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Lions defense takes pressure off Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown

ALLEN PARK — In a perfect world the Lions offense and defense would both play solid football in the same game.

Failing to play complementary football is one reason the Lions are 2-6 heading into Sunday’s NFC North game at the Chicago Bears (3-6).

In the 15-9 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Detroit’s defense played lights out and the offense did just enough to get the win. In other games the offense has been on point and the defense missing in action.

Still when the Lions’ defense plays well it makes it easier for the offense to overcome mistakes.

“Honestly it’s like a breather. You make a mistake, the defense goes out, the Packers drove all the way down and then in the red zone they get a pick – boom – it gives us as an offense life,’’ wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “We go out there, we’re excited, ready, we don’t score. They drive it down again, get another pick.

“It’s like our defense is bomb we have to make plays for them. it gives us juice as an offense,if our defense plays like that every week we have a shot at every game,’’ St.Brown said.

Quarterback Jared Goff — who passed for 138 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the win — agreed with St. Brown.

“I’ve certainly got a lot of things to clean up, but when I don’t feel like I don’t have to play perfect, and I can make a mistake, and the defense can have my back as we do have theirs, that makes things a whole lot smoother, and a whole lot easier for us to overcome,’’ Goff said. “So, it’s big. It’s really big when they can cause turnovers like they were last week and be around the ball, sacks, negative plays for their offense, penalties, whatever it may be. It was really big.”

Of course, there is no magic solution to make the offense more consistent each week. The Lions rank seventh in the NFL in total offense gathering 377.3 yards per game.

“Each week I feel like we say the same thing, we’ve got to be better at this, that and the other. At the end of the day in this league you just want to win games,’’ St. Brown said.

Sunday’s game will add a different wrinkle for St. Brown whose older brother, Equanimeous St. Brown, is a Bears wide receiver.

The brothers talk most every day. The trash talk started Tuesday.

“I’m excited to play him. Whenever I play my brother it’s always super fun,’’ St. Brown said. “Not just football but for my family. They will all be there to watch us. He said they were going to beat us, he gave me a little score prediction, I told him we’re going to beat them. We’ll see at the end of the game.’’

Their parents, John and Miriam Brown, will be hard to miss at Soldier Field. Mom and Dad will each be wearing split jerseys – half Bears, half Lions.

(Next up: Lions (2-6) at Bears (3-6), 1 p.m. on Sunday.)

Lions’ win pumps up Dan Campbell; says team headed in right direction

ALLEN PARK — Halfway through the season it’s tough to make too much of the second win. That’s where Lions coach Dan Campbell found himself on Monday following the 15-9 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

“It gives you a little more, you just feel like you rebound just a little quicker, that’s probably the best way to say it,’’ Campbell said. “It’s like you get the wind under your wings a little faster. That’s all. Everybody puts a lot of work into it obviously. It’s hard to win in this league but that’s the name of the game. That’s what it’s all about, it’s fun.’’

The win came on the heels of a week when one assistant coach was fired and the top tight end was traded. Instead of splitting the team, they marched forward. The defense played its best game of the season.

“I don’t know validation, I just know I do feel like we’re going in the right direction, I know the wins are not there though we just got one there. I like the improvement,’’ Campbell said. “I would like to be in a better place than we are, certainly I feel like we should have two more wins here, that’s on me. But certainly to get a win for win’s sake goes a long way.’’

Immediately after the game Campbell admitted he was exhausted and just wanted to go home, put his feet up and drink a beer. Then he said he saw that Bears quarterback Justin Fields ran for 178 yards in a loss to the Dolphins. The Lions play at the Bears on Sunday.

“I already had my feet up on the couch, thought I was going to relax and I saw that,’’ Campbell said, noting that yes he did get his beer.

“(The Bears) are doing a really good job with him, I haven’t got through all of (the film) yet. They’ve built it around his strengths and what he’s able to do. We all know he’s a hell of an athlete and he can hurt you with his legs and his arms,” Campbell said. “It will be a big test.’’

Campbell was reminded — not that he didn’t know — that the Lions have had trouble this season with mobile quarterbacks.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts ran 17 times for 90 yards and a touchdown in the Lions’ season-opening loss to Philadelphia, while Seattle’s Geno Smith carried 7 times for 49 yards and a touchdown to top the Lions.

It will be a point of emphasis even though Campbell joked they might not emphasize it since it didn’t work previously.

“We have a chance this week to win on the road for the first time since I’ve been here, win back-to-back games, win another division game,’’ Campbell said. “For us we’ve got a lot to play for, obviously.’’

NOTES: Malcolm Rodriguez was having his elbow examined on Monday. … Campbell said Kerby Joseph remains in concussion protocol but he is hopeful he will be ready to play on Sunday.

