The Detroit Lions silenced the doubters who said they could be in for a rocky road to the 2024-2025 NFL Playoffs on Sunday as they defeated Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears by a score of 34-17.
The Lions' lineup featured several players who hadn't played much this season prior to the game including running backs Sione Vaki, Craig Reynolds and Jermar Jefferson, middle linebacker Mitchell Agude and others.
One Detroit Lions player made an impressive contribution along the offensive line in his debut with the team.
It's a performance that is turning heads as the dust settles on an exciting weekend for Lions fans, coaches and players in pursuit of the team's first ever Super Bowl appearance.
Lions rookie guard Christian Mahogany, a former sixth round pick out of Boston College, played 65 snaps on offense, allowing zero sacks, zero quarterback hurries and one pressure. He allowed one hit on the day and had a pass-blacking grade of 82.5 according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Mahogany also had a 70.4 run-blocking grade.
"The Lions have a BRIGHT future at guard," Lions reporter Jeff Iafrate said about the rookie guard and his teammates on the depth chart.
Detroit has weathered the storm of injuries on offense with fill-ins like Mahogany and Dan Skipper performing admirably in place of injured starters Graham Glasgow and Taylor Decker over the course of the 2024-2025 season.
Next up for the Lions is a road game against the San Francisco 49ers that suddenly looks a lot less daunting with last season's NFC Champions having been eliminated from the playoff chase after their loss to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, coach Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins.
The Lions at 49ers game is scheduled for Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 30.
