Taylor Decker – Lions Lowdown

Five things to watch as Lions look to improve playoff chances with win over the Rams

With playoff chances on the line again, the Lions hope to tap into the success they found in the win against the Dallas Cowboys last week when they face Matthew Stafford and the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday.

A win would give the Lions (8-6) a 72-percent chance of making the playoffs while a loss would drop that percentage down around 30 percent. Huge difference.

The Rams (10-3) are seeking to win the NFC West over Seattle (10-3) and San Francisco (9-4).

Against the Cowboys, the Lions played some of their best complementary football this season.

“Man, we were all just clicking at the right time. It was like if something went against us, we lost a little bit of momentum, man, the other unit picked it up,’’ coach Dan Campbell said. “They shut it down. So, they score over there, we score. They score, we score. We fizzle out, defense gets a takeaway or gets the stop. They make a play, special teams, we get it to the 45. There’s a return to the minus-45, those are huge. That’s when – all the other stuff doesn’t matter. When you can do that in a game, that’s how you win games in this League.”

The last time Detroit and the Rams met was to open the 2024 season. The Lions pulled out a 26-20 overtime win. In January 2024, the Lions squeaked out a 24-23 playoff win in Detroit.

It’s an interesting recent history. Another chapter will be added on Sunday.

Five things to watch:

ONE: The Lions defense had three takeaways in the win over Dallas, they need to work some of that magic again. “We were able to disrupt what they were doing, and it paid huge dividends. It got us three takeaways, or really two. Had a lateral that was huge. So, we’ve got to do that again,’’ Campbell said. “The front is just as important as the backend. These guys will understand what they’re getting ready to face. We know this is an outstanding quarterback, he’s got weapons, and they’re versatile. And like I said, very good coaching. We’ve got to find a way to get takeaways, you’ve got to do it. We’ve got to do it again.”

TWO: Prevent Matthew Stafford, the odds-on favorite for the League’s MVP, from throwing explosive passes downfield. Easier said than done as he will try to manipulate the Lions defense. “But at some point, if you just sit there and he’s baiting you, if you don’t move, he’s going to throw it. So, you’ve still got to move, it’s just understanding, you could be – he could be trying to move you here a little bit, he could be trying to manipulate you,’’ Campbell said. “You’ve got to play your keys, and look, we’ve got to get to him upfront. We’ve got to cause some disruption.’’

THREE: The linebackers once again must help out the beat-up secondary. Brian Branch is out for the season and Kerby Joseph won’t play following a setback in his recovery. That makes linebacker Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes keys to the defensive success. “They’re big, and they’re one of the reasons – all of those guys were a factor, but man, we put a lot on our backers the other day. Some of those coverages we were playing a lot of, and that puts an enormous amount of stress on your linebackers,’’ Campbell said. “… So, the guys are going after the football and it shows, it pays dividends. You go after the football, you see what you hit, you make a concerted effort. One of your teammates gets him wrapped up, the other one comes in there and takes the ball away. Bite the football. And we’ve got to do it again, we have to.”

FOUR: A big deal has been made this week about the rematch between Stafford and Jared Goff. Both are in the upper echelon of NFL QBs this season — Stafford leads the NFL with 35 touchdown passes while Goff is second with 26. . Goff has made the best of the situation with a rebuilt offensive line. “He doesn’t blink. He doesn’t blink. I mean there’s times where he’s getting his butt kicked, he just gets right back up. That’s one of his strengths, he’s mentally tough,’’ offensive coordinator John Morton said. “And his preparation is the key to our success, just like everybody. I mean our guys, they do a great job, our coaches do a great job preparing everybody. But when you’ve got a guy like that, it’s pretty special. And when things don’t go right and through his preparation, he sees certain things and gets to it just like he did a couple weeks ago. And it’s helped us. It’s helped us a few times. But run and pass, he always gets us in the right play.’’

FIVE: Dan Campbell has improved at calling the offense and getting the ball to RB Jahmyr Gibbs to run or his increasing role as a pass catcher. “He’s certainly filled some of those targets and catches for us, and he can just do so much. And it’s kind of like he’s just scratching the surface on his route running ability and what he can do out in the backfield,’’ Goff said. Campbell said Gibbs gives them a lot of flexibility. ”I’ve said this before, the more that we ask him to do, the better he gets and the more he can do. But he allows us to do a lot, so he’s a good player. He’s a good player and he’s only getting better,’’ the coach said.

