Detroit Lions: Marvin Jones is lethal against division rivals
Marvin Jones struggled to find consistency in his first two seasons with the Detroit Lions, but one place where he has always shined is in divisional games.
When the Detroit Lions and general manager Bob Quinn signed Marvin Jones to a five-year, $40 million deal after the 2015 season, they envisioned Jones evolving to become the Lions’ No. 1 receiver. Two years later, Jones has done just that.
Following Calvin “Megatron” Johnson’s abrupt retirement, the Lions were in need of a receiver they could consistently rely on to be a deep threat. While Golden Tate had filled in admirably in the many games Johnson missed, his 5-foot-10 frame was not ideal for deep passes and jump balls. Jones, however, was the answer.
Jones struggled to find consistency in his first season with the Lions, but his chemistry with quarterback Matthew Stafford took a notable step up in year two. One place where Jones has always shined is in divisional games. The numbers don’t lie, and they clearly state that Jones has the calling card of his divisional rivals.
The Green Bay Packers secondary has been the biggest victim of Jones’ joining the Lions. Jones burst onto the scene in Week 3 of the 2016 season, posting six receptions for 205-yards including this highlight reel stiff-arm and 73-yard touchdown.
Jones has consistently had his way with the Packers since, putting up 16 receptions for 264 yards in the three remaining meetings between the teams.
The Chicago Bears have not had much luck shutting down Jones either, as his performances against them have been a model of consistency. In his four games against the Bears, Jones has put up games 74, 67, 85, and 85-reception yards.
Jones’ latest performance against the Bears was his best one yet, performing a highlight reel catch in which he climbed an invisible ladder to snag a 58-yard heave by Stafford. Marvin hasn’t had all the same success against the Vikings, but he seems to be finding his way.
After opening his first divisional game against the Vikings with a forgettable one catch for 5-yards Jones upped his performance in the next two matchups, posting games of 54 and 42-yards receiving, respectively.
Jones really seemed to turn a corner this Thanksgiving, making a mockery of the Vikings’ defensive backs on national television en route to putting up 105-yards receiving.
The highlight came on a no-huddle play in which the Vikings were caught with 12-men on the field. Vikings cornerback Terence Newman, the 12th man, made the smart choice to stay on the field and play defense once the flag had been thrown.
That was, until Jones went up over him and All-Pro cornerback Xavier Rhodes to snag the ball and muscle his way into the end zone. From the get-go as a Lion, Marvin has had a niche for tormenting NFC North secondaries. In the 12-divisional games he has played, Jones has averaged 82.5 yards per game, compared to 54.8 yards per game in the remaining 19-regular season games he has played.
There isn’t any simple explanation for the discrepancy in Jones’ performances. What matters, however, is that he is putting up big time numbers and big time catches in the Lions’ most important games, and has continued to show consistent growth through his second-year with the Lions.
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Marvin Jones is still a tier away from being among the discussion of the best wide receivers in the league. If Jones can consistently put up the numbers he does against division rivals, however, then it may not be long before mentioning his highlight reel grabs become a weekly routine.