Instead of the dread associated with the Detroit Lions, there is rejoicing and optimism for many reasons. The Lions won the NFC North title after their 30-24 win against the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Eve, their first division win in over 30 years when it was the Central Division. Their 12-5 record is the second-best in franchise history (the first 12-win season was in 1991). They clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2016, and this Sunday, they host their first-ever playoff game in Ford Field. Does that sound like the 'Same Old Lions' to you?
Of course, the mission is to continue to debunk that as they face the LA Rams, expecting an old friend back to the den (Matthew Stafford); nevertheless, this season for Detroit generated cheerfulness for beloved Lions fans and critics. They enter the playoffs at +2100 Super Bowl odds, according to BetMGM, the eighth-best odds in the league. They also have the third-best odds to win the NFC at 14% below the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. So, how did the Lions make this season possible? Let's pinpoint a few reasons, from the rookies to the playcalling from the coach who believes in biting off kneecaps.
Ravishing Offensive Rookies
Among the rookies drafted this season, the two highest offensive rookies were RB Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama picked at 12th overall, and TE Sam LaPorta from Iowa picked at 34th overall. When draft grades were out, the reviews were very mixed. Some thought the Lions did a fair job, while others were skeptical. One writer from Yahoo Sports gave the Lions an "F" for a draft grade, stating that taking Gibbs while signing David Montgomery from Chicago felt "extremely rich" and that Sam LaPorta was a "head-scratcher." These two turned out to be rich for the Lions in a great way, as they made history within their rights and made QB Jared Goff's job easier maneuvering through the offense.
Gibbs recorded 945 yards off 182 carries for 10 TDs. He was just 55 yards short from recording a 1000-yard rushing season, which his counterpart Montgomery did at 1015 yards, his first since 2020. Detroit wanted a two-punch rushing system with Montgomery-Gibbs, which paid off, especially when Jamhyr got more comfortable during big moments. In Detroit's first Monday Night Football contest since 2018 in Oct, he exploded for 189 total yards and 1 TD (152 rushing yards and 37 receiving yards). Gibbs became the first rookie running back to have over 100 rushing yards and over 30 receiving yards since Mr. Barry Sanders. He continued to make great strides week by week and had another 100-yard rushing game in Week 15's 41-17 home win against the Denver Broncos. Gibbs' main strength is his speed and ability to control it, whether going straight ahead or having to juke and break tackles.
Sam Laporta recorded 86 catches for 889 yards and 10 TDs. What Laporta accomplished this season put him in the history books for Detroit and Tight End University. He broke the NFL record for receptions by a rookie tight end. He also broke the Lions franchise record for receiving touchdowns and receiving yards by a rookie. It's impeccable to see how he's in the right spot whenever Goff throws the ball and how he uses his strength to grab some of the toughest receptions. You have to remind yourself that he's just a rookie; that's how great he looks. Both LaPorta and Gibbs made history by becoming the first pair of rookie teammates to score ten or more touchdowns in a season and record over 2,000 scrimmage yards.
Improving Defense
Detroit's defense has been hustling all year as opposed to the previous years, making success when it mattered the most. This season, they rank 2nd in rushing defense (88.8 yards allowed) and tenth in third-down defense (37%). This has resulted in getting stops and stopping running backs from having big days.
Individually, a few defensive men had career highs: LB Alex Anzalone in total tackles (129), solo tackles (85), and sacks (3) & second-year DE Aidan Hutchinson in sacks (11.5). Safety Kerby Joseph leads the team in interceptions (4), while rookies Brian Branch (3 interceptions) and Jack Campbell (95 total tackles and 2 sacks) had a great presence in the defense.
The defensive impact had been a big difference, whether in Week 1 or clinching the NFC North title. Notable moments from the defense include Branch's first career INT in the 21-20 win against the Chiefs, Hutchinson's game-winning strip-sack in Week 11's 31-26 win against the Chicago Bears, and four total inceptions in the division-clinching win against the Vikings.
Aggression on 4th Down
Detroit has the second-highest 4th down attempts at 40 and had the second-most completions at 21, which is a 52.5% rate. HC Dan Campbell loves a challenge, and when it comes to 4th down he loves to find the best opportunity to keep the needle pushing. This is the way the Lions play "fast, physical, and violent."
There are so many examples of this playing positively for the Lions, including Week 1's conversion against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1st quarter where they faked a punt to get the 1st down by LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin; Week 10's 41-38 win against the Los Angeles Chargers, completing 4 of 5 conversions, and Week 16's 30-24 win against the Vikings where they made two straight conversions to end up getting the 24-21 lead in the third quarter by an Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown. These conversions are necessary to keep the ball in possession as much as possible, which helps result in wins.
There are times when it can be a bit too risky. That was very evident in Week 17's loss against the Cowboys when the 2-point conversion at the last minute failed. The result was an illegal formation call on OT Taylor Decker and a 20-19 loss for the Lions. However, that doesn't mean that the Lions should not be aggressive because it's all a part of the grit culture that's put them in this position to compete.
That grit will be tested to the next level as they face the Rams on Sunday at 8:00 pm EST on NBC. This is the 1st matchup in post-season history between QBs facing their former team, and the Lions have to re-write history in this particular moment as they are 0-9 all-time in Wild Card playoff games.
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