Tag: Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Dan Campbell credits Ravens, says 38-6 loss was self-induced

Five reasons the Lions were embarrassed; with injury updates

Until Sunday at Baltimore, the Lions prided themselves on playing complementary football. The 5-1 record was a result of solid play by all three units. If needed one would step up when the other faltered. Under Dan Campbell they were poised no matter the situation.

It was all different on Sunday when the Ravens pounded the Lions, 38-6, in a smackdown that no one saw coming. The Ravens were a slight favorite but most expected a close, hard-fought game. Not a total embarrassment.

“It’s self-induced. Those guys played well, they kicked our ass. It’s a credit to them. Lamar (Jackson) beat us, he hammered us with his arm. He threw the ball extremely well, he ran when he needed to and we did not handle it well,’’ Campbell said. “Our energy was good which was crazy but our detail and discipline which has been so good over the last 4-5 weeks was not good enough. 

“Self-induced that was a combination of a lot of different things. Just like we win as a team, we lose as a team and that was one of those,’’ the coach added.

The offense’s first two series were three-and-outs while the Ravens scored touchdowns on their two possessions. It’s a hard recipe to overcome. Baltimore led 28-0 at the half.

“Offensively we never got in a rhythm early. They were playing with house money, you get up by a certain portion in that game then they’re kind of doing whatever they want to do,’’ Campbell said. “They’re out of their tendencies because why not.’’

So now the Lions are 5-2, still in first place in the NFC North, and they’ve got an extra day to prepare for the Las Vegas Raiders who they will play on Monday Night Football on Oct. 30 at Ford Field.

Campbell said last week this team would go through a rough patch and the true test would be how they handle it. He echoed the same thought after the loss.

“You don’t want these (losses) to happen, when it does it re-centers you, it refocuses you. And that’s all I know. I don’t want it to happen, nobody wants it to happen,’’ Campbell said. “Nobody likes to look over there and watch them having a great time because they kicked our ass. Nobody thinks that’s fun. I know that motivates me for next week and that motivates our team. … The shame would be if we don’t use this to get better for next week and it bleeds over into the Raiders. That would be the ultimate shame.’’

Five of the many reasons the Lions lost:

1. Lamar Jackson had a career day. He was scary good, but it was, at least in part, because the Lions’ defense appeared clueless. Campbell said it was execution rather than gameplan. “The combination of not getting much pressure and having to cover a long time, we didn’t handle it well,’’ Campbell said. Ravens’ pass catchers were typically wide open. They allowed 10 explosive plays of 20 yards or more (eight of them in the first half). Jackson finished 21 of 27 for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns plus nine carries for 36 yards and a rushing touchdown. The Lions were down 28-0 at the half, so if you’re searching for a silver lining, the defense gave up just 10 points in the second half.

2. Jared Goff didn’t get much time to operate since the defense couldn’t get the Ravens off the field. When he did, he didn’t look like the Goff we saw in the first six games. The Lions’ only score came on a 21-yard touchdown run by Jahmyr Gibbs in the fourth quarter. After just 97 net yards in the first half, they improved in the second half finishing with 337 yards. Goff was 33 of 53 with 284 yards and one interception.

3. This loss just can’t be pinned on one guy or one unit. It was not due to too many turnovers or an abundance of penalties. “That was a combination of a lot of different things. Just like we win as a team, we lose as a tema and that was one of those,’’ Campbell said. Yes, they missed RB David Montgomery and CB Jerry Jacobs but those absences are no excuse. Let’s call it “uncomplementary football.” Just bad. Really bad. Still, it’s not the end of the season.

4. Wide receiver Jameson Williams was not the reason for the loss, but he showed no signs of progress. He was targeted six times and didn’t make a catch. He dropped at least two. One deep pass late in the game hit him in the facemask. 

5. With David Montgomery out, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs was the top guy. He scored his first NFL touchdown on a 21-yard scamper and finished with 11 carries for 68 yards and nine catches for 58 yards. “I thought he took a step forward today,’’ Campbell said, adding that the more he plays the better he will get. 

NOTES: Mo Ibrahim, who injured his hip in the third quarter returning a kick, had surgery at a Baltimore-area hospital and will spend the night there. It was his first NFL snap. … Kerby Joseph led the defense with 10 tackles. He took a helmet-to-helmet hit late in the game by Odell Beckham Jr. and went into concussion protocol. No penalty was called. … WR Kalif Raymond left the game late but it was just cramps. Campbell said he’ll be fine. … The Lions defense never sacked Jackson while Goff was sacked five times. … LB Malcolm Rodriguez started at fullback. Campbell said they’ve been intrigued by him and wanted to find another way to use him. He hasn’t played much on defense, but is a key on special teams.

NEXT UP: Raiders (3-4) at Lions (5-2), 8:15 p.m., at Ford Field on Oct. 30. Las Vegas lost to the Bears, 30-12, on Sunday.

Lions’ QB Jared Goff eases into the MVP conversation with dazzling stats

He earns NFC offensive player of week for win at Bucs

ALLEN PARK — It’s not all about the stats, but Lions quarterback Jared Goff has put up huge numbers in the last 16 games. In that stretch the Lions are 13-3.

So far this season, they are 5-1, in first place in the NFC North and prepping for another tough road game at Baltimore on Sunday.

Goff, the NFC offensive player of the week for the win at the Bucs, is easing into the NFL MVP discussion.

