It’s clear the Detroit Lions have some things they need to clean up and coach Dan Campbell will be the first to tell you. But one thing that is becoming more clear with each game is that Week 1 in Green Bay may have been an aberration.
The Lions overwhelmed the Cleveland Browns in their 34-10 Week 4 victory at Ford Field on both sides of the ball. One of the biggest concerns was how the offensive line would hold up against Cleveland’s stout defensive front. When facing a team led by Myles Garrett, keeping your quarterback upright is the main goal, and the Lions succeeded in that regard.
There are concerns on both sides of the ball, but one thing is for certain: this team learns from its mistakes. To put up 34 points on the Browns is nothing to sneeze at. That’s now 124 points the Lions have scored over their last three games.
Now sitting at 3-1 and in the driver’s seat in the NFC North, the Lions are in a prime position to potentially stack some wins as they roll into a gauntlet of tough opponents.
Quarterbacks: Jared Goff did not have a bad game, but it was not a great one either. He completed 59% of his passes (16-of-27) and there were miscues between him and Jameson Williams, with one pass behind the receiver and another resulting in an interception – which Goff took ownership of. He still finished with two touchdowns, both to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and he evaded Myles Garrett all game. Grade: C+
Running backs: After gashing the Baltimore Ravens for 151 yards and two touchdowns on Monday, David Montgomery had a step-back performance, managing just 12 yards on nine carries. The Browns’ defensive front successfully bottled up “Knuckles” anytime he touched the ball, thanks to Malik Collins and former Michigan standout Mason Graham. It was a good day for “Sonic.” Jahmyr Gibbs had one of his better rushing performances of the season, picking up 91 yards on the ground, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, and showing nifty footwork on his eight-yard touchdown that tied the game in the first quarter. Grade: B
Wide receivers/tight ends: Amon-Ra St. Brown caught all seven of his targets for 70 yards and two touchdowns. But this starts and ends with Jameson Williams. Most of Goff’s miscues came when targeting him, as Williams caught just two of his eight targets for 40 yards. His ball tracking was subpar and he had several drops. The Lions could have easily scored north of 40 had Williams hauled in even one of them. Grade: B-
Offensive line: It wasn’t the prettiest, mainly because they had to account for Cleveland’s front featuring Myles Garrett, who recorded seven pressures. But it was effective. For the first time since the NFL began recording sacks in 1982, the Lions have gone three straight games without allowing one. Part of that credit goes to Goff’s pocket movement, but the blockers up front were admirable in pass protection. Run blocking was mixed, though they opened holes for Gibbs to break off a few good runs. Grade: A-
Defensive line: Aidan Hutchinson reminded everyone he’s back to form. He registered nine pressures, four tackles (two for loss), two sacks, a forced fumble, and four quarterback hits. It was his second straight game with a strip sack, tying him for third in the NFL with four. Cleveland’s run game was stifled at 2.9 yards per carry (27 attempts, 79 yards). The big boys dominated. Grade: A+
Linebackers: Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, and Derrick Barnes combined for 26 tackles and helped limit Browns rookie Quinshon Judkins to 3.9 yards per carry, his lowest average this season. Barnes and Anzalone also added quarterback hits. Complementary football at its finest. Grade: A
Secondary: Aside from Cleveland’s opening drive, when Joe Flacco marched the Browns 70 yards, the secondary forced him into two interceptions (Kerby Joseph and D.J. Reed). Amik Robertson nearly came away with a third. They also limited Jerry Jeudy to three catches for 48 yards on nine targets. However, injuries cloud the outlook, as Reed and Terrion Arnold are expected to miss time. Grade: B+
Special teams: Dave Fipp’s unit delivered in a major way. Jake Bates nailed both of his field goal attempts, including a 58-yarder. Jack Fox pinned the Browns inside their own 20 five times. Kalif Raymond stole the show with 106 total return yards, including a 65-yard punt return touchdown. “Leaf” cut it loose, just as coaches asked. Grade: A+
Coaching: Defensively, allowing opponents to score on opening drives remains an issue. Offensively, it wasn’t their sharpest outing, but it was enough against a tough Browns defense. This was another culture-building win that Campbell and his staff can point to as a product of grit. Grade: A
