When your favorite football team takes a long break, the wait to see them take the field can seem like an eternity. It feels even longer when they lose in embarrassing fashion. After 10 long days, the Detroit Lions are back on the field, looking to get back into the win column against the New York Jets.
Here are my four takeaways from the Lions’ 31-24 win over the Jets in Week 3.
Offensive line rebounds, boosts ground attack
Detroit got back two offensive line starters against the Jets, left guard Christian Mahogany and right tackle Blake Miller. When they didn’t play last week, the Lions’ offense struggled overall, but it was the running game that felt the impact the most. This week, the ground game proved to be the biggest difference. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs led the way here, channeling his inner Barry Sanders with his first of three touchdowns on the day:
Gibbs remains the focal point of the offense, but it’s a bit more balanced and spread out than in Week 1. He had 20 carries for 99 yards and two rushing touchdowns, while backup Sione Vaki had six carries for 26 yards. Gibbs came alive in the air when the team needed him most, recording seven catches for 65 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
Quarterback Jared Goff threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns, sacked twice. One of those sacks came because of poor pass protection by Gibbs; he was bulldozed, forcing Goff to move quickly in the pocket. The offensive line was flagged just twice, a false start and a hold, playing disciplined football. Jets EDGE David Bailey came in with a sack in every game and finished with five tackles and one tackle for loss.
Tight end coverage issues persist
A few years ago, the Lions struggled to cover any tight end they faced. Whether it’s the best tight end in the NFL or a practice squad call-up, it’s a weekly issue. That issue hasn’t been too relevant the past few seasons, but so far it seems to be a problem this season. Against the New Orleans Saints, tight ends Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant combined for seven catches, 87 yards, and two touchdowns. Against the Bills, Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox had nine catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns.
The Jets entered the game limited in the passing game, without second-year tight end Mason Taylor and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell. That means wide receiver Garrett Wilson will be the top receiving option, but rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq will see more targets, as will third-string tight end Jeremy Ruckert. Do you think that’s all? Jelani Woods also participated, and all three tight ends finished with a combined 10 catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns.
This assignment for Detroit should have been easier, even with a secondary that has struggled so far this season. The Jets called up several practice squad players to help fill out their offense, and the tight end position hurt Detroit badly. They should address this issue in the bye week because they won’t have time to fix it quickly, and they have tough competition coming up.
Lions cannot handle lead
In Week 1, the Lions blew a 21-point lead against the Saints, and the game went to overtime, with Detroit winning on a two-point conversion stop, 31-30. This week, Detroit went up 24-10 to start the fourth quarter, and while they seemed to have the momentum, the Jets stayed in the game. They moved downfield and scored less than four minutes later, thanks to a defensive pass interference call on cornerback DJ Reed, and it was now 24-16 after the failed two-point conversion.
Detroit’s offense fumbled and failed on a fourth down attempt near midfield, giving the Jets plenty of time left. Reed was flagged again for defensive pass interference, and while it didn’t matter because Wilson still scored, it was a bad defensive call. In that situation, fourth-and-six with four minutes left, the defense trusted Reed without safety help, and that was a huge mistake. When a guy dominates every game, you have to do everything you can to slow him down, not make it easier.
After failing to prevent a two-point conversion, Detroit lucked out and scored a touchdown to regain the lead. The defense came up big by forcing a fumble as Chuck Clark sacked Jets quarterback Geno Smith, and linebacker Jack Campbell covered it for the win. Both wins for Detroit should be less stressful. They had double-digit leads and blew them twice, relying on a defensive stop to get back into it. You win in the NFL however you take it, but, eventually, Detroit can’t recover, or they have to continue to execute and make sure no team can come back.
The kick return game came to life
With the offense moving the ball in spurts, the kick return team did everything they could to give them extra juice. Running back Jacob Saylors had two impressive returns for a combined 81 yards, putting Detroit at the 38 and 47 yard lines, leaving them with a shorter field to work with. Wide receiver Tom Kennedy returned one kick for 23 yards and another for 37 yards, but it was negated by a penalty.
In an offense with a lot of firepower like Detroit’s, a kick return game that makes their job easier is a big help. The offense needs anything it can get to move the ball against the Jets defense. They say you have to win all three phases, and without Saylors’ solid kicking, the margin for error on those drives for Detroit’s offense would have been much closer.