5 prime regression candidates for the Detroit Lions in 2023

2. Running Back Jamaal Williams

This of course hinges on the team bringing Williams back, as he is an pending free agent. He fits the mold of what head coach Dan Campbell wants this team to be, and has undoubtedly made a significant impact both in the locker room and on the field.

Assuming he is signed back for this upcoming season, Williams will have a difficult time replicating his production from this year. He ran for 1,066 yards, which he could conceivably repeat, but he also ran for 17 touchdowns. He was the top rushing touchdown scorer in the league, four ahead of the next closest, and it’s also the new Lions’ single-season franchise record for rushing touchdowns. With D’Andre Swift still in the fold, and the possibility of adding another back in the draft, Williams is going to struggle to keep up that touchdown pace.

1. Quarterback Jared Goff

Lions’ fans definitely don’t want to buy into Goff as a regression candidate, buy he is headed for a less-productive year in 2023. He was phenomenal this past season, throwing for 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. He was also fifth in the league in QBR, ahead of Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert, and he was seventh in passer rating, just ahead of Josh Allen. He was the top-rated passer in the division by quite a margin.

While this is not his first great season, 2022 was one of best seasons Goff has had and it’s hard to see him completely repeating it next year.