Detroit Lions Week 9 report card: Lions hang on for a win over the Packers
By Zach Payne
The Detroit Lions got back in the win column on Sunday with a hard-fought 15-9 victory over the Packers.
For the past several weeks it’s felt like the sky was falling. Week after week, the Detroit Lions continued to find ways to lose winnable games. Things appeared to reach a breaking point after the loss to the Dolphins in Week 8. The Lions desperately needed a win. On Sunday they got it, a nail-biter 15-9 win against the rival Green Bay Packers.
The win brings Detroit up to 2-6 on the season, which means they are no longer dead last in the league. Green Bay meanwhile drops to 3-6, having lost five games in a row. For at least a week the Lions can take solace in the fact they contributed to the misery of Packers fans.
Detroit Lions Week 9 Report Card
Run offense: 3/5 stars
The offense as a whole was very hit-or-miss on Sunday. They had three drives inside the Packers’ 10-yard line. The first of which resulted in a turnover on downs. The second and third ended with touchdowns. The success of the Lions’ drives mostly came when the run game was clicking.
At the end of the day, the Lions racked up 117 yards on the ground. However, they managed just 3.8 yards a carry. The inconsistencies resulted in some disjointed drives that ended poorly. The Lions need to get back to running more efficiently to support the passing game.
Pass offense: 1.5/5 stars
No Josh Reynolds. No DJ Chark. T.J. Hockenson was traded, and obviously no Jameson Williams still. The lack of weapons on the outside resulted in a very poor day for the Lions passing the ball. With all due respect to Kalif Raymond and Tom Kennedy, they aren’t guys who can win on the outside.
Amon-Ra St. Brown had an ok day by his standards (four catches for 55 yards). Tight ends James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra each caught their first career touchdown. However, there just wasn’t enough being generated through the air. Detroit needs someone other than St. Brown to consistently create separation.
Best offensive player: RB D’Andre Swift
Swift may have only had five touches on Sunday, but he made the most of them with 50 total yards.
It seems likely to be awhile before Swift gets back to a point where he can handle a bigger workload. For now though, the Lions can use him in a limited role to pick up yards when they need them the most.
Worst offensive player: QB Jared Goff
A very disturbing trend that’s emerged over the last several weeks has been the Lions’ inability to generate offense in the second half. That begins with the quarterback. Goff was incapable of standing in the pocket and delivering a throw for most of the game. Even when the Lions put together a touchdown drive in the second half, it came on the back of the run game.
It’s very frustrating to see the glimpses from Goff where he looks competent, just for him to revert back to the same poor play. Week after week Ben Johnson scheming things open keeps the offense afloat. Goff needs to find a way to elevate his play because the offense cannot thrive without at least competent play from the quarterback.