Tag: jared goff

Five things to watch as Lions return to Ford Field, face Titans

Also injury updates from both teams, prediction

Lions coach Dan Campbell is not taking the Tennessee Titans lightly. Sure they’re 1-5, but he has a four-word replay: “Look at the tape.”

The Titans visit Ford Field on Sunday looking to snap a two-game losing streak.

“It’s a dangerous team, they’ve got a lot of weapons across the board, it’s an outstanding defense. Yards wise it’s the No. 1 defense in the league,’’ Campbell said. “Outstanding on third down.’’

The Lions (5-1) seek to extend their win streak to five games and to stand alone atop the NFC North after the Vikings (5-2) lost to the Rams on Thursday night. They know they can’t overlook the Titans. Those who were with the Lions in 2021 certainly understand the situation.

“They’re still a really good team. I think back to when we were 1-6 in 2022. I think they’re going to come out hungry and ready to go, we have to be ready for them,’’ linebacker Alex Anzalone said. “We’ve been there, we know what it’s like in their shoes and what they’re still fighting for. This is the NFL and every team is really good in my opinion. They have talent all over the field. It’s just about them putting it together.’’
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said the record don’t matter in the NFL.

“You can get your ass kicked at any given time and we understand that because we were in Tennessee’s shoes before. We were that team that we were out for blood every week, I know this team feels the same way,’’ Glenn said. “Listen, they have names, they have players, they have high draft picks that want to come out and establish dominance, but we have to do a really good job of just understanding what the task is at hand.’’

Five things to watch:

ONE: Jared Goff’s play in recent games has the Lions offense on fire. He’s put up amazing numbers with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions in the last three games. Still, he’s not cocky and certainly not overlooking the Titans. “I think this defense is as good as any defense we’ve played up to this point and we know that. I’m not just blowing smoke or anything,’’ Goff said. “I know their record doesn’t show that but it’s a good defense, they’re good at every level and we’ve got our work cut out for us for sure.”

TWO: The Titans offense led by quarterback Will Levis is dead last in the league in passing offense and 21st in rushing offense with Tony Pollard and Tylae Speers as the leading rushers. Levis has thrown at least one interception in every game. “I think they do a good job, their run game first and foremost. That’s the focus this week. They do a really good job of scheming up runs and we have to bring a certain mentality to this game to defend it that’s what sets everything else up for them,’’ Anzalone said. Worth noting that if Levis goes to the air it’s risky since Lions safety Brian Branch has three interceptions in the last two games.

THREE: Turnovers have been an issue for the Titans. The Titans have a dozen giveaways and just three takeaways. In comparison, the Lions have five giveaways and 11 takeaways. “You flip that just a little bit and they’re not sitting where they are,’’ Campbell said.

FOUR: Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery seemingly set new records each week. Gibbs had the hot hand in the win at the Vikings, it could be Montgomery this week.  Each produced at least 70 scrimmage yards for the sixth-straight game to start the season. This is the longest streak of games where each member of a running back duo has logged 70 scrimmage yards since Saints RBs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara in 2017. It’s a two-headed monster that defenses haven’t found a way to stop with the Lions averaging 155.5 rushing yards per game. The Titans’ defense allows just 105.5 rushing yards per game so something has to give. Expect Gibbs and Montgomery to be ready.

FIVE: The Lions will be without WR Jameson Williams who has been suspended for two games by the NFL. While Williams had just one catch last week for minus-4 yards he’s a pivotal part of the offense. In his absence Kalif Raymond will fill in. “You know what you’re getting each and every day. He comes in with a great attitude and he’s willing to do whatever it takes. If you told him, ‘Hey, you’re going to have 10 snaps this week and they’re all run blocking,’ he’s going to attack that with a vigor, and he just loves playing football and being out on the field for his teammates,’’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “And so, when you combine that mentality along with – he’s got probably the best press releases on the team because of how small and shifty he is, guys can’t keep up with his quickness, he’s a threat in man-to-man, and then his run after catch is that of what you would expect from a punt returner. So, a very dynamic weapon, there were some games earlier in the year, didn’t feel like we were giving him enough opportunities, and so the last couple of weeks we’ve been able to get the ball in his hands and he’s taken it and ran with it.” Also look for WR Isaiah Williams to be brought up from the practice squad and possibly more reps for veteran WR Allen Robinson. 

