DETROIT — Are you ready to believe in the Detroit Lions?
That’s a perilous proposition of course, backed by six-plus decades of perpetual folly and blunder. There was more of that when this season opened, as they lost five straight games to fall to the bottom of the league.
But then they rattled off three straight wins to surge back onto the periphery of the playoff race. They had a chance to prove they were for real on Thanksgiving against Buffalo but coughed up that opportunity despite outplaying a Super Bowl contender much of the way.
A week later, they didn’t make the same mistake twice, instead shelling the Jacksonville Jaguars 40-14 in a convincing effort on Sunday at Ford Field. It was their most lopsided win since pounding Green Bay 31-0 in the 2018 finale, and the sixth time they’ve surpassed the 30-point barrier, second most in franchise history.
They’ve now won four of their last five games, and remain alive on the outskirts of the playoff race at 5-7. They passed fellow NFC wild-card contender Atlanta, which fell to 5-8 after a loss against Pittsburgh, while the Commanders and Giants finished in a tie. Detroit is currently two games behind Washington for the final spot in the NFC.
The odds of the Lions actually punching their ticket to the postseason remain long, although with the way they’re playing — and a forgiving schedule awaiting them down the stretch — anything remains possible.
It’s not just the winning that’s creating believers in this rebuild, but how they’re doing it. The Lions barely broke a sweat while pulling away from Jacksonville, scoring on all eight possessions until kneeling out whatever remained of the clock in the final seconds. Jared Goff threw for 340 yards — his second-highest total since arriving in a trade from Los Angeles last year — and two touchdowns, all of which came despite star rookie Jameson Williams being relegated to a decoy role in his NFL debut.
They didn’t need Jamo either, as Amon-Ra St. Brown caught two touchdown passes and DJ Chark added five catches for 98 yards, by far his best effort since signing with Detroit. By the time D’Andre Swift spun out of a tackle and plunged into the end zone to open the second half, Detroit led 30-6.
Jacksonville countered with its first touchdown drive of the day, a 16-play behemoth that drained more than half the clock in the third quarter. But the Lions added another field goal, then drove the length of the field before St. Brown was dancing in the end zone with his second TD of the day.
It was the most dominating four quarters of Lions football in ages, yet another sign that they’re not only figuring things out, but remain alive in the playoff chase headed into the home stretch, however remote their odds remain.
Let’s get to some observations:
— Where else to start but with Jameson Williams? The people have been anticipating his NFL debut since Brad Holmes pulled off one of the biggest draft-day trades in franchise history, moving up to select the speedy Alabama wideout with the 12th overall pick. After just one week of practice, the Lions cleared him to suit up for his NFL debut against Jacksonville. But predictably enough, he was a token presence at best. He played just six snaps, four of which were running plays where Williams was just a blocker. It looked like he might be in the progression on a passing play to open the second half but stumbled out of his break and the ball went elsewhere. He was finally targeted with his first NFL pass late in the third quarter but was well-defended on the play and the ball landed at his feet. He finished with zero catches on one target.
Listen, Jameson Williams can fly. He’s been flying around Allen Park faster than maybe anyone who has ever worn Honolulu blue. He’ll be back to full speed soon, and all evidence points to him becoming one of the most electric playmakers in the game. He has that kind of skill-set anyway. But I asked him just this week whether he was full speed, and he said no. That’s understandable, too. He’s practiced just three times in almost a year, mostly as a scout-team player too, and never in pads. He didn’t run a full-speed route for Jared Goff until just this week. The transition to the NFL is so hard, and that guy is not only trying to do it without an offseason, but with just three practices as a scout-team player. He was never going to play much against Jacksonville, much less actually be a featured component in the passing attack.
But there was also value in getting Williams out there and letting him run around, shake off some nerves and get a taste for game speed in the NFL. Because if the Lions are serious about making the postseason — and they are, no matter the odds — that guy is going to help. He’s just too fast not to.
