Tag: chicago bears

Lions Dan Campbell credits O-line for setting tone in offensive explosion in win at Chargers

Offensive vision coming to life as season unfolds

ALLEN PARK — Coach Dan Campbell said the Lions offense played their best game of the year in the 41-38 win at the Los Angeles Chargers.

The numbers tell part of the story with 533 total net yards and five touchdowns.

Coming off the bye week, Campbell wanted to see if the team still had its mojo, wanting to see improvement all-around. He got it offensively from everyone.

“Ultimately this whole offensive line, those five up front really set the tone,’’ Campbell said on Monday. “We needed them to, they’re the engine under the hood and they can go. We had a checklist of things and we checked every box’’

The offensive line was healthy after left guard Jonah Jackson and center Frank Ragnow had missed time with injuries.

Quarterback Jared Goff never was sacked, heck he said he was never touched.

That line play sparked the run and passing games. 

“I thought Goff made some critical throws, our receivers really showed up, not only in the pass game, but the run game,’’ Campbell said. “We wanted to be physical and those guys on the perimeter did that’s why we had explosive runs.’’

Running backs David Montgomery (back from injury) and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs form a perfect two-headed monster. After the game, Campbell said their vision of the run game was coming to live with the two healthy backs.

 “I think it’s hard to totally rely on one back, that’s a hard position. Those are hard miles that you put on a guy and to expect 65 plays a game for 17 games plus the playoffs, that’s hard,’’ Campbell said. “But if you can share the load, and no different than anybody else on our offense, when you have different skill sets and they’re able to do different things, they excel at certain things a little better, I think it just gives you more versatility and gives you a better chance for matchups that you want. They’re playing at a high level.”

Montgomery’s 75-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was the third longest rush this year in the NFL. It was the longest by a Lion since RB Jahvid Best had an 88-yard touchdown rush in 2011. Overall Montgomery had a dozen carries for 116 yards, averaging 9.7 yards per touch.

Montgomery Is the third Lion to rush for 100-plus yards and a touchdown in three of the first six games of a player’s season, along with Barry Sanders (1991) and Billy Sims (1981). Pretty good company. 

Gibbs scored a pair of touchdowns – both on 1-yard runs in the first half. Overall he carried 14 times for 75 yards and he had three catches for 35 yards. 

He became the first Lions’ rookie to rush for a touchdown in three-straight games since RB Kevin Smith in 2008. And he joined RB James Jones (1983) as the only players in franchise history to produce at least 50 scrimmage yards in each of their first seven NFL games.

Goff had seven different pass catchers with WR Amon-Ra St. Brown hauling down eight catches for 156 yards. His 20-yard touchdown late in the third quarter put the Lions up 31-24 with 4:31 left. His average catch was 19.5 yards. He also carried the ball twice for 9 yards. 

Campbell notes that Goff’s composure was “awesome” which is basically expected for the veteran quarterback. 

The coach also credited offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s game calling.

“I felt like he was two steps ahead. You’d be hard-pressed to call a better game than he did offensively,’’ Campbell said.

It all adds up to an offensive that has been carefully crafted since the arrival of Campbell and GM Brad Holmes to the franchise. They’re seeing their vision come to life and they have to be proud of the results. So far.

NEXT UP: Chicago Bears (3-7) at Lions (7-2), 1 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field.

Lions coach Dan Campbell makes gutsy calls to earn 41-38 win over Chargers

Dan Campbell has guts and the team to make him look smart. In a 41-38 win at the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, the Lions converted four of five fourth-down attempts.

None was bigger than a fourth-and-2 on the Chargers’ 26-yard line with 1:47 left and the game tied. Jared Goff found an open Sam LaPorta for 6 yards and the first down. Then after three-kneel-downs, Riley Patterson kicked a 41-yard field goal with no time remaining for the win.

That call was the definition of gutsy. It was pure Campbell whose team is now 7-2 and still atop the NFC North.

“I wanted to finish with the ball and so I trusted our guys. I trust (Jared) Goff. Going into that situation, there could be a lot of time left (if) you kick a field goal. I wanted to finish with the ball in our hands,’’ Campbell said. “I liked were we were at offensively. We were playing good, Goff was in a good spot. I thought it was the right thing to do.’’

He didn’t really have to defend himself, since the call resulted in the win but the media asked him repeatedly about it.

“To each his own. Some say it’s a boneheaded move, some say it’s not. I made the decision and I stick by that decision,’ Campbell said.

Goff, for one, loved the call.

“We love when he puts us in those positions to make those plays. He’s got balls of steel and today he showed it,’’ Goff told CBS.

Campbell said he thought he might melt into his seat on the long plane ride back to Detroit. He got what he wanted out of his team.

“I wanted us to play fast, physical and violent and truly compete,’’ Campbell said. “I did feel that way in all three phases.’’

