That was so much more enjoyable than last week. And are we going to score exactly 31 points every game? If so, I’m not really complaining. Week 1 I did a drive-by-drive recap, week 2 I discussed my thoughts on the offensive line and secondary while also providing some takeaways from the game. This week I want to look at my thoughts on each position group so far as well as go over the game. Since I am going to be looking at every position group, this might be a pretty long post.
The first quarter was fine, there wasn’t much offense on either side and a third down sack killed a drive for both teams. Third down sacks were a problem last week and I was worried this would continue, but that was one of two sacks Goff would take all game. The second sack was on the very next drive, meaning the offensive line did not give up a sack at all in the final three quarters.
The second quarter was better, settled for a short field goal, gave up a touchdown on an incredible catch from rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Then we followed with a touchdown drive of our own to Amon-Ra St. Brown after having great field position thanks to Jacob Saylors on the kick return.
The second half was very eventful compared to the first, both offenses continued to put points on the board nearly every drive. First drive was capped off by a Barry Sanders-esque touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs that I was in awe watching. The Jets followed that with a field goal after huge sacks from Alim McNeill and D.J. Wonnum. The next drive was almost all Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams leading us down the field for yet another Gibbs rushing touchdown, his fourth rushing score of the season and fifth overall. That gave us a 24-10 lead with nearly all of the 4th quarter remaining, which like the Saints game in week 1, we would not hold on to that lead.
The Jets next drive was another good one but just when the Lions finally get a stop on a 3rd & 17, cornerback D.J. Reed gets called for defensive pass interference, leading to a Jets touchdown. Our next drive ended with a turnover on downs setting up a short field for New York. Detroit forced a 4th down, but yet another D.J. Reed pass interference, this time on a completed pass to Garrett Wilson for the game tying touchdown. There was time left for each to have one more drive and the Lions led an excellent quick drive with an Isaac TeSlaa 49 yard gain followed by three straight plays for Gibbs, culminating with his third touchdown of the day; this one was receiving. The Jets had the ball and a chance to march downfield and tie the game, but our defense finally made a play. Safety Chuck Clark was unblocked on a blitz, strip sacking Geno Smith with the ball being recovered by Jack Campbell to seal the win.
Overall it was a good game and the Jets played very well for the most part. Geno Smith had a great game but sometimes held on to the ball for too long allowing us to get key sacks. Garrett Wilson was incredible and made some fantastic catches. Entering the game, they had the number 1 defense in the league in terms of yards allowed and our offense was able to put up nearly 400 yards against them. This week has me more confident in this team going forward but I also respect the Jets and their game. Aaron Glenn might not be the best head coach with some of his timeout decisions and clock management, but I like the direction their team is headed and I wish Glenn and the team success.
But back to the Lions: offense played well for much of the game, Jahmyr Gibbs continues to be a top 5 player in the sport, and our defense made stops when we needed them most. This was a good win that should be a confidence builder and allow us to keep it rolling as we go to Carolina next Sunday night.
Now that the recap is done, I want to look at each position group and assess how they have performed this season, starting with the quarterback. Jared Goff has been excellent and should be in MVP consideration. 802 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 70.6% completion percentage, and a 116.1 passer rating. His decision making is excellent, he rarely puts the ball in harms way and is extremely accurate. And he hasn’t only been good with his arm, he isn’t a mobile quarterback in the slightest but he has had a few plays this year where he is good at evading guys in the pocket to extend the play and turn a would-be sack into a gain. I think as the season goes on, the offensive line will be healthy and gel, Petzing will have more experience with Goff, and the offense will open up even more. The last two games he has been at nearly 8.5 yards per attempt. He has had some big chunk plays in there and he doesn’t try to force them. A few times a game he’ll take the check down because we have arguably the best running back in the league who can turn those safe plays into big gains. As Coach Campbell said: “you’re good enough for f-ing Detroit, Jared Goff.”
Jahmyr Gibbs is excellent. He is a joy to watch. He is nearly unstoppable. He has six touchdowns through three games. He is averaging about 155 total yards per game. He is able to lead us down the field single-handedly multiple times per game. He is incredible. Watching Gibbs play is a pleasure and it cannot be understated how much of an impact he makes on this team. I don’t even know what more there is to say. When he gets to the outside he can make anyone miss and turn short yardage into big gains. When he goes up the middle he is great at following blockers and turning nothing into something. When he catches the ball he has breakaway speed to get by anybody. He ran to the right on a play in the second quarter and when he saw the Jets defense was there, he was able to cut left across the field and turn a loss of 5 into a 17 yard touchdown run in Barry Sanders fashion as I said before. On his receiving touchdown he jumped and clicked his heels together as he was going in. They couldn’t stop him. With a healthy offensive line and if we are not overusing him, whenever he touches the ball feels like it can be a home run play. He is unreal. Him and Bijan Robinson are the two best running backs in the league currently and I don’t think it is that close. Though Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, Jonathan Taylor, etc. are all very good, I don’t think they’re quite at the level of Gibbs and Bijan. If I needed one gripe with Gibbs, in short yardage situations he isn’t the best; any time there is space at all I know he is going to win but if it’s a short yardage play where we need only 1 yard, there are better options. Enough about Gibbs because I want to praise the other two as well. Sione Vaki had a decent day and was very good in pass blocking while also contributing when he got the ball. And Jacob Saylors had a great day on special teams with two big kick returns setting up great field position for the offense. It was a great day for the running backs and if Vaki can grow into the RB2 role more to take some weight off of Gibbs’ shoulders, this great should continue to be excellent.