LIONS INJURY UPDATE: DL Josh Paschal (illness) and G Christian Mahogany (illness) are out.

TITANS INJURY UPDATE: RB Tylae Spears (hamstring), LB Jerome Baker, T Jaelyn Duncan (hamstring), LB Cedric Gray (shoulder) and CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad) are out; CB Jarvis Brownlee (ankle) and QB Will Levis (right shoulder) are questionable. 

LIONS SATURDAY MOVES: OLB Al-Quadin Muhammad and TE Shane Zylstra elevated from practice squad.

PREDICTION: Lions 35, Titans 15

Lions Jared Goff earns MVP talk; Dan Campbell expects the best from his QB

With a 5-1 start to the season, Lions coach Dan Campbell often credits complementary football when the offense, defense and special teams all step up. 

No argument here.

Still, quarterback Jared Goff has been playing lights out. He’s not doing it alone, but he’s accomplishing feats that are remarkable.

“I guess I’m just not surprised, I guess is the best way to say it. I hear these numbers and yeah, he’s playing good. He’s a good quarterback,’’ Campbell said on Monday. “I don’t see this like I’m blown away, I expect that from him. He’s playing at a high level. There are so many little things he does.’’

In the 31-29 win at the Vikings on Sunday, Goff completed 22-of-25 passes (88.0 percent) for 280 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 140.0 passer rating. 

“We put a ton on his plate this week – we put a ton mentally. We asked him to do so much particularly on third down because it’s such a unique defensive scheme that we faced and the amount of pressure and he handled it so good,’’ Campbell said. “Because of that, that helps the rest of the team, it helps the rest of the offense perform at a high level. To me, that’s him.’’

With such stellar play, Goff has worked himself into the conversation for NFL MVP. 

Statistics don’t tell the whole story – as ESPN analyst Booger McFarland said, “Stats are like bikinis. They show some things but not all things.”

Stats don’t show the heart, the fire in the belly and the ice in the veins. Nonetheless Goff is putting up the numbers.

The Lions offense is the only team with more offensive touchdowns (18) than incompletions (16) in a four-game span since the merger. Think about that.

— In any four-game span in NFL history, Goff is the only one to produce a completion percentage of 80.0 percent and a passer rating of 140.0.

—  In each of his last four games, Goff has completed at least 72.0 percent of his passes, thrown for two touchdowns and posted a passer rating of 110.0. The only other player to have a four-game streak with these numbers in a single season was Tom Brady in 2007. 

Not done yet: 

—  Goff is  the fourth quarterback in NFL history to produce a passer rating of 140.0-or-higher in three-straight games, joining: Aaron Rodgers (2011), Kurt Warner (1999) and Roger Staubach (1971).

— Oh, and at the Vikings, Goff tied the franchise single-game completion percentage record (88.0 percent) in a game with at least 25 attempts.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Campbell was asked about critical comments from Chris Christie following the Lions 47-9 rout at Dallas a week ago. The coach smiled, shook his head and said: “The last time someone called me classless I was drinking wine from the bottle.”

UP NEXT: Tennessee Titans (1-5) at Lions (5-1), 1 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field.

Detroit Lions take first place in NFC North with 31-29 win at Vikings

For many teams, heading into MInnesota to play the undefeated Vikings might seem like a no-win situation. On Sunday the Lions proved they are not like most NFL teams, they are better. 

Detroit pulled off a 31-29 win with a game-winning field goal with 15 seconds left. 