Here’s why:

In the last 16 games, Goff has thrown 37 touchdowns against just four interceptions, completing 65.46 percent of his passes for 4,152 yards. The team went 13-3 in that stretch.

This season in six games (5-1), he’s thrown 11 touchdowns, three interceptions completing 69.5 percent of his passes for 1,618 yards.

“I don’t know what MVP is or isn’t these days but I know this, he’s playing at a very high level, he’s making the throws that are there and seeing the field. He’s exactly what we need and he’s doing exactly what we’re asking him to do,’’ Lions coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday. “I’ve said this before. He is an evolving quarterback, he’s developing, he’s been developing and he keeps getting a little bit better. ‘’

Tanner Engstrand, the Lions’ passing game coordinator, is more specific on Goff’s growth and sees him playing at a “very fast” level mentally.

“He’s seeing the defense pre-snap, he’s having an idea of what needs to happen, what he’s expecting. I think there’s a lot of diagnosis that’s going on pre-snap that’s putting him in the position to have that success post-snap,’’ Engstrand said. “And he’s throwing the heck out of the ball. The accuracy right now is really really good and the decision making process is at a high level.’’”

It helps that Goff, the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016, had the same offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for two years and has been with Campbell for three. 

“It’s a lot of hard work, obviously. But typically, when the team’s playing well, it makes my job a hell of a lot easier and defense is giving us short fields, O-line’s protecting really well and I’ve got receivers downfield making plays,’’ Goff said Wednesday. “So, all that comes together, and I do my part and it makes it a lot easier for me.”

Campbell said it’s a credit to Goff and the coaches that he’s growing and playing so well in his seventh season as a starter.

“He’s in a good way, our line is protecting the heck out of him and you give him just a minute, he can see it, he can throw it and our receivers make the play,’’ the coach said.

NOTES: Campbell said the team has been through a meat grinder in recent weeks so instead of a typical practice on Wednesday, they had a walk-through and put emphasis on the mental part of the game. … Due to no practice, the injury report was estimated. RB Craig Reynolds (hamstring/toe), who carried the load Sunday, would not have practiced. With RB David Montgomery (ribs) out for Sunday, they will be thin at running back. However RB Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) and DB Brian Branch (ankle) — neither one played Sunday — were listed as limited participants. Campbell said on Monday both were trending in the right direction.

Five things to watch as Lions face Packers at Lambeau; plus, prediction

ALLEN PARK — For years it was mostly misery when the Lions played the Packers at Lambeau Field. That changed last season. The Lions have won three straight against the Packers.       

It’s hard to forget the season-ending Lions’ 20-16 win in Green Bay which knocked the Packers out of the playoffs. Earlier on that Sunday, the Lions playoff hopes had been wrecked.

With that huge nationally televised victory, the Lions went into the offseason on a positive note

“It’s a good win on the road, a division opponent. If you can’t get in, that’s the way you’ve got to end it. You win some games, you find a little bit of a flow, it’s always good to win on the road especially in this division,’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Tuesday. “That’s the extent of it now it’s a new season, we know we can win out there. We’ve done it before but you’ve got to go earn it.’’

In a battle for the lead in the NFC North, both teams go into Thursday night’s game with 2-1 records.

It’s a short turnaround from Sunday to Thursday but, like Campbell said, the Packers are going through the same thing so it’s a level playing field.

Five things to watch:

1. Keep the pass rush working like it did against the Falcons. Don’t expect seven sacks every week, but must get pressure on quarterback Jordan Love. He is not Aaron Rodgers but he’s played well enough to get two wins so far. He’s mobile and has the second-most rushing yards on the team. Love has completed just 53.1 percent of his passes (compared to 69.9 percent for Jared Goff) but has thrown seven touchdowns against just one interception. “I think when everybody’s just doing their part and we’re staying disciplined to our responsibility, then everybody gets to eat,’’ Campbell said. “If we don’t do that and we’re not all totally in tune, it can make it hard. I’d like to believe it is sustainable.’’

2. Shut down the run again. Atlanta, which had averaged 170.5 rushing yards per game in its first two games, was held to 44. While the Packers average just 90.3 rushing yards per game. AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones (if he’s active) must be stopped.

3. If running back David Montgomery (thigh) can’t go, expect more from Jahmyr Gibbs who looked like he was finding his rhythm in the fourth quarter on Sunday. He had four runs for 41 yards in the winning touchdown drive. Gibbs said he’s always confident in running between the tackles (or anywhere) but he looked like he was in more of a groove in the fourth quarter. It’s easy to forget he’s a rookie.

4. The only thing Goff needs to work on is his vertical jump so as not to embarrass himself if he tries the Lambeau Leap like he did last week at Ford Field. Goff has a few hitches in his giddyup but not many. He said the interception he threw last week was his worst pass of his career so don’t expect we’ll see that again. He has formed quite a bond with rookie tight end Sam LaPorta who has 18 catches for 186 yards in three games. He’s second in receptions and yardage behind the consistently consistent Amon-Ra St. Brown. 

5. Improving the third-down conversion rate might not be a the top of Dan Campbell’s list but it’s somewhere on it. The Lions offense is converting just 37.5 percent of third downs. They’re almost as effective at fourth downs converting 2 of 6 (33.3 percent).

PREDICTION: Lions 31, Packers 21. Could be a close one but give the Lions an edge due to their defensive play against the Falcons.