That was a long spiel about the running backs so this will be brief for the wide receivers. St. Brown was good, we all know he is a top 5 wideout in the league and he made a great grab for our first touchdown of the day. He didn’t need to do too much and the other two wideouts stepped up more. Jameson Williams caught all of his targets and had one catch where he looked like he was floating. He jumped a little early for the ball but he stayed in the air for so long that it didn’t matter and he came down with it for a gain of 21. The star of the day was Isaac TeSlaa. He didn’t have any crazy touchdowns like he’s known for, but he got us down the field in the go ahead drive and he had a 4th down catch to keep the drive alive before St. Brown got in the endzone two plays later. The receivers were good in this game and their differing skill sets really complement each other.
The tight ends were fine and I have no worries about them right now. Conklin was a scratch but LaPorta had a good day as usual, Brock Wright did all I need out of a backup tight end, and Jackson Meeks had his first career reception. Wright didn’t have as a good of a game as he did last time we played the Jets when he had a memorable 51 yard touchdown to win the game on a 4th down, but he wasn’t anything to write home about. I’m happy for Meeks getting his first catch, especially after he put in the work to change positions to tight end from wide receiver. Overall, good day for the group, didn’t do too much but did all they needed to.
I know it has all been praise so far and that won’t stop for the offensive line. Last week against Buffalo was horrible for them, Borom and Bartch were not cutting it as starters and that was especially clear with Christian Mahogany and Blake Miller returning from injury. Mahogany had a good day and thankfully stayed healthy, Blake Miller was great pass blocking, Penei Sewell played like Penei Sewell besides one holding penalty, Tate Ratledge had a good day, but the one that I was most impressed by was Juice Scruggs. He had a rough day last week against Buffalo but he was very good against the Jets. His run blocking is very good and what might surprise a lot of people is that he currently has the second highest PFF grade among qualified centers in the NFL. As I have said before, PFF isn’t perfect, especially at the skill positions, but I do feel they do a pretty good job with the offensive line grades. I don’t think Juice Scruggs is the second best center in football, far from it, but he did step up this week and had a great day vs the Jets. He is making a case to continue to start once Cade Mays returns. Mays will take over at center, but I could see Scruggs getting the start at left guard considering he has played guard before. I think the offensive line is arguably the most underrated part of NFL teams. I think a clear example right now is the Green Bay Packers. Their offensive line is injured and frankly not playing well and it was clear that it is an issue on Thursday Night Football. Love was pressured on half the plays and they couldn’t get the run game going at all and it led to a blowout loss against the Falcons. In 2023 and 2024, the Lions’ offensive line was elite and it translated to wins. Last year it was a problem and the team regressed. If this offensive line can stay healthy and continue to improve together, this offense could be very very good. It feels like Petzing and the offense have only scratched the surface, yet have still managed 31 points in each game.
So wrapping up the offensive side of the ball, I think they have mostly played great this year. Petzing still has a lot of room to grow as the offensive coordinator but he seems to be getting more comfortable with this group. The problem for the offense has been first quarter production, especially first drive, but if they start to figure that out, the offense might be scoring high 30s nearly every game. Slow starts could be detrimental in big games and prove costly, the Buffalo loss last week is a clear example, but they can be fixed which is necessary if we are going to be a great team this year.
Now for the defense. This is where the struggles have been this year, mostly late in weeks 1 and 3 and the entirety of the Bills game. I do think there is reason for optimism and there was improvement against the Jets.
Starting with the defensive line: Aidan Hutchinson is really good. He was pretty good against the Jets, not a total game wrecker but he is the main focus of this group. Only half a sack for him against the Jets but he opens the game up much more for everyone else in the group. D.J. Wonnum had 2 sacks, McNeill had a sack and seven pressures, Skyler Gill-Howard was pretty good and allows McNeill to get much needed breathers, Tyleik Williams was effective once again. We have actually had a decent pass rush and have been near the top each week in pressures. The emergence of Gill-Howard as an NFL caliber defensive tackle has allowed McNeill’s snap count to lower. Alim McNeill is a good player but too often since his injury it has felt like he is just there and not being disruptive. But this week we brought his time on the field down, keeping him fresh and allowing him to have his best game in a long time. If we continue to have three defensive tackles that are impactful and Wonnum plays like he did on Sunday, this defensive line can be pretty good. They have been good in all three games and I would say have the best group of the defense so far.
