The Detroit Lions have to feel good about their start to the 2024 NFL season. They have a 2-1 record and beat themselves more than they lost in Week 2 against the Buccaneers.
Detroit responded to Week 2 by going into Arizona and dominating the first half, then surviving to win the game.
The Lions have not looked like the 2023 version of themselves for an entire game just yet, but that isn’t always a bad thing. Detroit is learning how to win in different ways, and that was evidenced by a weird win in the desert.
What can we take from that Week 3 contest?
Below we will explore three overreactions from the Lions 20-13 win over the Cardinals on Sunday.
Lions QB Jared Goff is broken?
Up until this season, Jared Goff was on a steady upward trajectory while in Detroit. Each season was better than the last and it was easy to feel like it could happen forever. Goff played well enough to merit a giant four-year, $212 million extension this offseason.
Unfortunately, it seems that Goff is regressing (so far) from last year’s hugely successful season.
Goff has thrown more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3) through three weeks of the 2024 season. All of Goff’s interceptions are purely on him seemingly feeling uncomfortable in the pocket or making bad decisions.
This is concerning because it doesn’t fit the narrative we expect from Goff. He isn’t experiencing ridiculous volumes of pressure and being forced into making turnovers. Instead, he’s melting down from a clean pocket.
Until he proves otherwise, Lions fans should manage their expectations for Jared Goff this season.
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are the best running back duo in the NFL
On the face of it, this may not seem like the boldest prediction I could come up with. However, I truly believe that Gibbs and Montgomery are the best duo in the NFL.
Both Montgomery and Gibbs land in the top 15 NFL running backs in multiple statistical categories. Montgomery has 231 rushing yards (8th) on the season, while Gibbs has 207 (13th). They are also among some of the league’s best in terms of touchdowns scored, rushing first downs, and rushing first down percentage. This is especially true when you group them together and compare to other running back tandems.
One critique I would entertain is the fact that Gibbs and Montgomery run behind one of the league’s best offensive lines. That doesn’t necessarily make them worse running backs, but it does account for a certain level of their success compared to an average situation.
That being said, it seems clear that Rhythm and Bruise are the perfect one-two punch for an NFL that is increasing turning back towards the running game to counter shell coverages.
The Lions will prove that Montgomery and Gibbs are the best duo in the league by the end of the season.
The Lions defense is a top 10 unit in the league
Detroit had one of the worst defenses in the NFL in 2023. This was both their Achilles heel and something that made their offensive production and postseason success all the more impressive.
However, things have changed in 2024. The Lions may not have a defense that is packed with stars, but they are getting very solid results as a collective unit.
The Lions have allowed 20 points or fewer in each of their three games so far this season. This puts Detroit up there with the Vikings and other elite teams in terms of points allowed through three weeks.
Is that really enough to claim that the Lions have a top 10 defensive unit? Not necessarily, but I think it is important to understand the context of those performances to get the full picture.
The Lions have played some great offenses through three weeks, going up against the Rams, Buccaneers, and Cardinals. What’s more, they’ve been put into several tough situations as a result of Jared Goff and the offense’s uncharacteristic struggles. However, they haven’t broken.
Detroit has also seemingly fixed its biggest problem from a year ago — a leaky secondary that other teams could exploit for big plays. The Lions are not getting beat over the top in 2024 and they are benefiting a great deal from that one change.
Unfortunately, the Lions are currently dealing with multiple injuries on defense.
If the Lions continue to play defense the way they have, and get some help from the offense, they will certainly be a top 10 unit in the NFL by the middle of the season.
