Detroit Lions Week 13 report card: Lions dismantle Jaguars on both sides of the ball

Here’s our report card for the Detroit Lions after they thoroughly dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars from start to finish in a 40-14 win Sunday.

Entering this game, many expected a shootout between two up-and-coming teams. Two exciting young offenses, matched up against lackluster defenses. The stage was set for an exciting game. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, the Detroit Lions were not keen on keeping this one close.

In one of their more dominant displays in recent memory, the Lions completely dismantled the Jaguars on Sunday. The offense scored on every possession, aside from kneel-downs at the end, and the defense allowed just 14 points. The lone touchdown drive the Jaguars had lasted over seven minutes, draining valuable time as the Lions were by multiple scores.

Similar to the win over the Giants a few weeks ago, there’s not much to complain about from the Lions’ perspective. Detroit is playing as well as they can be right now, and the wins are piling up as a result.

Detroit Lions Week 13 Report Card: Dismantling the Jaguars

Offense

Rushing offense: 3/5 stars 

The ground game got caught in a rut of inefficiency in the second half on Sunday. It was overall still good, but not great. D’Andre Swift took over the lead back role in this game, which paid off as he was by far the most dangerous of the running backs.

Swift averaged 4.4 yards per carry, racking up 62 yards on the ground and finding the end zone on an impressive run. Jamaal Williams also found the end zone, once again, as he continues to inch closer to the franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a season.

Passing offense: 5/5 stars

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen the Lions’ passing game be this efficient and consistent throughout an entire game. The offensive line was incredible all game long. They gave Jared Goff all day to throw, with a couple of pressures and sacks being a result of blitzes. Jacksonville’s pass rushers could not beat the Lions’ linemen on their own.

The pass catchers also all had great games. Swift as mentioned had a good day on the ground, but he also was very good as a receiver. Four catches for 49 yards, showcasing how dangerous he is in open space. DJ Chark had his best day as a Lion against his former team, finishing just below 100 yards. And Amon-Ra St. Brown had yet another dominant game, matching career highs in receptions (11) and touchdowns (2) as he put up 114 yards.

Best offensive player: QB Jared Goff 

Goff had his best game as a Lion by far on Sunday. He was poised in the pocket, and was able to easily pick apart the Jaguars’ defense all game. Goff was especially good on third downs, where he was able to deliver numerous big-time completions.

For as poor as Goff played at the beginning of the year at times, he’s been elevating his play over the past few weeks. It’s not a coincidence he’s playing better now that all his weapons are healthy, but Goff still deserves an abundance of praise for his play on Sunday.

Worst offensive player: No one 

No one stood out in a negative way on the Lions offense, as might be expected from such a clean effort. From start to finish everyone on the offensive side of the ball was completely locked in and executed their assignments throughout the game.

Defense

Run defense: 3.5/5 stars 

The Jaguars maintained a strong clip of five yards per carry on Sunday, but that number was inflated by Trevor Lawrence running for 32 yards on his four attempts. The rushes from the Jaguars’ signal caller were scrambles as opposed to designed runs, so the Lions’ defensive front gets a partial pass for that.

The Lions held Travis Etienne to 54 yards on the ground, and the Jaguars’ run game was a non-factor in the game. Part of that was the game script, and part of it is the Lions’ defense doing its job early in the game.

Pass defense: 4.5/5 stars

The Jaguars had one player who was able to do any sort of damage to the Lions’ defense in this game. Wide receiver Christian Kirk ended the game with 104 yards, which accounted for over 60 percent of the Jaguars’ passing offense. Every other player was completely shut down.

The secondary has clearly been clicking a lot better since Brian Duker was promoted to oversee the entire secondary after defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant was fired. The Lions have begun to figure out what was their biggest weakness throughout the first half of the season.

Best defensive player: DE John Cominsky

Cominsky continues to be the most underrated piece of this Lions’ defense. Cominsky did it all against the run and as a pass rusher. He even chipped in a batted ball at the line that he nearly intercepted himself.

Cominsky does a lot of the dirty work on the defensive line, which frees up guys like Aidan Hutchinson to rush more freely. Cominsky has been a very valuable asset, and when he was out injured earlier in the season his absence was notable.

Worst defensive player: No one 

Much like the offense, no one really stood out in a negative way on the Lions’ defense Sunday. Every player on the field contributed to an overall dominant performance.

Everything else

Coaching Staff: 5/5 stars

Ben Johnson continues to shine in his first year as offensive coordinator. He’s beginning to get head coaching buzz as the Lions continue to put up points week after week. Aaron Glenn’s defense has begun to string together strong performances over the past five weeks. The special teams were even dominant in this game as well.

Dan Campbell’s staff have been doing an incredible job, especially over the last month and a bit. There is legitimate hope around this team in the month of December for the first time in years.

Play of the game: DJ Chark’s 41-yard reception

Despite the dominant effort, Detroit didn’t really have that many splash plays on Sunday. All four touchdowns came in goal-to-go situations, and the defense held firm without having many highlights either. However, there was one play that absolutely stood out. Detroit has been looking for a deep passing attack for well over a year now. On Sunday, Goff and Chark finally connected on a deep shot they had missed in weeks prior.

Final thoughts:

The only part of this game fans may be disappointed by is the lack of Jameson Williams touches. Williams had just one target on a handful of snaps, primarily being used as a decoy. After the game, Campbell said the reason for Williams’ usage being the way it was is simply the Lions trying to help get his feet under him.

Detroit has the Vikings game next week circled, and they want Williams to be able to contribute as much as possible in that game. After the last-minute loss against the Vikings in Week 3, the Lions are primed and ready for revenge in Week 14.