Just Want A Title Posted December 11, 2022 Share Posted December 11, 2022 Summary: The Lions weren't perfect but they were able to overcome their early mistakes and get the win against a pretty good Vikings team. They did a good job of answering when the Vikings threatened to make the game close. This team is the most mentally tough team that we have seen in a long time. The crazy thing is that the running game was completely bottle up but Jared Goff made the Vikings pay by completing passes to 8 different receivers at levels of the field. The defense may have allowed Justin Jefferson to get 223 yards but he had no TDs. No other receiver had more than 65 yards and the Vikings running game was a non-factor. This was a good win. That said: Coaching: - Ben Johnson continues to do a really good job with his play-calling. He is doing a really good job of allowing our offense to be diverse and efficient. The short passes over the middle to move the chains were a small but effective improvement. It will be interesting to see how the offense evolves as Jameson Williams becomes more comfortable - Despite the big day by Justin Jefferson Aaron Glenn did a nice job of limiting big plays. Some of the defensive alignments up front were pretty creative today. He is doing a great job of putting together a good defense despite playing so many rookies. His defense is developing a knock for big plays at critical moments in the game. Aarron Glenn is becoming a very good defensive coordinator. The down side is that we will probably lose him after next year because he will have earned a shot as a head coach by then - It seems like Dan Campbell is really growing as a head coach. He is becoming a lot better at knowing when to take risks and when to "play it safe". The biggest change during this winning streak is that the Lions look prepared at the beginning of the game and are taking control of games early. - Dave Fipp isn't getting as much credtit as he deserves. The Lions have played really well on special teams this year. They had another successful fake punt today on a direct snap to CJ Moore. We have also started getting some pretty punt returns also. It seems like we are due to take one to the house before too long but what we are getting is pretty good. Offense: - Jared Goff is playing at a really high level. He may not have an arm like Stafford but his accuracy has been really good. He may have been a little behind on the throw to Penei Sewell but he probably figured the big LT was quite as fast in the open field. - That play with Penei Sewell late in the game was a pretty awesome design by Ben Johnson. The Lions had Sewell line up in the slot a few weeks ago and Sewell looked lost. This time they got it right. Lining him up in the slot, sending in motion and then hitting him in the flat for a first down was the most creative pass to an offensive lineman that I can recall. If Jared Goff hits him in stride, he would still be running because there isn't a CB or S that wants to tackle Penei Sewell. He deserves a lot of credit for adjusting to a ball that was behind him and having the awareness to get the first down while staying in-bounds. Looking forward to seeing some variation of that in the future in the Red Zone. - DJ Chark and Jared Goff are really starting to click now the DJ Chark is healthy. I think our passing game is going to become much more explosive as Jameson Williams gets more comfortable. That is good news for the Lions but bad news for opposing defenses - Our running game wasn't great today. It highlighted the fact while we have some good RBs but they might not be as explosive as we had hoped for at the beginning for the season. Logan Steenburg was playing a fair amount of snaps so that might have had something to do with it. - It is nice to see D'Andre Swift making solid contributions on offense but he doesn't look like he has as much elusiveness as expected. I am not sure if it is his injuries or an overall decline in play - Jameson William showed the value of having a vertical threat by making the Vikings pay for a busted coverage. It looked like he saw that and adjust his route but I might be wrong. It seemed like a really smart play considering the limited number is snaps he has seen Defense: - Jeff Okudah had a complete melt-down early in the game. That sequence with the late hit and then running into Adam Thielen was unbelievably bad. As much as I want to like Jeff Okudah its hard to overlook his mental mistakes. The Lions coaching staff limited the damage by taking him out of the game and they were 100% right in doing so - Amani Oruwaiye didn't look great late in the game. He gave Justin Jefferson a huge cushion to keep things in front of him but didn't have the confidence to close and wrap him up. Granted it was against Justin Jefferson but he used to be a pretty sure tackler so I am not sure what is happening with him - On the other hand, Jerry Jacobs and Mike Hughes played pretty well today. They weren't perfect but helped limit the quick-scoring opportunities by the Vikings. The one thing with Mike Hughes: he is pretty good as boundary/outside CB but isn't nearly as good when he has play in the slot. - Another week, another sack by James Houston. We need every bit of pass-rush juice we can get - Malcom Rodriguez had a really good game. He may not have been flashy but his ability to diagnose and run to the ball was pretty good today. He really helped bottle up the Vikings running game. - Aidan Hutchinson had a really great game against the run and pass. It might have been his most complete game. He tends to make big plays at key moments of the game. He has makings of a great player - Kirby Joseph wasn't flashy but he helped keep the Vikings WRs in front of him and limited their opportunity for quick scores. He has really solidified our secondary Special Teams: - We got some pretty good field position on a couple of nice punt returns today. Sooner or later they they will break one for a TD - CJ Moore has become a real weapon on punt and FG fakes. I love the fact that it allows the Lions to attack and be aggressive on special teams. - Jack Fox hasn't had a lot of work lately but he did a good job of giving the Vikings not-great field position. He is a really good punter - Another week, another missed FG. I was glad to see Michael Badgely hit the last FG (which hit the inside of the upright) but the miss was from a very makeable distance. The Lions are putting him in a position to be successful by asking to make most of his FGs from 40-49 yards. His inconsistency is being obfuscated by our re-zone efficiency. This is going to cost the Lions down the stretch somehow. It is just a matter of time It was a great win for the Lions but they had to overcome some issues with penalties and a missed FG to do it. It could be that the Lions took another step forward in their growth or it could be that they just got lucky. If they can clean up the unforced mistakes we are going to have a fun ride the rest of the way. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrry32 Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 I'm really happy that Goff seems to have found his game again. I hope he keeps it up. I kept telling people that pocket passers don't hit their primes until their late 20s, and if Goff could find that consistency he lacked earlier in his career, he could be a good QB. Hope he keeps it up for y'all! You deserve some good years. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Want A Title Posted December 12, 2022 Author Share Posted December 12, 2022 6 minutes ago, jrry32 said: I'm really happy that Goff seems to have found his game again. I hope he keeps it up. I kept telling people that pocket passers don't hit their primes until their late 20s, and if Goff could find that consistency he lacked earlier in his career, he could be a good QB. Hope he keeps it up for y'all! You deserve some good years. Jared Goff has won over a lot of fans and critics with his high-level play this year, me included. The Lions have 4-picks in the top 63 selections in the 2023 draft. I hope they load up the roster with high-end talent. This isn't their year to go for QB#1. They could use an upgrade at QB#2 though. My prediction: the Lions draft Drake Maye in 2024. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millenhater Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 I was only able to listen to the game but did Romeo play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Want A Title Posted December 12, 2022 Author Share Posted December 12, 2022 13 minutes ago, Millenhater said: I was only able to listen to the game but did Romeo play? Yes but it was a quiet day for him. Which is fine considering how long he has been out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LionArkie Posted December 12, 2022 Share Posted December 12, 2022 40 minutes ago, Just Want A Title said: Jared Goff has won over a lot of fans and critics with his high-level play this year, me included. The Lions have 4-picks in the top 63 selections in the 2023 draft. I hope they load up the roster with high-end talent. This isn't their year to go for QB#1. They could use an upgrade at QB#2 though. My prediction: the Lions draft Drake Maye in 2024. Honestly I’m still not 100% sold on him. He is hot and cold, and too much that way for my liking. His first few games this year he was awesome. Then he wasn’t. Now he looks good again. Can he be good through the entire season? The playoffs? not sold yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teude Posted December 13, 2022 Share Posted December 13, 2022 I just love MC/DC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nnivolcm Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 9 hours ago, teude said: I just love MC/DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Friend Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Man, Vikings fans are losing it over this game. One is currently arguing with me on Twitter because they are trying to claim they lost due to injuries and fully health, Lions are the 10th best team in the NFC. 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LionArkie Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 39 minutes ago, Louis Friend said: Man, Vikings fans are losing it over this game. One is currently arguing with me on Twitter because they are trying to claim they lost due to injuries and fully health, Lions are the 10th best team in the NFC. 😂 So, do we get the same excuses for the first game? The reason they lost is super simple. They scored less points than we did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Friend Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 1 hour ago, LionArkie said: So, do we get the same excuses for the first game? The reason they lost is super simple. They scored less points than we did. Nope, rookies, 3rd string players, and injuries only count for them. Also we lost to the Pats, which means we suck. But they don't suck for getting blown out by Dallas because... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Want A Title Posted December 14, 2022 Author Share Posted December 14, 2022 (edited) 24 minutes ago, Louis Friend said: Nope, rookies, 3rd string players, and injuries only count for them. Also we lost to the Pats, which means we suck. But they don't suck for getting blown out by Dallas because... I was sweating when the Vikings took Lewis Cine with late first-round pick from the Lions but I think Kerby Joseph is working out pretty well for the Lions. Edited December 14, 2022 by Just Want A Title 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Friend Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 6 minutes ago, Just Want A Title said: I was sweating when the Vikings took Lewis Cine with late first-round pick from the Lions but I think Kirby Joseph is working out pretty well for the Lions. Maybe one day you'll learn his name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Want A Title Posted December 14, 2022 Author Share Posted December 14, 2022 4 minutes ago, Just Want A Title said: I was sweating when the Vikings took Lewis Cine with late first-round pick from the Lions but I think Kirby Joseph is working out pretty well for the Lions. Of the three top safety prospects from last years draft (Lewis Cine, Jaquan Brisker and Jalen Pitre), only Jalen Pitre has had a better season. Brisker has been about as good as Kerby Joseph. Good call by Brad Holmes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Want A Title Posted December 14, 2022 Author Share Posted December 14, 2022 4 minutes ago, Louis Friend said: Maybe one day you'll learn his name. I actually corrected that already. Maybe one day you will learn to act like an adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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