los angeles chargers – Lions Lowdown

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.

Five things to watch as the Lions face the Chargers; plus prediction

Lions coach Dan Campbell said Saturday’s cross-country plane ride to Los Angeles should be good for his players who will be able to put their feet up and relax after a tough week of practice.

Coming off the bye, the Lions (6-2) will face the Los Angeles Chargers (4-4) who have won two straight and are coming off a Monday night win over the Jets.

This game, which starts at 4:05 p.m., also marks the start of the second half of the season which obviously is key to the Lions’ playoff hopes.

“Now, we’re not guaranteed six more wins playing the way we played in the first half. We have to get better, we have to,’’ Campbell said. “Every year there are teams that are jockeying for these spots, what happens is some of these teams that look pretty good right now begin to fall and some of these other teams will start rattling off some wins. We have to improve and I believe we can. We still have not put a complete game together will all three phases in one game.’’

Quarterback Jared Goff, who is one reason the Lions have won six games, agrees with Campbell that the Lions have room for improvement.

“I think there’s a lot of meat on the bone, both for offense and defense,’’ Goff said. “I’m sure they’d say the same thing where we feel like maybe the Carolina game was a complete game, but other than that, I don’t know if we’ve really had one, and how do we get closer to that as the season comes to an end? And no reason to not start this week and try to put together a complete game this week as well.”

Five things to watch:

1. The Chargers defense has held opponents to just 89.8 rushing yards per game. The Lions have to find a way to get through. They will benefit from the return of RB David Montgomery, who has missed two games, and the maturation before our eyes of rookie Jahmyr Gibbs. The Lions average 131.4 rushing yards per game so something has to give.

2. Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert has gone three straight games without an interception while passing for six touchdowns in that span. He’s played at a consistent level throughout his career. “Any quarterback that’s had the consistency he’s had — No. 1 he’s got ability, he’s a smart guy, but man he’s got it – he’s wired right. He’s tough, he can read the field very well,’’ Campbell said. “I know they can put a lot on his plate – the runs, the checks,the audibles. And he’s highly competitive. Usually if you have all those traits it’s hard not to be a pretty good player.’’ Campbell also said that Jared Goff has those same traits.

3. Goff will be facing a defense that had eight sacks in the win over the Jets on Monday night with Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack and Tuli Tuipuotu breaking through for 6.5 of those. “We’ve seen some good pressure players too, we just faced one before the bye in (Maxx) Crosby. He’s pretty good too,’’ Campbell said. “We’ve seen our fair share, (I) certainly like our tackles and like our O-line, but we’re going to have to have a plan for those guys.’’

4. After the offensive line played seven different formations in the first eight games due to injury, it appears all will be healthy for Sunday. Ironman Graham Glasgow, who has played at center and right guard could be the starter at right guard over Halapoulivaati Vaitai who is struggling to get fully healthy, Campbell said Glasgow has earned that right. “Certainly Graham has been productive for us and he has been productive at three different spots, LG, center and right guard before that,’’ Campbell said. “He’s a steady, reliable piece for us.” Ragnow, who missed one game, will be back at center and a healthy Jonah Jackson, who has missed three games, will be back at left guard.

5. Campbell and Chargers coach Brandon Staley are two of the more aggressive coaches in the NFL. Don’t expect that to change on Sunday. “I think you’ve got to play the way you feel. Certainly there are things he believes in, there are things I believe in, I don’t think that gets altered by either one of us, we’re going to do what we’re going to do,’’ Campbell said

BONUS: Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones went through his first week with the offense It’s not a certainty that he will be active. Campbell will make the decision after talking to WR coach Antwaan Randle El and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. “I want to make sure he’s comfortable too, I do,’’ Campbell said.

PREDICTION: Lions 28, Chargers 24