Lions Win Overtime Thriller 26-20
The Detroit Lions won their season opener against the Los Angeles Rams this past weekend by a score of 26- 20. It was great to see the city of Detroit return in style and represent yet another sold-out stadium at Ford Field. Several stars shined during the Lions’ win.
Jared Goff had a less-than-stellar game. But he was good enough to open up the season. The Lions Quarterback completed 18 of his 28 passes and had 217 passing yards to go with one touchdown and an interception. Jared Goff proved in the end that the Lion’s offense means business.
Wide Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown only contributed 13 receiving yards on 13 catches. While Amon-Ra has proven that he is easily a top-five wide receiver in this league, he was a non-factor in this one. Detroit saw a low contribution from the tight end spot as well, with Sam Laporta only catching 4 passes and being held to 45 yards.
Lions Win Behind Strong Running Game
As usual, the Lion’s ground game showed why they were one of the most dominant forces a season ago. The team rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 40 yards along with a score. The more physical David Montgomery chipped in with 91 yards and a game-winning touchdown. The offensive line did not skip a beat after the loss of Jonah Jackson last year and held out against the Rams front seven.
The solid play even appeared on Detroit’s defensive side of the ball. The Lions’ secondary answered a lot of questions in their performance. Last time Detroit and Los Angeles met, the Rams passed for nearly 370 yards. While not superb, this game, LA mustered up 304 yards through the air, and Matthew Stafford has to pass far more often.
The defensive line also made some solid plays. Aidan Hutchinson had 1 sack and 3 tackles. More importantly, Aidan managed 11 quarterback pressures himself! Marcus Davenport made his presence known as well. The three-headed monster, including Alim Mcneill, made it difficult for the Rams to run the ball effectively. This made a huge difference in the game by making the Rams very one-dimensional. This was a big factor in the Lions’ win.
The Star of The Game
The star of the game came from the Wide Receiver position. Jameson Williams had the game Lions fans had been waiting two years for. Jamo put up 121 yards on five catches and a long 52-yard score in the third quarter. This was such a pivotal part of the Lions’ win on Sunday. Jameson Williams is what this team needs. Nothing will stop this team if he can step in games where the opposing defense has schemed Amon-Ra and Sam Laporta out.
Detroit has a long way to go before we can talk playoffs and beyond, but this team has ultra-high expectations, and they should. Detroit has one of the best overall squads in the league now, and they’re poised for great things. There are only a few things that can stand in their way to clinching their first Super Bowl berth in franchise history.
3 Biggest Threats to a Lions Super Bowl
The Detroit Lions are a supremely talented NFL team in 2024. They were just named the favorite by Sports Illustrated to win the Super Bowl this year. As Lions fans we are in a unique situation for the first time in our franchise’s history. We now are looking at what could possibly prevent our Detroit Lions from making it to their first ever Super Bowl game. But what are the biggest threats to Detroit making the Super Bowl?
With the start of the NFL regular season right around the corner, there is a ton of hype surrounding our beloved Detroit Lions. The team is poised for great things. We are coming off a historic season where the team finished 12-5. Lions quarterback Jared Goff’s consistent play was a massive part of the team’s overall success.
Jared Goff finished the 2023 season with over 4500 Passing Yards, 30 Touchdowns to only 12 Interceptions, and a passer rating of 97.3, with the highest completion percentage of his NFL career. Not to mention his solid play in the playoffs, where it mattered most. Goff also had two solid games and a star-studded performance against the Los Angeles Rams. Anytime you finish a game with an 80% completion rate, you’ve played phenomenally at the Quarterback position. Jared Goff is our guy!
Detroit Has The Cast
While Jared Goff has been excellent in Detroit, he’s not the only star in the motor city. Lions Wide Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has solidified himself as a top 5 receiver in the National Football League. Finishing in the top 4 in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2023, St. Brown is poised to jump from star to superstar this season. Detroit is lucky to have such unbelievable talent and a superb work ethic like Amon-Ra. Not since Megatron has the franchise had a receiver this good.
With other deadly offensive weapons like Sam Laporta, Jahmyr Gibbs, and the rock-solid gritty David Mongomery, this team has everything going for them. Our offense will be a tough matchup for any defense this season. Of course, we cannot forget about the offensive line. With some slight adjustments after the loss of Jonah Jackson, the O line has been revamped and retooled. They’re poised to be a top 5 group yet again, which will be pivotal to match the offensive potency we saw all of last season.
Lastly, the defense has seen significant upgrades at all levels. Multiple players have been added to the secondary, which has been bolstered with reinforcements from two draft picks, a trade, and free-agent signings. The defensive line had two great additions: Marcus Davenport and D.J. Reader. The team has seen some major development from guys like Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, and even Derrick Barnes.
Lions Super Bowl
With James Houston healthy again and star edge Rusher Aidan Hutchinson doing his thing, this defense should be a much more fearsome unit this season. More pressure on the quarterback without having to blitz makes the job of the Lion’s secondary much easier. This will be key for Detroit as all these new additions must acclimate to playing alongside each other. With all of these fantastic things you’ve heard about our Detroit Lions, all signs point towards Detroit being a top 5 team again.
Finishing one game short of the Super Bowl this year means we aim bigger. Seemingly, everyone in the state of Michigan has been wanting a Lions Super Bowl for an eternity. What will stop the Detroit Lions? If they’re genuinely this good, nothing should stand in their way. Even still, only three things will prevent a Lions Super Bowl. Find out what those three things are below.
Major Injuries
It seems like an easy answer but one of the only things that could ruin the Lions chances of making it to their first Super Bowl in franchise history is injuries. Every team every season suffers injuries as it’s part of the game. However, if the Lions lost a few major pieces, I don’t see how they could overcome it. If Jared Goff went down as well as Aidan Hutchinson, it would completely derail the season. Which is honestly a compliment to the team if injuries is one of the team’s biggest threats.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 21: Sam LaPorta #87 of the Detroit Lions is pursued by Zyon McCollum #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Ford Field on January 21, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers quietly have become the second best team in the NFC North. It truly seems like the Packers franchise have found their Quarterback of the future yet again in Jordan Love. Green bay has a stacked defense and it looks like their offense is truly legit. I’m not saying Green Bay will be better than Detroit, but they can’t be overlooked anymore.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – AUGUST 24: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field on August 24, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Detroit Lions
The biggest threat to the Detroit Lions’ chance at the Super Bowl is themselves. This team is 100% capable of achieving great things. With all of the improvements Brad Holmes made to this team, there’s no reason to think they won’t make it to their first Super Bowl. The only thing that can truly stop them, is themselves!
DETROIT,MICHIGAN-AUGUST 24: Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston (41) runs on the field during a play during a preseason game between the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Saturday, August 24, 2024 (Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
