Tag: Sam LaPorta

Lions bounce back and edge Saints in a nail-biter; 5 reasons they held on to win

After taking what seemed like a commanding 21-0 lead midway through the first quarter, the Detroit Lions opened the door and let the Saints back in.

It was edge-of-the-seat time late in the fourth quarter, before the Lions held on for a 33-28 win at the Superdome when Jared Goff connected with Josh Reynolds for 12 yards to convert on third-and-9 with 1:09 left.

The Lions jump to 9-3 and remain atop the NFC North. They were coming off a tough Thanksgiving loss to the Packers and once again showed their resilience. They have not had back-to-back losses in 13 months.

“I think the teams that are able to respond after you lose a tough one, to me, it’s not easy to gain confidence in losses, but I think you have to be able to do that. You understand your own errors, you understand what you have to clean up and then you don’t want to lose that way again or  like that again or from that again,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “We bounced back, I’m not surprised knowing the guys we have, the coaches in that locker room, the players we have. I’m not surprised.’’

That 21-0 lead in the first quarter set the pace early.

“We had some things that we wanted to do particularly offensively and defensively for that matter, and we had a good feel of it, they made some adjustments which we thought they would. Then it comes down to one player here, one player there, we’re an inch away from breaking another one. It was a chess game going on … 

Five reasons the Lions won:

1. A strong start was huge – a touchdown on the first drive on a 2-yard run by David Montgomery, then an interception by Brian Branch led to a Sam LaPorta touchdown and then a third TD, a 25-yard catch by Amon-Ra St. Brown. The 21-point lead with 7 minutes left in the first quarter was huge especially because the Saints defense was stingy after that quarter. “We had some things that we wanted to do particularly offensively and defensively for that matter, and we had a good feel of it. They made some adjustments which we thought they would,’’ Campbell said. “Then it comes down to one player here, one player there, we’re an inch away from breaking another one. It was a chess game going on.’’ The coach said they ran the ball intentionally on the first five snaps to re-establish confidence on the offensive line which was coming off a shaky game.

2. All week, and actually for two weeks, the Lions have wanted to cut down on turnovers and have the defense create them. Bingo. Derek Carr was intercepted by Branch on his first snap. And then later Tracy Walker recovered a snap fumble. The Lions have work to do but Jared Goff did not throw an interception and the offense did not give the ball away.

3. Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta had a career day with nine catches (on nine targets) for 140 yards and a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, on the Lions final drive, he caught the ball on a third-and-7 to keep the drive going and the ball away from the Saints who were just down 5 points. He became the first tight end in NFL history to produce 55 receptions, 550 yards and 6 touchdowns through 12-career games.

4. Goff controlled the game and made timely plays. He wasn’t perfect and he has certainly played better but when the Saints were breathing down their throats he remained poised and in control. On the final drive, when they had to hold onto the ball, Goff converted a third-and-7 with a pass to LaPorta and then a third-and-9 with a pass to Josh Reynolds. “That’s our guy, that’s what he does, the line was protecting well today,’’ Campbell said. “LaPorta, to be honest I feel like we were getting separation. LaPorta was showing up and Reynolds made a heck of a catch in the critical moments our offense finished it out for us.’’Goff  finished 16 of 25 for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions set a single-season record by producing 325-plus total net yards for the 12th-straight game and Goff obviously has played a major role in that. 

5. The defense made a few key plays, but they have plenty of work to do after giving up too many explosive plays. Defensive lineman Bruce Irvin in his first game with the Lions had a big-time sack. Romeo Okwara had another. They looked tough early in the game but faded and let the Saints back in. It was a win and that’s all good, but much work to do especially on defense. 

BONUS: Wide receiver Jameson Williams had a highlight touchdown on a reverse end-around early in the fourth quarter. His speed was on full display and he dove into the end zone for a nice flourish. “It’s something that’s been in the laboratory cooking for a while, it felt like it was the right time to call it up,’’ Campbell said. “He executed it great, the thing was well blacked, he did a great job keeping his eyes on it, the rest was up to him. It was pure gasoline around the edge, it was a heck of a play.’’

INJURY UPDATE: Center Frank Ragnow left in the second quarter with a knee injury and didn’t return. Campbell said he won’t have more information until Monday.

NEXT UP: Lions (9-3) at Chicago Bears (4-8), 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10. The Bears will be coming off a bye. The Lions won their first matchup 31-16 on Nov. 19.

Detroit Lions take care of business against Panthers; 5 reasons for 42-24 win

DETROIT — Each week it’s a different challenge and for the fourth time in five weeks, the Detroit Lions stepped up and finished with a win. The Carolina Panthers were no match for the Lions in Detroit’s 42-24 win at Ford Field on Sunday.

The Lions (4-1), and in first place in the NFC North, were coming off a big win at the Green Bay Packers while the struggling Panthers (0-5) were looking for their first win.

“I’m not worried about the opponents you can see eye to eye, cause I believe we can compete with anybody and beat anybody in this league,’’ coach Dan Campbell said afterward. “It’s the ones you don’t see coming.’’

These Lions seem to be up for the challenge. And while Campbell deflected a question about whether they have taken on his personality, it is clear that they have.

“You tell your team (your)  just concerns and you talk about it and your team tells you, ‘Coach ,freaking relax’ and they did that today,’’ Campbell said. “They came out and set the tone for the game and really never let off the gas.’’

They jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, were up 28-10 at the half and added a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to seal the win.