— The Lions got the best of both worlds. They got an injury-free debut for Jameson Williams, while racking the Jacksonville Jaguars for 40 points without him being involved in the game plan. They scored on all eight possessions until lining up in a victory formation in the final minute, and scored more than 25 points for the fourth straight week, something they hadn’t done in a decade.
— Everyone wanted Jamo, and very rightfully so. But it didn’t take Amon-Ra St. Brown long to remind folks who the Lions’ WR1 is, catching a game-high 11 passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. He got it going early too. After the defense opened the game by forcing a fumble, St. Brown caught a sensational ball at the goal line. The pass was nearly picked off, but St. Brown got his hands on the carom, then somehow held on as he took a huge hit. One play later, Jamaal Williams pounded the rock into the end zone. Just like that, it was 7-0. St. Brown doesn’t have Williams’ top end speed, but he’s a plus player in almost all the other ways, and that’s what makes him special. Throw those guys on the field together one day, and whoa nelly, you’re talking about something potentially special.
— St. Brown’s production is a bankable commodity these days, now topping 100 yards in three of his last four games. DJ Chark, well, not so much. He was the cornerstone of the Lions’ free-agent class because he’s big and fast, and could become the vertical field-stretcher the Lions have been missing until Jameson Williams arrives. But that didn’t happen in the first two months of the season, due in part to an ankle injury that held him out six weeks. On Sunday, he finally got on track with his best game in Detroit, catching five of his six targets for 98 yards. Everyone is rolling in that passing game these days, a big reason Detroit could not be stopped against Jacksonville.
Which really makes you wonder: Just how good can they be whenever Williams is actually ready to go?
— Jamaal Williams opened the scoring with a 1-yard plunge, his 14th rushing TD of the season. That leads the league and ranks second in team history, trailing only Barry Sanders’ franchise-record 16 TDs in 1991. Williams has now run for a touchdown in four straight games, the longest streak by a Lions player since Kevin Jones in 2004.
— As for the other side of the ball, Aidan Hutchinson continued to build his case for defensive rookie of the year with another half-sack, giving him 6.0 on the year. He now leads all rookies in sacks, QB hits, QB pressures and interceptions. He’s just the sixth rookie since 1982 to rack up at least six sacks and two picks in a season, and there are still five games left to pad those totals. He might not be a Bosa brother, but this guy is pretty damn good. He just might be the best defensive rookie in the league. He’s certainly Detroit’s best rookie defender since the last man they drafted No. 2, Ndamukong Suh. At this rate, Hutchinson’s rookie season might turn out even better than the future Hall-of-Famer’s.
— John Cominsky continues to be the best Lions player no one talks about. He continued his roll early against Jacksonville, racking up two tackles in the first quarter, one of which stoned Travis Etienne on a third-down draw, then batted down a Trevor Lawrence pass on third down on the very next series. About one-third of the league tried to claim him after his offseason release, and the Lions were thrilled to land him. He’s looked good from the jump, and continues to pile up plays for himself while teeing up others for free rushes at the quarterback. What a steal that guy has turned out to be.
— Speaking of unheralded defensive linemen, Isaiah Buggs left the game after sustaining a lower-body injury in the second quarter. Buggs has been an essential addition up front, where he brings the girth and muscle that Detroit lacked before his arrival.
— Rookie James Houston was signed to the 53-man roster after his two-sack debut on Thanksgiving, then added another takedown of Trevor Lawrence, and nearly another. He’s just so fast around the edge, and his bend is elite. He has to round out his game to have a bigger role on defense, but that kid has something. The Lions sure look like they owned the sixth round of the draft, also adding starting linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez.
— It’s usually a bad sign if you’re mentioning the long snapper, and this is no different. Scott Daly has yet to cost Detroit points this season, but there have been a handful of poor snaps, including a one-hopper to holder Jack Fox on a second-quarter field goal. Michael Badgley still knocked through the 45-yarder for a 20-3 lead, but that seems like an untenable situation. Daly has to be better, or he won’t last.
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