Just Want A Title Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 (edited) Full disclosure: I missed the first 10-minutes of the first quarter. This was a crazy game. Neither one of the defenses were particularly effective after the first quarter. The Lions did a lot of good things but they did some things that weren't so great either. Getting a road win against a quality team isn't going to be easy and it wasn't easy today but they came away with the "W". That said: Dan Campbell: He had another good game. He was aggressive when it made sense and even when id didn't work out it didn't hurt the Lions. Dan Campbell's growth as a head coach showed today. He used to get lambasted for his clock management but he has steadily improved in this area. They kicked the game-winning FG with 0:00 left on the clock on a day when the defense couldn't stop the chargers. This was a really good game for him. Ben Johnson: The offense put up 41 points and over 500 total yards. That is a pretty good day. I think he did a good job of using Montgomery and Gibbs together but there is still room for growth despite a strong game from our RBs. His play-calling was very good today, particularly late in the game with the Brock Wright TD and the long-gainer to Kalif Raymond. He tends to have stretches where they "feature" a certain player or aspect of the offense. This offense could be scary of he moves more smoothly between his offensive weapons and how much Gibbs and Montgomery can do to unlock our vertical passing game. This was a very good game for Ben Johnson. Aaron Glenn: I am not sure what to think about this game. The Lions were pretty good early in the game but couldn't get a stop to save their life after the middle of the 2d Quarter. The secondary play was very inconsistent. There were some really good plays and some really bad plays. They made 11th year WR Keenan Allen look 5 years younger. CBs will get PI penalties but the waist grabbing penalties by Jerry Jacobs and Cam Sutton were really lazy penalties that need to be coached out of their game. It came very close to costing the Lions a win today. The pass-rush continued to be what it has been for most of the season: marginally effective. The length of time it takes for the Lions to pressure the pocket and their inability to finish when they get pressure continues to be a glaring problem. It isn't just one player it is pretty much the entire D-Line. That speaks to a coaching issue with Aaron Glenn and John Scott Jr. This isn't a winning formula for playoff football and it needs to be fixed. Honestly, it seems like Aaron Glenn doesn't trust his players. Dave Fipp: Jack Fox did a nice job of helping the Lions win the field position game. Riley Patterson kicked the game-winning FG. Special Teams have been quiet lately but they did some really good work today. Offense: Jared Goff - 23/33, 2 TD and hit seven different receivers. He didn't get sacked but did face his fair share of pressure. He took care of the ball really well today also. He is doing a much better job of hitting his receivers in-stride. This was a really good game for him. David Montgomery - Welcome back David Montgomery! He is lauded for his power but as we saw today his vision and speed are pretty good as well. He wasn't used today as a receiver today is good in that part of the game also. He and Jahmyr Gibbs should continue to get better as they gain experience playing together. Jahmyr Gibbs - He wasn't as dominant as his last game but he didn't need to be. He still had a very good game. If not for a poor throw by Jared Goff he would have had a third TD in this game. He and Jahmyr Gibbs should continue to get better as they gain experience playing together. O-Line - When the offense puts up 41 points, over 500 yards and allows zero sacks it is a very good day. The Chargers were healthy and pretty good D-Line but they were held in-check. Jonah Jackson had a bad rep on the 4th and 2 early in the game that allowed a DT to get in Jared Goff's face but you really can't argue with the overall results. Sam LaPorta - It was a quiet game but he made a critical catch late in the 4th quarter on 3rd down conversion Brock Wright - He has been a blocking TE for most of the season but today he made a huge play in the 4th quarter. It is good to see him get that opportunity after doing so much dirty work. Amon Ra St Brown - How good of a WR has ARSB become? He plays such a complete game and brings so much to this offense. You just can't say enough about him. He is the perfect mentor for Jameson Williams. Jameson Williams - He may have been quiet with respect to stats but he had the type of game that could lead to bigger games. He had a TD wiped out by a penalty. He made a nice catch on a comeback route. He caught a pass for minimal yardage late but held on to the ball despite working in heavy traffic. He is looking more comfortable when he is catching the ball. His run-blocking on David Montgomery's long TD run was great to see and says a lot about his unselfish play as well as his continued growth as a player. Josh Reynolds - He was playing really well but he hasn't seemed the same since he had that fumble. Maybe it is a confidence thing. Maybe it is a nagging injury. It is tough to say. Defense: D-Line - They were pretty good against the run but once again they seemed to really struggle in the pass-rush. They might get a lot of pressures but it takes them a really long time pressure the pocket and they are really poor at finishing their pressures and