With the victory they find themselves 5-1 and atop the NFC North. The Vikings fell to 5-1 and 1-1 in the division.

It was the second big road win in two weeks for the Lions. Last week was a 47-9 rout at Dallas, this week was just enough to win. They all count the same.

“I told the team to say that I was proud of them is a massive understatement,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “We knew that team was playing good football and they have been for five weeks. Coming off a bye we knew they were going to be ready. 

“It was going to come down to the wire, the team knew this. We talked about patience, keep your composure, communication and then attitude. Our guys did that, we hung in there,’’ the coach added.

Things went south when the Vikings scored the first 10 points and then late in the fourth when it looked like the Lions had won, running back David Montgomery fumbled (his first in 247 carries) and the Vikings picked it up and ran into the end zone.

“We didn’t bat an eye,’’ Campbell said.

The Lions offense got the ball back with 2:32 left at their own 30, needing a field goal to win. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 14 yards and caught a 16-yarder. A 14-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown got the Lions in field goal range. After bleeding the clock, kicker Jake Bates nailed a 44-yard field goal for the win.

“That’s a huge win on the road, tough environment. You don’t want to say must-win, but we needed that in a big way,’’ Campbell said.

Five reasons the Lions won:

ONE: Jared Goff was a perfect 15 of 15 to start the game and finished 22 of 25 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and a 140.0 rating. He’s been on fire for the last three games and is the biggest reason the Lions are 5-1. “The guy’s got arm talent, there’s no question but it’s what he’s got here (between his ears) and here (in his heart). It’s what makes him a dangerous player,’’ Campbell said. “It makes him one of these guys you can build around because he’s a winner. He will find a way to win, he’ll find a way to put the offense in position to win a game. He doesn’t get frazzled, he’s tough, he’s competitive and he’s reliable. I love the guy, man.’’

TWO: Sure the Lions were missing pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson but the defense came up big when needed including Trevor Nowaske’s sack of Sam Darnold to finish the game. Safety Brian Branch was definitely the standout with an interception, a pair of pass defenses and four tackles. “(Branch’s) confidence is going sky high, he’s getting better. He’s still kind of young and new to the safety position for us. You can tell how fast he’s growing in the position,’’ Campbell said. “The sky’s the limit for him. He’s the ultimate football guy, he understands how to play the game. He’s instinctive, he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s a great tackler, he’s a ball guy, he’s got radar. And he’s one of those guys that can change the game for you.’’ And he did.

THREE: The Lions did not want to start in the hole and before they knew it they were down 10-0, but patience and composure paid off. “I think they’ve got a really good coached team, I think coach (Brian) Flores is one of the best on defense in the league,’’ Goff said. “They adjusted well and we adjusted back. It was a little chess game there going on and it’s a lot of fun but they’re a good team.’’

FOUR: Running back Jahmyr Gibbs had a breakout kind of game with 160 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns. Campbell saw it coming. “We feel like Gibby’s been so close to exploding, we felt this was the game,’’ Campbell said. “He really came to life when we needed it most.’’ Gibbs finished with 15 carries for 116 yards and four catches for 44 yards, along with his two TDs. David Montgomery had nine carries for 31 yards. He injured a knee in the first half but got back into action. Because Gibbs was hot, he got most of the second-half work.

FIVE:  Kicker Jake Bates, who was signed from the UFL, did not let the pressure get to him in just his sixth NFL game. It was all on the line when he sent the 44-yard game-winning field goal through the posts. Campbell was confident in Bates who was a perfect 9-for-9 in the first five games. “We’ve had five NFL games with him and then when you see him everyday in practice, you give him the crowd noise, move the spot and I’m yelling at him, you’re just applying pressure and watching him. He continues to make these kicks,’’ Campbell said. “You feel pretty good when he gets thrust into it.’’

UP NEXT: Lions (5-1) vs. Tennessee Titans (1-5), 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27 at Ford Field.