Detroit Lions Week 18 Report Card: Season ends on a winning note
By Zach Payne
The 2021 season has officially come to an end for the Detroit Lions. They ended the season in winning style on Sunday though, beating the Green Bay Packers 37-30.
With the win, Detroit officially ends the season with a 3-13-1 record. They maintained their hold the second overall pick in the 2022 draft, despite a win by Jacksonville Sunday opening the door back to the No. 1 pick.
In terms of entertainment value, this might have been the best game of the entire season for the Lions. From start to finish it was a thrilling game, even if there really wasn’t anything for either team to play for.
So for the final time this season, let’s grade a Lions game.
Detroit Lions Week 18 Report Card
Offense- 5/5 Stars
In the final game of the season, the Lions busted out all the trick plays. And they worked flawlessly.
The @Lions with the TRICK PLAY 75-YARD TD! #OnePride
— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2022
📺: #GBvsDET on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/p6rjhlz8eJ
Some more Week 18 trickeration 😉#GBvsDET | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/MciiuMEugO
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 9, 2022
Beyond the trickery, Detroit actually had a lot of success in the passing game. Jared Goff did a very good job evading the rush and finding his receivers.
Because of that, Detroit had the most success passing the ball they’ve had since Week 1. It was just the second time this season they finished the game with over 300 passing yards.
The success through the air helped Detroit put up 37 points, their highest total of the season.
In totality it was a very good game offensively, culminating a season-long saga of inconsistency with their best game of the year.
Best offensive player: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown
What an incredible stretch of football St. Brown ended the season with. Let’s quickly run through some of the records he set against the Packers.
.@Lions WR @amonra_stbrown becomes the first rookie in franchise history to record a TD reception in 4-straight games.
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) January 9, 2022
He also tied rookie franchise records for most games with 5 rec. (9) and 50 yards (9).
His 6 total TDs tie for the 3rd-most by a Lions rookie WR.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/WGuKPUbQq9
.@Lions WR @amonra_stbrown has produced 70+ receiving yards in 6-straight games.
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) January 9, 2022
He becomes the 5th @NFL rookie to do so, along with:
- Brandon Aiyuk (2020)
- Odell Beckham (2014)
- Randy Moss (1998)
- Bill Groman (1960)#OnePride pic.twitter.com/aXNxx6g4NY
.@Lions WR @amonra_stbrown has produced 8+ receptions in 6-straight games, extending his @NFL rookie record and passing WR @calvinjohnsonjr for the longest such streak in team history.
— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) January 9, 2022
This ties for the 5th-longest streak with 8+ catches in #NFL history.
#OnePride pic.twitter.com/4IBscUHRv9
It’s not like St. Brown is being force-fed the ball, he’s just always open. His nuanced route-running was something beat writers noted in training camp, and over the past few games he has shown the world.
He has such a good feel for defenders in man coverage and knows how to subtly use his physicality to create separation.
Not to mention he is an absolute pit bull when he gets the ball, fighting for every inch.
What a find by Brad Holmes and company, in the fourth round of he 2021 draft.
Worst offensive player: No one
I could nitpick the offense but realistically they played about as good as they could have.
D’Andre Swift was the leading candidate to be in this spot, but his touchdown to take the lead just after the two-minute warning was enough to save his day. So with that, everyone on offense gets a pass to end the season