3 Things We Learned From the Detroit Lions After Week 8
The Detroit Lions continued to look the part of a contender in their Week 8 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
SportsGrid looks at the Lions through Week 8.
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1. Jahmyr Gibbs had his Coming out Party
With David Montgomery still sidelined for the Detroit Lions, it was time for the offense to unleash rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and they did. Before Week 8, there had been moments where it looked like Gibb’s breakout was on the horizon, yet opportunities were still limited. On Monday night, Gibbs tallied 31 touches and combined for 189 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. We still believe the Lions will give Montgomery the larger share of the workload when he returns, but with more performances like this from Gibbs, he’ll force them to get him more involved. There’s a reason the Lions used a high first-round pick on Gibbs, and it’s becoming more evident with each passing game.
2. Monday Night Sack Party in the Motor City
The recipe for success against the Las Vegas Raiders appears to be blitzing the quarterback, which is exactly what the Lions focused on. This defense can not only stop the run, but it can also apply a ton of pressure, which is essential for a contending team. The Lions finished Monday night with six sacks, including a donut from Aidan Hutchinson. The former top draft pick was still impactful in the game, but it’s scary to think of what could have happened if he were to find his way to the quarterback in Week 8. What’s important to note for the Lions in this matchup is that it wasn’t just one player doing the damage; it was a collective group effort. That’s a more sustainable recipe for success, even if there are real game-breakers for the Lions on defense.
3. Offense Needs to Limit Mistakes
There were times on Monday when the Lions shot themselves in the foot on offense. Jared Goff needs to be better with his decision-making. He can’t make throws that are picked off for touchdowns, and as a veteran, he needs to know better. For the most part, we’ve liked what Ben Johnson has brought to the table as the Lions offensive coordinator. Johnson has inflicted some trickery on multiple occasions. Sometimes it’s worked, sometimes it hasn’t. Monday night, it didn’t, and that stalled some drives. In addition, Josh Reynolds and Craig Reynolds’s fumbling needs to be cleaned up as a group. Turnovers will happen on offense, but the self-inflicted ones are unnecessary and will hinder the Lions from being a real Super Bowl contender.
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