Tag: David Montgomery

Lions Jared Goff confident about resolving red zone issues, bouncing back with a win

ALLEN PARK — If the Lions are going to hop back on the winning track, they have to get the red zone issues fixed and do it before Sunday’s game at Arizona.

The Lions were 1 of 7 inside the 20-yard line in Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers. No need to look further to figure out why they lost.

So far in two games they are 3 of 11 in the red zone.

Still quarterback Jared Goff is confident they will bounce back.

“That’s kind of what we’re built for, is responding, and we’ve got another really good team we’re playing again this week with Arizona,’’ Goff said Wednesday. “On the road, it’ll be a tough environment, it’ll be a tough game to win, but we’ll be geared up and ready.”

Coach Dan Campbell said it’s not on one player, it was an offensive issue.

“It’s a team effort out there. We didn’t finish the drives, we take pride in our red zone offense and, as an offense, we just didn’t get the job done,’’ offensive line coach Hank Fraley said on Wednesday. “That’s definitely a point of focus this week and really every week, it’s an offseason focus.’’

Goff said if they could pinpoint an issue they would’ve been able to fix it during the game.

“It was just they played well on defense, we didn’t play well enough on offense and got down there seven times, which I think was the most we’ve gotten down there since (offensive coordinator) Ben (Johnson)’s been calling plays, but ultimately we didn’t capitalize on it and they did a good job on defense,’’ Goff said.

Definitely credit the Bucs’ defense, but six failed attempts inside the 20 is just too much. From the 20 to the 20 the Lions’ offense moved the ball with 463 yards of total offense (compared to Tampa’s 216 yards) and Jared Goff threw for 324 yards. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs (84 yards) and David Montgomery combined for 119 rushing yards.

“It felt like there was some consistency and movement of the football, then when we got to the red zone and for one reason or another – it could’ve been one person or one thing not going the right way. There were a couple of runs I’d like to have back,’’ Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said. “There were little things we see that collectively you can’t have happen. That’s what we’re focused on now moving forward.’’

While he said there are a few things they know they can do better, it wouldn’t offer specifics.

Fraley could be  speaking for the whole offense when he said, “It’s disappointing because when we go down there we expect we’re getting 7. That’s our mindset and worst case scenario 3.’’

INJURY UPDATE: DL Marcus Davenport (groin), who didn’t play Sunday, was back at practice on Wednesday. … Missing from practice during the portion open to the media were: LB Alex Anzalone (concussion), S Ifeaut Melifonwu (ankle), CB Terrion Arnold (finger), CB Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring), LG Graham Glasgow (knee). S Kerby Joseph (back) and WR Isaiah Williams (abdomen) were limited in practice..

UP NEXT: Lions (1-1) at Arizona Cardinals (1-1), 4:25 p.m. on Sunday. Airs on FOX and 97.1 The Ticket.

The Monday after: Thoughts on the secondary, Amon-Ra St. Brown and ‘Reba’

ALLEN PARK — The Lions basic motto on Monday boiled down to a simple four words: More work to do.

This comes after a comeback 26-20 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night at a rocking Ford Field..

Coach Dan Campbell said win or lose his message would have been the same. He wants to get better every week.

Five thoughts on Monday: 

ONE: Campbell liked that the defense took the Rams out of their game and into more of a quick game. “When you run almost 80 plays and you only give up 20 points, that’s pretty good. That’s a good start,’’ Campbell said on Monday. “It was a good win.’’

TWO: While the team was pleased with the win, they are their own toughest critics. Defensive lineman Alim McNeill explained: “I mean it’s because you want to hold them to zero points. We had them at 3 at halftime. We wanted to keep them there, 3 too many,’’ McNeill said on Monday. “That’s always our mindset is how can you get better everyday because you want to hold them to zero. You can’t score, you can’t win.’’

McNeill said the defense’s identity is violent. 

“We want to be feared, we want to be violent. That’s how defenses win games. That’s our advantage is fear,’’ said McNeill who watched episodes of “Reba” on Netflix until 4 a.m. after the game.

THREE: It is not that WR Amon-Ra St. Brown was an afterthought, it just looked like it on the stat sheet. Even though QB Jared Goff passed for 217 yards, St. Brown had just three catches for 13 yards and was targeted six times. Campbell said they tried to get him involved.

“We called his number quite a few times. It felt like, for whatever reason, either coverage took it away or something happens on the inside slant. There were just these things, it kind of was one of those games,’’ Campbell said. “He’s constantly somebody we think about. That doesn’t go away. Certainly we want to get him targeted more than what he showed yesterday.’’

FOUR: The young secondary was tested by Matthew Stafford who passed for 317 yards. 

“We’ve got a lot of room to grow, but there were things in that game I was really proud of on the back end,’’ Campbell said.

