football, but regardless, it will be considered a victory for the Detroit Lions against the Green Bay Packers.
Both teams tried their best to win and lose this match, with a good number of errors and misses leaving points off the board. Despite a game in which both teams combined for over 700 yards of offense, the final score was only 20-17. Luckily for Detroit, they came out on the winning side of this high-wire act. The bye week proved successful for the Lions, picking up a victory over a divisional opponent. With the Minnesota Vikings on deck, we hope they can string together two wins in the NFC North.
Which players emerged winners or losers from an eventful Sunday match?
Note: The label “loser” is used to evaluate and contrast in-game performance and is not an accusation of a player’s abilities, worth, or character. The term is not meant to be disrespectful.
Winners: Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
“The best way to keep the Packers defense honest and open is to test them deep with Jameson Williams.”
That was a quote from Erik Schlitt in his Keys to the Game, and he hit the nail on the head. Even though Amon-Ra St. Brown led the team in receiving yards, I would say Williams was just as impactful. Williams’ speed was a real threat to the Packers defense and facilitated many offensive successes. The Packers have a strong pair of safeties, but with their focus on covering Williams and deep shooting, that left plenty of room for St. Brown to disrupt the defense.
St. Brown was dynamite, recording nine catches for a total of 153 yards. He contributed in multiple ways, from catching the long bomb (40 yards) to producing yards after the catch. As for Williams, he was no slouch either, scoring two critical touchdowns and running away with a third. He finished the day with five catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns.
It’s not hard to see how well these two complement each other. In any given week, one or both of them could break out: opposing defenses have to pick their poison.
The Lions’ highly anticipated free agent debut went as poorly as possible. Mays struggled in the trenches, perhaps a symptom of being away for more than two months. In pass protection, he was often pushed back into the pocket (he was credited with the only sack allowed). When it comes to the running game, the majority of the Lions’ success has come from plays toward the perimeter, away from Mays.
Unfortunately for Mays, he was at the forefront of two crucial fumbles. On the final drive of the first half, with the Lions poised to score at least a field goal, Mays unintentionally forced a fumble on Jahmyr Gibbs, scoring zero points for the Lions. The Lions received the ball to start the second half, but it was wasted on a botched snap between Mays and Jared Goff. Goff blamed himself for the play, but it’s nonetheless an unfortunate stain on Mays’ debut. This fumble was recovered by the Packers. Instead of the Lions trailing by multiple scores, the Packers were able to score and take the lead in a back-and-forth game.
Given that Juice Scruggs was playing well before Mays returned, there will be an active discussion on how the Lions should approach the center position moving forward. I think it would be too harsh to bench him so soon, but I would like to see him bounce back in his next start.
Glad to see you again! The Lions needed a game-changer in the secondary and they got exactly that with Branch. The Lions still had their share of hiccups on defense, but the addition of Branch to the lineup gives them a higher ceiling and floor. He made a great interception to bring Ford Field to life after back-to-back drives ended in fumbles. His impact goes beyond picks, however, as he plays a central role in run defense (four tackles, including three stops per PFF) and pass defense (one pass defended and no receptions allowed, per PFF).
With only Chuck Clark and Keith Abney at safety, they had to shoulder the burden of a struggling secondary. Now that Branch is in the mix, everyone’s job becomes easier. Clark and Abney were solid on Sunday, while the secondary in general looked sharper. Branch’s snap count will continue to rise in the coming weeks, but it’s clear they need him on the field early and often.
On the one hand, when St. Brown and Williams are buzzing, it’s no surprise to see them dominate target share. However, given how often the Lions were airing it (32 Jared Goff attempts), one would expect to see LaPorta at least somewhat involved. Instead, LaPorta was a ghost.
LaPorta only had two targets that day, only one of which resulted in a catch. It was, to his credit, a big 18-yard gain to help spur a late-game drive, but these types of plays need to happen in every quarter, not in the final minutes of a game. This performance looms large following his public complaints about the status of his contract last week. A game like this won’t change his price to Detroit or another contender, but you hope for a bigger impact nonetheless.
