Week 13 Lions vs Saints - Post Game Observations

[Just Want A Title]

The Lions got a much needed win but this was a much tougher game than most people expected.  The Lions didn't turn the ball over which is good news.  We saw some good things that have been missing but we also saw some not-so-good things that we have been seeing a lot this year.  That said:

Dan Campbell:  He had a solid game.  The defense and offense were aggressive early and had some success.  The initial game plan was good.  The offense seemed to fizzle in the 2nd and 3rd quarters but came back to life late in the game when we need it the most.  I don't know if the Lions would win this game against a better team but they are still 9-3 even of wasn't the cleanest game.

Ben Johnson:  He established the identity of the offense early and racked up a 21-0 lead in the 1st quarter.  However, he seemed to take his foot off the gas.  For whatever reason, he just didn't go for the kill.  Still, the Lions put up points late in the game when they needed it.  The offense disappearing for such a long stretch is somewhat concerning.  It was good to see Sam LaPorta have a big day but next leading receiver had 2 receptions.  I am really confused on how they are choosing to use Jameson Williams.  He caught one pass early and then largely disappeared until his TD run.  This isn't a Jameson Williams issue, this is a Ben Johnson issue.  He needs to do a better job of getting Jameson Williams more involved in the offense.  Considering how many weapons the offense has at this point, it is a little weird to see just one player have big numbers instead of spreading the ball around smoothly.  

Aaron Glenn:  For about one quarter, we saw a more aggressive defense that was creating problems for Derek Carr.  However, after we built the 21-0 lead our defense went back to the slow-pressure/soft-zone coverage that we have seen so much this year and it almost cost the Lions what should have been an much easier win.  Derek Carr, who is a pretty good QB, went 17 for 22.They gave up a couple of long runs but they were pretty good at limiting the damage from Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill.  The defense didn't have many answers for what the Saints were doing after the 1st quarter.  You could make the argument that even though the D-Line was more active they still took too long pressure on the QB.  Hopefully, they can find a way to build off of this game.  The Saints offense has been pretty anemic most of the year but they hung 28 on the defense.  Improvement is needed.

Dave Fipp:  Special Teams has been pretty quiet and maybe that is the problem.  Blocking on coverage units hasn't been quite as good as it was early in the year.  One thing I don't understand is why is their only fake punt play a running play?  It seems like passing play on a fake punt to go along with our running play would really give other teams problems.  Still, Jack Fox continues to be very good and Riley Patterson has was solid today.  Our coverage units played pretty well.  We might need more on Special Teams down the stretch though.

Offense:

Jared Goff-He was shaky to start the game but played better as the game went on.  He was playing really well late in the game.  His pass to David Montgomery was really good and showed a better effort to extend plays with his feet despite his athletic limitations.  He made some good throws and put the ball into some really tight windows.  I don't know if it is the scheme or just how Jared Goff plays but it seems like one receiver gets more targets each game.  Somehow, some way he needs to start finding Jameson Williams more often.

Jahmyr Gibbs/David Montgomery-They started the game strong but faded quite a bit until the 4th quarter.  I am surprised their strong start didn't do more to open up the passing game.  That drop by David Montgomery was an uncharacteristic mistake.  They weren't as strong late in the 4th quarter when we needed to put the game away but I think that has more to do with how the Saints loaded the box.  It would be nice to see Jahmyr Gibbs used in a way that is similar to the way Christian McCaffrey is used.

Sam LaPorta-He had one of the best games by a TE that I can recall.  He moved the chains and made chunk plays in the passing game.  His blocking is already very good and much better than TJ Hockenson"s ever was.  He is proving himself to be a pretty special talent.

Jameson Williams-The Lions have a different kind of problem with Jameson Williams:  not using him enough.  He is holding on the ball even when he takes big shots.  He is making big plays late in the game.  He made a solid catch early but didn't get a look until his TD run.  You can't fault Jameson Williams.  He is making plays every chance he gets.  He needs to be a bigger part of the offense.

O-Line-It was a solid day of work.  They weren't perfect but they were good enough against an under-rated Saints front-7.  They found their groove late despite losing Frank Ragnow.  They deserve a fair amount of credit for that.  Considering he is a rookie 5th round pick, Colby Sorsdal is giving the Lions some valuable reps when he steps in at RG.

Defense:

Bruce Irvin-He may not be able to do a lot of things but he can still provide a wicked speed-rush in a limited role.  His late penalty was legit but once he makes the adjustment to clean that up, he might provide more juice to our pass-rush than most of us expected.

Jack Campbell-He had a solid game.  He made some good plays, especially against Taysom Hill but also got burned by being too aggressive in trying to defend against Alvin Kamara.  This should help him become a better player down the stretch

Derrick Barnes-I want to like Derrick Barnes but sometimes he is tough to watch.  He stopped pursuing on a couple of outside runs instead of swarming to the ball.  He slipped off a couple of tackles also.  Overall, he had a solid game but some of his gaffs concerning.

Aidan Hutchinson-He had a quiet game.  He got burned a couple of times when he didn't set the edge.  His biggest problem is that he isn't getting much help

Quinton Bohanna-He may have a limited role but has made some solid plays when he is on the field.  That is pretty good considering we poached him from the Dallas practice squad.  

Secondary-They had a very up and down game.  Kerby Joseph was shaky early but better as the game went on.  Tracy Walker was good closer to the line of scrimmage but not as good when he was in deep coverage.  Jerry Jacobs gave up a long completion that was only because Chris Olave managed to make one-hand catch.  Cam Sutton was solid.  They didn't give up any long scores but they weren't making a lot of plays in short and intermediate coverage either.  The only DB who showed real ball skills was Brian Branch.  

Special Teams

Jack Fox-He really helped the Lions with a couple of his punts today.  His knack for pinning opponents deep in their own territory is a real x-factor.

Riley Patterson-He has quietly become a very effective kicker.  He makes almost all of the kicks he is asked to make.  You can't ask for much more than that.

Note:  I would love to see the Lions add a passing play to their fake punt playbook.  Being able to do both could be a difference-maker down the stretch.

 

The Lions got a win in a very tough road environment against a so-so team.  They are 9-3 with a three-game lead in the division.  Hopefully, this win will help rebuild their confidence.  It seems like we still haven't really seen the offense hitting on all cylinders quite yet so they might be a lot of fun to watch as we get closer to the playoffs.  I don't know what to think about the defense.  They have talent but aren't really putting it together consistently.  They have to find a way to slow down opposing offenses and get more stops.  If they get hot like they did last year, December could be a lot of fun.  Personally, I am pretty happy to be paying attention to the Lions football games rather than their potential draft position and mock draft projections.  

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2023 by Just Want A Title