LIONS INJURIES: OUT — S Kerby Joseph, DB Brian Branch, G Christian Mahogany and S Thomas Harper. QUESTIONABLE — LT Taylor Decker, WR Kalif Raymond, G Kayode Awosika, RB Sione Vaki and TE Shane Zylstra.

RAMS INJURIES: WR Davante Adams is questionable.

PREDICTION: Lions 28, Rams 27

Five reasons the Lions rolled in 44-22 win over Commanders

Campbell’s play-calling sparked the offense

That was more like it for the Detroit Lions who lived up to their standards in all three phases while defeating the Washington Commanders, 44-22, on Sunday.

With coach Dan Campbell taking over the play-calling on offense, the Lions scored on eight straight possessions before taking a knee late.

“I thought he did a great job, he was dialed in and had us really rolling there,’’ quarterback Jared Goff told FOX.

Campbell said he made the decision last week to handle the offensive play-calling instead of offensive coordinator John Morton.

“I know what I want to do, I know how I want to do it. This is a collaborative effort. I was taking input from John Morton that whole time and the other coaches,’’ Campbell said. “… This is all-encompassing, we all work together. The coaches did a helluva job. I just wanted to change it up a little bit. Let’s see if maybe a different play-caller can maybe get us more rhythm.’’

That is exactly what happened with the offense rolling up 546 yards.

Five reasons Lions won:

ONE: The Lions run game is back. While credit to the offensive line is due, running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery got blocks all around. Campbell emphasizes a good run game requires all 11 on the field to be precise. That’s exactly what he saw. Gibbs had a monster game with 15 carries for 142 yards with two rushing TDs and three catches for 30 yards and a receiving TD. Montgomery chipped in with 14 carries for 62 yards.Overall the Lions rushed for 226 yards.

TWO: The offensive line, even without left guard Christian Mahogany, played solidly – Goff was not sacked and threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns. “From the first time we ran the ball you could see the surge,’’ Campbell said. Right tackle Penei Sewell sat out a few plays early after an injury but got back in. Dan Skipper saw action as the sixth offensive lineman and then filled in for Taylor Decker in the final seven minutes when the game was firmly in Detroit’s control.

THREE: Wide receiver Jameson Williams got more involved. Remember him? Sometimes it seems that he’s not much of a factor in the offensive plans. Making sure he gets touches is key and that happened Sunday. Jamo had six catches for 119 yards and a touchdown. His speed is lethal but it does not matter unless they find a way to get him the ball like they did on Sunday. He’s been doing a great job, he’s been busting his rear every day he comes to work. “He’s been unbelievable, we just hadn’t connected,’’ Campbell said. “Today we got him going, Goff got him going, made some throws, he made some big-time plays. It was good to see, his confidence was up, he’s ripping and roaring, he’s very much a part of our guys.’’

FOUR: Detroit’s defense limited explosive plays and held the Commanders to 288 yards and 2-of-10 on third downs. The Commanders average 139.9 rushing yards per game and were held to 93. “Defensively to handle the tempo they had and played with over there that’s not easy if you don’t see that all the time,’’ Campbell said. “They do a lot of different things.’’

FIVE: It was a solid Lions effort across the board – in all three phases. Campbell preaches the need for this and usually gets it, but he didn’t in the loss to the Vikings a week ago. The Lions extend the streak of not having lost back-to-back games in more than three years. “Good to see our guys respond, I’m not surprised I knew they’d be ready to go, it’s just what they do,’’ Campbell said. “We’ve got the right guys, you could feel it all week — the intensity, the focus — they wanted to get back in the win column.

UP NEXT: Lions (6-3) at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m., Sunday, Nov 16.The Eagles face the Packers on Monday Night Football.

Five things to watch as Lions face the Vikings; plus injury update, prediction

Fresh off the bye week, the Lions enter a crucial stretch of the season, starting with the division-rival Vikings on Sunday at Ford Field.

The Lions (5-2) hold second place in the NFC North behind the Packers (5-1-1) and ahead of the Bears (4-3) and Minnesota ((3-4). The Vikings have lost two straight and three of the last four with Carson Wentz at quarterback.

