After having a dismal four-game stretch, the Detroit Lions needed a rebound badly back at home Saturday night against the Denver Broncos. A win would be the obvious goal, but a proverbial "clean" win, with few mistakes and better play from some key players/in some key areas would be nice.
It's safe to say Dan Campbell's team got it done, beating the Broncos 42-17. It was surely a sweet victory for Campbell, beating his mentor and friend Sean Payton.
If you were to have outlined the keys to victory for the Lions against the Broncos, and/or things you'd like to see, they checked every box.
Let's go down the list.
Detroit Lions check all the boxes in dominant win over Denver Broncos
1. Jared Goff needs to play better.
Result: 24-for-34, 278 yards, five touchdowns, zero interceptions, no turnovers; 134.6 passer rating
2. Get Amon-Ra St. Brown going again.
Result: Seven receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown (nine targets)
3. Establish the ground game.
Result: Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 185 yards on 28 carries, with a touchdown by Gibbs. Gibbs also had a receiving touchdown in the game.
4. Get Jameson Williams more involved.
Result: Four receptions for 47 yards, on seven targets.
5. Get some sacks and pressure on Russell Wilson.
Result: Two sacks, eight quarterback hits
6. Get some takeaways.
Result: One fumble recovery
7. Minimize penalties.
Result: Two penalties, for 54 yards (yardage inflated by a 44-yard pass interference on Alex Anzalone).
8. Get Sam LaPorta back into his groove
Result: Five receptions for 56 yards and three touchdowns
The Broncos have been an awful defense against tight ends this year, so after a rough outing against the Bears in Week 14 the stage was set for him to get right. That happened, as the rookie continues his assault on the record book for a Lions' tight end.
The Lions played "complimentary football" in a big way on Saturday night, as they did for a lot of the season before a recent stretch of less than stellar play. A statement win? Let's call it a re-establishing win, and a much-needed win.