The Detroit Lions kicked off their season with a nail-biting win over the New Orleans Saints, and man, what a ride it was! This Week 1 game at Ford Field showed us a ton about where this team stands early on. Jared Goff had himself a strong day at quarterback, pulling in a B+ grade for his performance, which is exactly what you want from your guy under center to start the year. He avoided negative plays big time, chalking up zero turnovers and only one sack. The dude even had a sack fumble that didn’t happen because he kept his grip through the hit and started his throwing motion. That’s some serious presence of mind!
Running Backs Ran Wild, But Pass Pro Needs Work
While Goff did well, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for his ball placement. A couple of Jameson Williams’ “drops” were on Goff’s high and outside throws, turning into drive-killing third down plays. Still, hard to complain too much about his overall effort. But let’s talk about Jahmyr Gibbs, because wow. After a couple of early plays where he maybe tried to do a little too much (and that fumble), he was absolutely outstanding on Sunday. This guy showed explosiveness on the outside and serious vision running inside. He forced a career-high 12 missed tackles, proving he’s totally earned that increased workload. On the flip side, Sione Vaki’s debut wasn’t as great, especially with his pass protection. That was supposed to be his specialty, and it just wasn’t there.
Williams’ Rollercoaster Ride and St. Brown’s Dominance
Now, the wide receivers. Jameson Williams got a C, and frankly, he deserves the bulk of the blame for some crucial drops. That early deep shot could’ve totally swung the game, and those two third-down drops plus the fumble pretty much killed drives. Goff even took the blame for an end-around fumble, but you gotta wonder if he was covering for his guy. It’s a real step back for Williams after what was hyped as his best training camp. But here’s the kicker: it wasn’t *all* bad. He converted a third-and-8 in the red zone for Detroit’s first touchdown and his 22-yard gain in overtime set up the game-winning score. Talk about a mixed bag! Meanwhile, Amon-Ra St. Brown was just doing Amon-Ra St. Brown things, snagging 10 catches on 14 targets for 67 yards and two touchdowns. His overtime touchdown was incredible, fighting through contact for the score. My only beef with the receiving group was the YAC; St. Brown and Williams only combined for 29 yards after the catch, a credit to the Saints’ tackling. Over at tight end, Sam LaPorta chipped in with five catches on eight targets for 48 yards, a decent showing.
What a start for the Lions, huh? That Week 1 win against the Saints showed us a lot about this squad, especially how key pieces like Gibbs are ready for the spotlight and guys like St. Brown are just consistently fantastic. They definitely have some kinks to work out, especially with pass protection and receiver consistency, but getting that W with all the ups and downs means they’ve got some grit. It’s going to be exciting to see how they build on this early momentum.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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