getting sacks. It isn't just one player. It isn't just the starters. It seems like they are being coached to operate this way and it doesn't work very well. Secondary - This was a very up and down day for the secondary. Kerby Joseph made a great INT early but was late in coverage late allowing a TD. Cam Sutton had some good plays but also helped make 11th year WR look like he was in his prime. Both Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs got burned for PI penalties that were just plain lazy. They decided to waist-grab instead of putting themselves in a better position. This was a problem with Jerry Jacobs last year also. The Lions need to do whatever is needed to send them a message that this grabiness isn't smart or crafty and it is going to cost the Lions in a big game very soon if they don't get it straightened out. LBs - It was a quiet day. They were effective in limiting the Chargers running game. Special Teams: Jack Fox - He continues to be a really good punter. He has gotten really good at pinning other teams deep in their own end of the field. Riley Patterson - He was 2/2 and nailed the game-winning FG. There was a big discussion on whether or not Riley Patterson was a "clutch kicker" a while back. He seemed to be a clutch kicker today. Kudos to him for being cool under presser. Overall: The Lions got a tough road win today and didn't suffer any important injuries. Our offense made a ton of plays today and showed how difficult to defend they might become down the stretch. The defense and the ineffectiveness of the pass-rush has to be a concern though. Our D-Line is definitely under-performing against opposing passing games. Personally, it seems like Aaron Glenn is coaching the D-line like it is 2021 when he had no talent and no playmakers. We have still have time and a relatively easy schedule that should allow the right adjustments to be made but it needs to happen pretty quickly. Thoughts? Edited November 13, 2023 by Just Want A Title Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detfan782004 Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 This was already started in the game day thread. Not understanding the need for weekly double threads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Want A Title Posted November 13, 2023 Author Share Posted November 13, 2023 (edited) Sometimes a step-back creates more objectivity and creates space for more detailed discussions of specific problems. Maybe we could do a deeper dive on "Dan Campbell hasn't done a lot" Edited November 13, 2023 by Just Want A Title Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Friend Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 4 minutes ago, Just Want A Title said: Sometimes a step-back creates more objectivity and creates space for more detailed discussions of specific problems. Maybe we could do a deeper dive on "Dan Campbell hasn't done a lot" Maybe you should read the game ahead and you would know he was discussing Hack Campbell. No one said Dan but you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Want A Title Posted November 14, 2023 Author Share Posted November 14, 2023 Who would have thought Dan Campbell would have been getting this kind of praise based on what folks were saying in his first season. His growth arc has been fun to watch. https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2023/11/14/23960328/dan-campbells-decision-making-is-a-strength-for-the-lions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Want A Title Posted November 14, 2023 Author Share Posted November 14, 2023 One thing I hadn't thought about until today is that despite the fact that Ifeatu Melifonwu played pretty well when given the chance, his snap count has dwindled. I know Brian Branch is back from injury but it seems like he played well enough to earn more snaps than he is seeing right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detfan782004 Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 On 11/13/2023 at 7:48 AM, Louis Friend said: Maybe you should read the game ahead and you would know he was discussing Hack Campbell. No one said Dan but you. Right: even talked about wanting to see a splash play from Jack. That's why one thread is all we need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superduperman Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 On 11/12/2023 at 10:38 PM, detfan782004 said: This was already started in the game day thread. Not understanding the need for weekly double threads who cares. i like the double threads more than i like forum cops 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karnage84 Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 22 minutes ago, Superduperman said: who cares. i like the double threads more than i like forum cops Where do real cops fall into this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superduperman Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 40 minutes ago, Karnage84 said: Where do real cops fall into this? Does the letter B mean anything to you 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nnivolcm Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 10 minutes ago, Superduperman said: Does the letter B mean anything to you Beautiful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karnage84 Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 1 hour ago, Superduperman said: Does the letter B mean anything to you I am familiar with the concept... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.