He mentioned good games by Carlton Davis Jr., Brian Branch and rookie Terrion Arnold.

“TA, it’s very evident it’s not too big for him. He’s got a lot to clean up, but it was very promising,’’ Campbell said. “He was in stride, he showed up and he’s only going to get better.’’

FIVE: Campbell emphasized the remarkable game by RB David Montgomery, as the big reason the Lions pulled out the overtime win. “D-Mo put that game on his shoulders. He willed that to happen,’’ the coach said. On the second play of overtime, a first-and-10 at Detroit’s 42-yard line, Montgomery scampered for 21 yards. Campbell said he could tell at that point that Montgomery was up to the task. In that eight-play drive Montgomery had five carries for 45 yards including the 1-yard touchdown run.

BONUS: NBC’s “Today Show” aired a segment on Monday featuring the Lions’ five offensive line starters who all happen to be dads to young children. It’s another bond that brings them together – sometimes in the pool at the same swim lessons. Check it out.

UP NEXT: Tampa Bay Bucs (1-0) at Detroit Lions (1-0), 1 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field.

Five reasons the Lions won OT opener against Stafford and the Rams

DETROIT — Coach Dan Campbell knew it would be a hard-fought season opener and who would doubt him. His Detroit Lions squeaked by with a 26-20 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night at Ford Field in a nationally televised game.

Hard-fought? Absolutely.

Perfect? Not even close.

“We eventually found a rhythm. We did what we had to do. I said early in the week the team that makes the most mistakes is the team that usually loses these early games and we made one less mistake,’’ Campbell said.

Obviously happy with the win over a solid Rams team, Campbell and the team know they have to improve. 

“We’ll get better, we’ll get in a better flow on both sides of the ball, we will,’’ Campbell said.

Five of the top reasons the Lions won:

ONE: After kicking a late field goal to tie the game and get to overtime, the Lions won the toss. All they had to do to win was score a touchdown on that first drive. Jared Goff and RB David Montgomery put on a show with an 8-play, 70-yard scoring drive. Montgomery carried five times for 45 yards including the 1-yard touchdown. Goff called him a battering ram. “Just hand it to him, he did the rest. It was fun watching him catch his second win in overtime, the offensive line too,’’ Goff said. 

TWO: Wide receiver Jameson Williams won a game ball for his five catches for 121 yards and a 13-yard run. It was his first ever – didn’t even get one at Alabama. “This might not leave my hands, I might sleep like this,’’ said the speedy Williams who scored on a 52-yard pass play.

Just starting his third season, it seemed like a breakout game but Williams insists he’ll get better. That’s exactly what Campbell said too. He’s proud of Williams and said the best part is he has room for growth. “It’s just Game 1, I put in a lot of work. I expected to have a big game, I guess this is big to the world because it’s my first one, I plan on having a lot more,’’ Williams said. “I don’t plan on this being the best game of my career. This is just the start of me being me.’’ Count on it.

THREE: Goff was a steady Eddy, keeping the ship upright even after the Rams scored 17 unanswered points and took the 20-17 lead in the fourth quarter. Goff completed 18 of 28 passes for 217 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“The theme of tonight, we kept shooting ourselves in the foot a little bit, certainly offensively. … It wasn’t our smoothest but a win is a win. We have to happy with that,’’ Goff said.

He couldn’t get Amon-Ra St. Brown much involved (3 catches, 13 yards), same with Sam LaPorta (4 catches, 45 yards). Goff didn’t really have an answer; it was just how the game flowed.

FOUR: Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was on top of his game. He was a handful for the Lions defense, especially the young secondary. He was sacked twice and pressured often but still threw for 317 yards including one touchdown and one interception. Campbell couldn’t say enough about the former Lions’ QB. 

“That quarterback, Stafford, I thought played lights out, played tough, hit after hit; he just kept getting up and making unbelievable throws,’’ Campbell said. “I give them a lot of credit they fought, but we’re hard to break.’’

The coach even went a step farther. “Stafford, it’s almost like you don’t want to hit him because when you hit him he plays better. He just continued to make plays,’’ Campbell said.

FIVE: Marcus Davenport lived up to expectations at defensive end in his first Lions game and, as always, Aidan Hutchinson (5 tackles, 1 sack, 4 quarterback hits) was solid with a key play when the Rams got called for holding on him.

It seemed like linebacker Alex Anzalone was everywhere. He finished with a team-high 13 tackles and three tackles for loss. “Since TFLs became officially recorded in 1994, only one Lions player has produced 10-plus tackles and 3-plus TFLs in a season-opening game and that was Anzalone on Sunday night. It marked only the eighth time an NFL  player has logged this stat-line in a Week 1 game since 1994. Pretty impressive.

UP NEXT: The Tampa Bay Bucs (1-0) at the Lions (1-0), 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16.