The linebackers have been up and down so far. Jack Campbell had the fumble recovery to win it but hasn’t played like his 2025 version yet. Derrick Barnes has been solid and continued to play well. Trevor Nowaske played more than he has been and had a good day with six solo tackles. Malcom Rodriguez wasn’t great and barely played and I think Nowaske is taking his spot. Devin White was benched which was the right move. Last week I said “Devin White in coverage is unwatchable” and I guess Dan Campbell agreed. Jimmy Rolder is a name I’m curious to see as the season goes on. The rookie is coming back from injury and should start getting some time on the field soon. So this group has been okay so far but they also have a lot of room to improve if our first team all-pro starts playing like an all-pro.
The secondary is the part that was unbelievably awful last week. Looking at the box score, it would seem like they were awful again this week. However, I would argue they weren’t that bad. Geno made some great throws and Kenyon Sadiq and Garrett Wilson made great contested catches. I think this was more of a game where those two opposing pass catchers made plays rather than us failing to cover at all. The safeties played quite well. Christian Izien started at safety and was excellent. He had three tackles for loss and had a pass breakup. If he continues to play safety maybe I won’t feel so bad about the position. Chuck Clark had a good day too, he had the game winning strip sack and also added seven tackles. I know with Branch and Joseph out safety is a huge concern but it wasn’t a problem on Sunday. In the next few weeks we will add Branch back from the PUP list and Thomas Harper from the IR for a depth piece without needing him to be a starter anymore. A safety group of Branch, Izien, Clark, and Harper isn’t that bad. Maybe add Kerby back at some point, I doubt it but I’ll hold out hope a little longer, and that group looks great.
The corners are still an issue. Rock Ya-Sin played only 20% of the snaps which after last week is completely justified. Roger McCreary played more and was not great, allowing about 80 yards on the day. D.J. Reed wasn’t very good, especially with the two pass interference penalties. The surprising standout of the day, granted on only 23 snaps, was Ennis Rakestraw. The 2024 second round pick only allowed one catch in his first game played all season. I had high hopes for him when he was drafted and he has been extremely injury prone, but I liked what I saw from him and hope he can contribute more going forward. I still want us to trade for a corner and think adding Branch back and a solid cornerback via trade would make this defense good enough to be Super Bowl caliber when paired with our offense. I hope GM Brad Holmes makes a trade for a corner but I am not really expecting him too. The corners need to improve and need work but hopefully Rakestraw can be a contributor moving forward.
Overall the defense isn’t fantastic but I am optimistic. The defensive line has played quite well, the linebackers have the most room to grow reasonably, the safeties had a good day on Sunday, but the corners still aren’t great. We still might have a lot of shootouts but if we can avoid some stupid penalties, I do think we’ll start seeing more stops from this defense. Kelvin Sheppard had a rough game as the coordinator last week but was much better against the Jets. Not perfect but not bad either.
This team is playing about how I expected entering the year. I didn’t think the secondary would be good but I thought the offense would win us football games. I am pleasantly surprised by the defensive line and Jahmyr Gibbs is somehow even better than I expected. I think Carolina will be a tough test next week but they are also dealing with secondary injuries that our offense should be able to take advantage of. Hopefully this win against the Jets is the start of a win streak and we keep the momentum going. Overall we played a good game, I just wish we could play more of a complete game and hold onto the two touchdown leads.
Now wrapping up the same way as I have the past few weeks, I want to highlight a few standout players:
Jahmyr Gibbs (obviously): 20 carries, 99 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 7 receptions, 65 yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Isaac TeSlaa: 3 catches, 66 yards, 4th down conversion, 49 yard gain on the final drive
Christian Izien: 11 tackles, 9 solo tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 pass defended
Chuck Clark: 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble
D.J. Wonnum: 2 sacks
Alim McNeill: 2 tackles, 1 sack, 7 pressures, 2 QB hits
Jared Goff: 25 for 32, 269 yards, 2 touchdowns, 122.5 rating
Jacob Saylors: 2 kick returns for 81 yards
A lot of guys highlighted this week but that is what is going to happen when we play a mostly great game. I’m happy with the team’s performance and there is still a lot of room for improvement. Still a lot of season to go and it’s now time to focus on the game up next at Carolina. I hope you enjoyed hearing my thoughts and thank you for reading. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments if you agree or disagree. Thank you.