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.                           

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 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.