Coach Dan Campbell talked to the team this week about where everything is stacking up in the NFC.

“It’s very competitive, especially at this point in the season for one conference. But all I stated was, ‘Hey, this is where we’re at, this is where these teams are at, and this thing’s about to shake out within the month of November.’ … You’re going to start seeing some risers and fallers, and a lot of these teams are playing each other,’’ Campbell said. .”We’re one of them. So, it really is just handle your business, man. And the bottom line is, find a way to win your division. And we’ve got Minnesota coming in here, that’s No. 1. And then you worry about the next one after that.”

Campbell said external expectations are what they are.

“It’s not about expectations, it’s about our standards,’’ the coach said. “The standards are the standards, and it’s about us playing to those standards, and that’s the most important thing.”

Five things to watch:

ONE: J.J. McCarthy is expected to start for the Vikings on Sunday. The second-year quarterback has just two games of NFL experience but Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said regardless of time on task he’s a threat. Sheppard referred to the Vikings’ Week 1 27-24 win over the Bears when McCarthy threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran 14 yards for a score all in the fourth quarter for the comeback win. “Ultra competitor, a player like that doesn’t get drafted where he was drafted without a reason and I see the reason,’’ Sheppard said. “You turn on the Week 1 game and they were getting stymied in the first half, they came out in the second half and in a way he put that team on his back, he put that offense on his back and you saw how the guys galvanized around him. So that told me something about him.’’

TWO: While the secondary backups – the Legion of Whom – excelled in the win over the Bucs before the bye week, the secondary will look more familiar on Sunday with Brian Branch and possibly Terrion Arnold, Avonte Maddox and Daniel Thomas returning. Still Sheppard loved what he saw from the others. “I mean the names go on and on of the guys that went out and not only just played, not only held the line, but they’ve put some pressure on some of our starters now,’’ Sheppard said. “Like these guys came in and we probably played the best defensive game that we’ve played this year with a bunch of you call it ‘no name,’ whatever. I know these guys’ names, and I know who they are as people and I’m just glad that everybody else does now.”

THREE: During the bye week, the coaches looked at third-down percentage and how to improve it. The Lions rank 22nd in the NFL converting 37.7 percent of third downs. It’s not just third-and-long that is the issue. “I feel like there’s a lot of things we’ve actually missed on third-and-manageable. The mid-range third downs. So we’re where we want to be to have a shot at converting, it’s just we’ve got to get it done,’’ Campbell said. “And that really is collective, it’s all of us. There’s things that we can do to really help our guys and then it falls on them too. So, it’s collective, it’s the whole unit. And I know we talked about that and so look, we’re just going to keep tweaking it, we’re going to keep working on it and hopefully we get better this week.’’

FOUR: Defensively, the red zone play has been ranked in the bottom third of the league. “Statistically I kind of looked at some areas that I believe we should be better and will be better starting with the red zone. When you allow teams down there it’s huge that you limit points in those situations – the 4-point plays,’’ Sheppard said. “As far as when teams are in 7-point striking distance and you only give up a FG. We’ve definitely got to tick up there. Also third-and-11 plus we’re in the bottom 5 of the league.’’

FIVE: Jared Goff has faced Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores enough to know him but that doesn’t make it easier on the quarterback who said he sees some changes from last year.

“Well coached, fast, fly around, good hard-nosed players who play hard for him. It’s a good group,’’ Goff said. “… They want to penetrate, they want to get in the backfield, they want to get typically five or six guys rushing, one-on-ones on everybody. In that case, they run some pick games, they run some stunts, they do a little bit of everything. And they want to disrupt your timing and get in the backfield and it’s up to us up front and me to get the ball out and do everything right.”

LIONS INJURIES: Out — CB Kerby Joseph, RB Craig Reynolds, LB Malcolm Rodriguez; Questionable — LT Taylor Decker, CB Avonte Maddox, RB Sione Vaki and S Daniel Thomas.

VIKINGS INJURIES: Out — FB C.J. Hand, TE Josh Oliver, CB Jeff Okuday; Questionable _ LT Christian Darrisaw, RT Brian O’Neill, EDGE Andrew van Ginkel and DB Josh Metellus.

PREDICTION: Lions 35, Vikings 21

UP NEXT: Lions at Washington Commanders, 4:25 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16.