Winner: Khalil Dorsey, BC
Khalil Dorsey had been a special teams ace for the Lions, but he could play a defensive role as well. He only saw limited action (14 snaps on defense), but he was nailed when targeted. He was stride for stride with speedster Matthew Golden on a miss and then recorded a pass breakup on a deep shot to Bo Melton. He then added a tackle on Christian Watson along the sideline to limit him to a short five-yard gain.
The Lions have rotated their cornerbacks throughout the season to try to find an answer, and Dorsey was up next this week. Overall, it was a success, but we must recognize that it was a small sample size. His play should warrant more snaps in the coming weeks, although that might be out of necessity with Ennis Rakestraw nursing an ankle injury:
Winner: Kelvin Sheppard, DC
A paper tiger indeed. Despite the Packers entering this game with a high-flying passing attack built on YOLO ball (and fishing for defensive pass interference), the Lions turned in one of their best defensive performances on Sunday. The return of Brian Branch (who snagged an interception) undoubtedly helped with communication on the back end. Now the Lions were limited to a few missed coverages: progress!
The tape will be interesting to review, but you have to thank Sheppard’s defense for locking down what can be a potent offense. Josh Jacobs, making his return from suspension, had just 36 yards on 11 carries – the Packers running game as a whole continues to struggle. Deep-lying playmakers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden combined for 11 catches for 96 yards. Tucker Kraft did break free for a touchdown, but one could also argue that Jack Campbell was impeded by Watson on his route – whether that was legal or illegal is up to you to debate.
The Lions got help from poor officiating, several Packers drops, and some coaching antics from Matt LaFleur, but the defense as a whole has now put together back-to-back solid outings. If they can crack down more on critical downs (the Packers were 3-for-4 on fourth down), it’s not hard to imagine this defense looking adequate. Given the start of the season, this is welcome growth.
Overall, the offense was effective and I would normally keep Petzing out of the “Loser” category. However, the Lions self-destructed in too many key moments.
Detroit was 0-for-2 on fourth-down attempts. One failed attempt occurred on a red-zone drive that stalled at the six-yard line; three consecutive low percentage passes will do that. The next turnover on downs was almost the end of the game. On fourth-and-1, the Lions telegraphed a run and Green Bay brought it home. The slow-developing run was quickly stopped for a loss of two yards. This gave Green Bay the ball deep in Lions territory, but they lucked out with a touchdown dropped by Josh Jacobs on third down and a missed/partially blocked 35-yard field goal on fourth down.
Key moments come when your offensive coordinator needs to be at his best, and Petzing just wasn’t today.
Winners: Tyleik Williams and Alim McNeill, DT
Yet another game in which the Lions have ample interior pressure without sacrificing their run defense. Williams’ development and McNeill’s rebounding have been crucial to the Lions’ defensive line’s success so far this season.
Winner: Aidan Hutchinson, DE
He recorded a sack, drew a holding penalty and applied relentless and frequent pressure – you take that from your star pass rusher.
Winners: Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge, OG
While Mays struggled on Sunday, the guards next to him had a productive day as pass blockers and run blockers. For Mahogany in particular, he has solidified himself at left guard despite competition from Juice Scruggs.
Loser: Skyler Gill-Howard, DT
He’s always a fun player to watch, but he wasn’t as effective rushing the passer this week despite the Packers being down to their third-string center.
Winner: DJ Reed, CB
A big play from Reed. He continues to be an asset in run defense and has been fiery in coverage against some good Packers receivers. He had a pass breakup and also made a brilliant read of the Packers’ fourth-down attempt late in the game to force a turnover on downs.
Loser: Ennis Rakestaw, BC
Rakestraw was playing well, but left the game with an ankle injury. I hate to write off any player due to injury, but Rakestraw in particular needs to shake off the injury bug that has plagued him thus far in his career.
Winner: DJ Wonnum, DE
A modest day as a passer was saved by a game-changing field goal deflection late in the fourth quarter.
Winner: Jared Goff, QB
Goff was pretty sharp on the day, racking up yet another 300-yard game while throwing two touchdowns. He was also putting a serious spin on his throws downfield. The reason he doesn’t get a bigger winning section is because he was lucky to avoid at least two interceptions. And if he takes responsibility for the botched instant trade, it also hurts his overall day.
Gn sports