These Lions are 12-3 since last Halloween. The 42 points was the most they had scored since a 48-45 loss to Seattle on Oct 2, 2022.

Five reasons the Lions won:

1. Turns out the turnover battle was no battle at all. The Lions’ defense forced a fumble which resulted in a touchdown pass to WR Josh Reynolds 10 plays later. Also DE Aidan Hutchinson reached in and made a one-handed interception of Bryce Young which led to a touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta four plays later. And CB Jerry Jacobs picked off Young on a first-and-10 at Carolina’s own 23. Next play Goff threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to LaPorta. Seems like a trend. “To come away with three takeaways and turn that into 21 points offensively, that’s complementary football. Just an outstanding job by those players,’’ Campbell said. “They don’t care who we play, it’s competition and they show up.’’ The Lions’ offense did not turn the ball over.

2. Quarterback Jared Goff continues his stellar play. He completed 20 of 28 passes (a few were dropped) for 236 yards, three passing touchdowns, one rushing score and zero interceptions. “There’s always more Goff can give and that’s a great thing because he is playing at a high level right now. I love where his confidence is at,’’ Campbell said. “We came out saying we wanted to throw the ball early in this game and he was on fire. We have a tremendous amount of confidence in  him.’’

3. DE Aidan Hutchinson grabbed his first interception of the season and it was a one-handed beauty. He also had a sack, two TFLs, a quarterback hit, a pass defense and three tackles. Just another Sunday. 

4. Running back David Montgomery fits the Lions like a glove – Campbell’s words not mine. While Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring) was inactive, Montgomery took most of the rushing load and averaged 5.7 yards per carry for 109 yards and a touchdown. His kookiest play was a direct snap from Frank Ragnow that went between the legs of Goff to Montgomery on a third-and-6. Goff said they practiced it all week to get the timing down. It worked. Montgomery ran up the gut for 10 yards and a first down and two plays later Goff scored on a one-yard quarterback keeper. RB Craig Reynolds got work in the fourth quarter and scored his first career touchdown on a five-yard run.

5. The Lions were missing two key starters in WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (abdomen) and DB Brian Branch (ankle). No problem. Others stepped up. “We’ve been doing it for three years. I guess at some point you get better at it,’’ Campbell said. “This is something we talked about after ‘21. We have to assume we’re going to lose a significant amount of our starters in the year. That’s the assumption, now what do we do with the guys we have on this roster, how do we utilize them and have enough to produce against the opponent.’’ It’s a puzzle they seemed to have solved at least for the first five games. 

BY THE NUMBERS: Sunday was LT Taylor Decker’s 100th start. He got emotional talking about the support he’s had from his family and how much he appreciates the fans. … Rookie TE Sam LaPorta scored on a pair of touchdowns. He finished with four catches for 47 yards. … WR Josh Reynolds stepped up in absence of St. Brown with four catches for 79 yards and one TD. … WR Jameson Williams saw his first action this season after a four-game gambling suspension. He dropped the first ball that Goff sent his way. He had two catches for 2 yards. Campbell said he just wanted to get Williams on the field and acclimated. He said he was not disappointed. …  The Lions finished with 377 net yards. It is the first time since 1954 that the Lions have had more than 350 net yards in each of the first five games. … LB Alex Anzalone finished with a team-high 11 tackles. He also had two quarterback hits and was a force throughout. … CB Jerry Jacobs intercepted Young, his third interception in five games. 

UP NEXT: Lions (4-1) at Tampa Bay Bucs (3-1). The Bucs had a bye on Sunday. 

Lions Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch up for NFL rookie of week honors

Decker, Montgomery trending to play in Green Bay

ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions cornerback Brian Branch and tight end Sam LaPorta are among the six NFL rookies up for Rookie of the Week honors for Week 3. Both have been standouts in the first three games of their Lions’ careers.

On Sunday, LaPorta scored his first touchdown on a 45-yard pass from Jared Goff. It was one of his eight receptions for 84 yards. LaPorta was a second-round pick out of Iowa.

Branch led the defense with 11 tackles, he also had two pass defenses and three tackles for loss.

Both rookies were second-round picks. LaPorta (Iowa) at 34th overall and Branch (Alabama) at 45th overall.

“What we saw in college was, a few of the things that really caught our eye, it’s one thing to see the production in college but to know they’re very instinctive aware players,’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Tuesday. “They’re smart and they play fast. What you saw in college is what you’re starting to see here. Their instincts are there. They work extremely hard and I would say they’re both becoming pretty dependable pretty quickly.’’

They both make occasional rookie errors but Campbell said they’re growing extremely fast.

“They’re both guys who don’t make the same mistake twice. When you’re talking about rookies who can grow and develop quickly that’s what they all have in common,’’ the coach added.

While they’re getting acclaim this week, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell have also played well.

Others in the running for rookie of the week are Denver WR Marvin Mims, Miami RB DeVon Achane, Houston QB C.J. Stroud and Houston WR Tank Dell.

Votes can be cast at NFL.com/voting/rookies.

INJURY UPDATE

Left tackle Taylor Decker, who has missed two games, and running back David Montgomery, who sat out one, are trending in the right direction to play on Thursday at Green Bay according to Campbell on Tuesday.

Safety Kerby Joseph is still “wait and see” while cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, who has not played yet this season, will probably have to wait since the Lions weren’t practicing this week (just walk-throughs) due to the short turnaround time.