(Next up: Lions (2-6) at Chicago Bears (3-6), 1 p.m. on Sunday.)

Lions defense makes one more play, solidifies 15-9 win over Packers

DETROIT — One more play, that’s what Lions coach Dan Campbell always preaches. Apparently the team was listening because on Sunday, against the NFC North division rival Green Bay Packers, the Lions dug deep and did just that.

It led to a 15-9 win that broke a five game losing streak for the 2-6 Lions. It was the fifth straight loss for Green Bay (3-6).

“I’m proud of our guys. They just don’t go away. They just, they believe they can win every week. They put it in and we made one more play today,’’ Campbell said. “We made one more play than they did to win the game.’’

Campbell gave defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn the game ball.

While the offense scored enough to win, it was the defense that forced three turnovers that was the difference.

“(Glenn) coaches his heart out and he put everything into it, as he always does, and those guys responded,’’ Campbell said.. “We knew we needed takeaways today. A minimum of two is what we talked about, and Kerby Joseph came up big. Hutch (Aidan Hutchinson) got one. But as a whole, that defense, man, they rose up. You know, I thought we played aggressive. I did think we challenged on the perimeter.’’

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (3-6) had no answers. Rodgers, who had four interceptions in the first eight games, had three on Sunday and all were in the Red Zone. Two were by rookie safety Kerby Joseph and the other was by rookie defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson.

The Packers had other chances to score. With two minutes left in the fourth quarter Green Bay got the ball back at their own 43 after the Lions failed to convert on a fourth-and-3. Two minutes is a lifetime in the NFL so time wasn’t an issue, the Lions defense was. After converting a fourth-and-2 with a 32-yard pass to Samori Toure, the Packers were at Detroit’s 17-yard line. Four incomplete passes later — again, thanks to sterling defense —, Lions quarterback Jared Goff took a knee for the win.

“Well look, I just think it’s – look, I felt like we had a good plan for (Rodgers). And just how we wanted to play, look, you have to disguise. I mean you have to. And he’ll take it all the way down to the wire to get a bead on what you’re doing. And then, if you have an opportunity, you have to make the most of it, and we did that today,’’ Campbell said.

Leading up to Sunday, Campbell had fired defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant on Tuesday and Brad Holmes had traded tight end T.J. Hockenson for draft picks. Still Campbell was able to get his guys to focus on getting the win.

The Lions got on the board first just before halftime when Goff connected with tight end Shane Zykstra, who was wide-open, from one yard out for a score. Jamaal Williams ran it in for the 2-point conversion.

Rodgers connected with Allen Lazard for a 20-yard touchdown play, but the two-point conversion failed thanks to a pass breakup from Lions corner Jeff Okudah. So the LIons held an 8-6 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, on a third-and-goal from the 3-yard line, rookie tight end James Mitchell caught his first career touchdown. That gave Detroit a 15-6 edge. The Packers’ Mason Crosby kicked a 25-yard field goal. And that was it.

After the win on Sunday, the workhorse Campbell looked emotionally drained.

“Of course it feels good. I’ll be honest with you, I’m exhausted, so like I want to go home, put the feet up, drink a beer. So it feels real good. I’m just proud of them. I really am. I’m proud of our coaches. I’m proud of the players,’’ Campbell said. “I’m proud of everybody because everybody puts a lot of work into it. I know it’s only two (wins), but my gosh man. And there again, to see, end of the game, man, one stop, our defense comes through. I just think we need that, we needed that.’’

NOTES: Safety Kerby Joseph, who ended the game in concussion protocol, had a breakout game with 10 tackles (five solo), three pass defenses and two interceptions. He became the first Lions rookie to produce a two-interception game since S Devon Mitchell in 1986 and the first Lions safety to record a two-interception game since S Louis Delmas in 2013. … Linebacker Derrick Barnes had a career-high 12 tackles (four solo), one tackle for loss, one pass defense and one sack. He is the first Lions linebacker since Julian Peterson in 2010 to produce a game with at least 10 tackles, one pass defense and a sack. … Rookie defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson logged two assisted tackles, one pass defense and one interception. The first-round pick became the Lions’ fourth rookie defensive lineman to record an interception, joining Ndamukong Suh (2010), Jim Doran (1951) and Thurman McGraw (1950). He joins Suh as the only Lions rookies to produce at least 4.5 sacks and one interception in a season. … The Lions now have 1,073 rushing yards through the first eight games of the season. This marks their most rushing yards through the first eight games of any season since 1998.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions.)

(Next up: Lions (2-6) at Bears (3-6), at 1 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 13)