EAST LANSING- The Detroit Lions are one of just four NFL franchises who have yet to reach the Super Bowl, but the Lions concluded 2023 by experiencing one of the most memorable seasons in franchise memory.
Having captured the hearts of thousands of fans across America due to their underdog mentality, the Lions led 24-7 at halftime of the NFC Championship game. It seemed as if history was within reach. However, the fairy tale season in Motown came to a disheartening end as the 49ers roared back and took down the Lions, 34-31.
To open 2024, aspirations were as high as they’ve ever been in the Motor City, following the return of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who opted not to pursue head coaching opportunities and bring a Lombardi Trophy to the D.
The Lions opened the season with a gauntlet of a schedule, facing three playoff hopefuls which included two playoff rematches from the previous year with the Rams and Buccaneers.
Ford Field is home to one of the most consistently potent offensive skill groups in all football. Still, it was the defense that encountered significant improvements early on in 2024, inspiring another promising season for head coach Dan Campbell’s unit.
Just a season removed from being the 27th-ranked pass defense in the NFL, the revamped secondary for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn quickly paid dividends. Through three weeks of the 2024 season, facing three damaging pass attacks, Detroit found themselves far closer to the league average against the pass.
The Lion’s new-look cornerback room has shown significant growth, but it is evident that there is still work to be done. Brian Branch is the NFL leader in passes defensed and Terrion Arnold has shown glimpses of superstardom, but has been one of the most-penalized defensive backs in his rookie campaign and struggled mightily with keeping Cooper Kupp in check.
Staying in the secondary, Kerby Joseph continued his ascension to becoming one of the league’s top ballhawks, and the acquisition of Carlton Davis has also contributed to more consistency on the back end for Campbell and Aaron Glenn.
Former No. 2 pick Aidan Hutchinson has leaped to become one of the best pass rushers in football, leading the NFL in sacks and tackles for loss, accruing a dazzling 5.5 sacks in Detroit’s lone loss to Tampa Bay. The Lions just lost Marcus Davenport for the season, so if the pass rush can step up alongside the former Wolverine, another division title (or more) is well within reach, especially with Jack Campbell emerging.
On offense, the Lions have continued their dominance as one of the best in the league in terms of offensive output. Detroit found themselves inside the top 10 in total offense, passing offense, and rushing offense, as the two-headed monster of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery continued to cement themselves as the NFL’s best running back tandem.
Both Montgomery and Gibbs are inside the top 13 in rushing yards, each averaging over 4.5 yards per carry for a Lions offense that is best when pounding the rock.
In a 20-13 victory over the Cardinals, both Gibbs and Montgomery reached the end zone, as the situational approach to the ground game has worked flawlessly. Both runners eclipsed 900 yards rushing a season ago, with Montgomery breaking the thousand-yard plateau in his inaugural season in the Motor City, while Gibbs scored 10 rushing touchdowns as a rookie.
Just a year removed from throwing 30 touchdowns, Jared Goff has been pedestrian in the young season. While Goff still slots in the top 10 in passing yards, his numbers through the air are inflated due to 55 pass attempts in the Week two loss.
Goff’s decision-making has been subpar, with the signal-caller third in the NFL with four interceptions on the year. The former No. 1 overall pick has seen a lot of good and even more bad to kick off his age-29 season despite the Lions’ team success.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is touted as one of the most consistent receivers in the National Football League for good reason. The former USC Trojan is tied for third amongst all pass-catchers with 21 catches through three games while having to split touches with Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and both Gibbs and Montgomery.
Williams’ NFL campaign has been riddled with injuries and disappointment, but the Alabama product finally turned a corner in 2024 with the third-year speedster at full health at last.
Williams and Goff have developed a blossoming rapport that saw “Jamo” torch the depleted Rams secondary in Week one and finally establish himself as the bona fide WR2 in Detroit behind St Brown. A role that has expanded in recent weeks due to the lack of involvement of Sam LaPorta.
LaPorta attained just eight catches in three weeks, commencing a slow start to the 2023 second-round pick’s sophomore season. The Iowa product sprained his ankle in the Week 3 victory, making a bad start to the season even worse for a player less than 10 months removed from being named a Pro Bowler.
The record-breaking rookie started seeing more double coverage early in 2024, but his lack of involvement following his elite 2023 has left both Lions fans and fantasy football owners puzzled, but the Lions’ offense has still been one of the league’s best through three games.
Following a tough road win last weekend, the Lions are set to return home to host their third NFC West foe in four weeks with the Seattle Seahawks coming to town on Monday Night Football.
Super Bowl aspirations are well in the cards for “One Pride” in 2024, though the injuries to LaPorta, Davenport, Frank Ragnow, and Derrick Barnes could prove costly in what could be a tight NFC North race with the Packers and Vikings. It is still early, but the consensus is that things are looking promising down in The D.