Other than the coach’s gutsiness, five reasons the Lions won:

1. Give credit to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for finding what worked. When it appeared the Chargers’ defense had all the answers, Johnson pulled more plays out of his bag of tricks – at least enough to win. He had a healthy crew and knew how to push the buttons. Goff had seven different pass catchers with at least two receptions a piece. 

2. Running backs David Mongomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are a perfect combination and finished with a total of 193 rushing yards. They give the Lions a run game they haven’t had since perhaps the Barry Sanders era. “This is part of the vision coming alive – those two back there, the two-headed monster, they both deliver something different, they’re both very unique and they’re dangerous, both of them,’’ Campbell said. “It’s good to see that. Gibbs continues to grow and it’s great to have David back, he played at a high level.’’ Montgomery had a dozen carries for 116 yards and a touchdown. Gibbs had 14 carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns along with three catches for 35 yards. Even more amazing is they did it against the Chargers defense which had allowed just 89.8 rushing yards per game.

3. Jared Goff is not sure he’d like to play a shootout every week, but he managed in this one. The California native finished 23 of 33 for 333 yards and two touchdowns and a 122.4 rating. He never appeared rattled. No mistakes, completed 69.7 percent of his passes. Campbell has said it before and he said it again after the game, “We’ve got a quarterback.” In the NFL that is absolutely huge. Of course he got some help. Amon-Ra St. Brown had eight catches for 156 yards and a touchdown. “He’s a stud,” Campbell said of St. Brown.

4. The defense allowed the Chargers to gain 421 net yards which was not exactly the goal going in. However they got key stops at times to give the offense a chance to win. “Defensively we played really good early and they started getting us in the no-tempo,’’ Campbell said. “We have to clean up the composure a little bit and get the call, get lined up and just play ball. That will all be stuff we correct.’’ Early in the fourth quarter, the Chargers got the ball to the Lions’ 1-yard line and the defense stuffed them for five plays (including a penalty) before allowing a touchdown on fourth-and-goal at the 1. The Chargers converted all three fourth-down attempts and half of their third-down attempts.

5. The offensive line is healthy with Jonah Jackson and Frank Ragnow returning after being injured. They protected Goff big-time. “Not only were there no sacks, but I never got hit,’’ Goff said. “… It typically doesn’t happen against a good defensive line.’’ He did say he fell to the turf a few times but blamed himself for that. 

NEXT UP: Chicago Bears (3-7) at Lions, 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19, at Ford Field.

Lions Dan Campbell shoulders blame for loss to Ravens; promises team will be ready to face Raiders

It will be back to fundamentals in practice this week

ALLEN PARK — The disappointment of the 38-6 loss at Baltimore will motivate coach Dan Campbell and the Lions to be ready to face the Las Vegas Raiders on the upcoming Monday Night Football. On Monday, Campbell took 100 percent of the blame for not having the team prepared and promised they will be ready for the Raiders.

“I think what’s disappointing is, losing itself really stings, but the fact we were never even in that game that’s what burns. That’s the burn of it, that more than anything. You just want to know you’re in the fight and when you weren’t that’s a real bitter pill,’’ Campbell said at his Monday press conference.

The Lions were down 14-0 in the first quarter to the Ravens and 28-0 at the half. Detroit’s defense couldn’t handle quarterback Lamar Jackson and the offense could never get in a rhythm. 

“You see what it is, when you step back and you look at a number of performances that were very much sub-par across the board it’s not a coincidence. I did not do a good job of getting them ready. I did not,’’ Campbell said. 

“They did everything right over there, we did everything wrong. As good as they played on that side, which they earned that win, we certainly helped them and served it up on a platter for them,’’ the coach added.

Campbell said there’s a need to get back to fundamentals prior to facing the Raiders (3-4) who lost, 30-12, to the Bears on Sunday. He elaborated: “Our one-on-one work, our technique work, good-on-good, one-on-one pass rush, one-on-one man-to-man coverage, one-to-one getting open on routes, our releases, our handwork.

“You hope you got enough fundamentals through camp and you know what, you have to go back to it,’’ he said. “I know that’s where I can help with a little more intensity and urgency which I can deliver myself. I can help these guys, I know I can.’’

Every game is important because it’s the next but Campbell threw in another bit of caution on Monday.

“All I know is we’ve got to bounce back, that’s the most important thing. At the end of the day we’re 5-2, and where we’re going to have a problem is if we back it up with another loss,’’ Campbell said. “To me there’s a ton to learn off this tape for myself, to the coaches and for these players. But we’ve got to own it.’’

NOTES: Safety Kerby Joseph is out of concussion protocol after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit late in Sunday’s loss.. … RB Mohamed Ibrahim dislocated his hip in the game, was taken to Baltimore-area hospital where he was put under anesthesia to put it back in place. He was back at the Lions facility on Monday, but Campbell said he’s in pain and will not be able to play for a while.