Detroit Lions Week 2 Report Card: Where Was the Pass Rush?
Ladies and gentlemen, grab your pens and paper because it's report card time for our beloved Detroit Lions following Sunday's emotionally charged showdown with the Seattle Seahawks. A clash that was supposed to be a taste of sweet revenge for three straight years of Seahawks torment turned out to be a bitter pill to swallow. For this report card, we will grade the offense, defense, and special teams units.
Detroit Lions Offensive Grades
Quarterback: A- Jared Goff, oh how you've come a long way since your Detroit debut. This guy's pocket presence is as cool as a cucumber in an ice bath. Goff was slinging lasers like he's auditioning for Iron Man with that touchdown pass to Josh Reynolds up the seam. His stats were poetry in motion: 28-of-35, 323 yards, three touchdowns, a single, regrettable interception, and a passer rating that shines brighter than a Michigan sunrise at 121.8. Let's not forget about that pick-six, but cut him some slack, folks. His arm was kissed by fate, or rather, smacked by a Seahawks defender on that play.
Running backs: C+ The running backs were a rollercoaster of emotions on Sunday. David Montgomery continues to be our offensive heartbeat, turning those mundane gains into chunks with his tackle-breaking prowess. But then comes the second half, and disaster strikes with a fumble that could've been a game-changer. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs had a day to forget, with ineffective rushing and a failed third-and-short conversion. And that crucial drop in the two-minute drill? Ouch. Had he made the catch, he would still be running!
Tight ends: B The Detroit Lions tight ends were another tale of highs and lows. Rookie Sam LaPorta was a revelation in the receiving game, hauling in five of six targets for 63 yards, including a jaw-dropping conversion on third-and-12. He even threw in a key block on Montgomery's touchdown run. But then there's Brock Wright, who was pretty much worthless, and James Mitchell who barely saw the field. Laporta was a stud, but since this is a group project, they get a B.
Wide receivers: A- Josh Reynolds is proving to be the unsung hero of this team, making plays and absorbing hits like it's nobody's business (Just re-watch his touchdown if you don't believe me). Amon-Ra St. Brown quietly amassed 102 yards on six catches and had a nice rush late in the game to give the Lions a first down. And let's not forget Kalif Raymond‘s explosive flea-flicker that nearly blew the roof off Ford Field!
Offensive line: B+ The offensive line held the fort quite well, aside from that pesky pressure that led to Goff's interception. Consider the adversity faced with Taylor Decker missing and Halapoulivaati Vaitai going down in the second half, and you start to appreciate their performance. With that being said, I would have liked to see the run-blocking perform at a higher moving forward as the rushing attack averaged just 3.8 yards per carry.
Overall Offense GPA: 3.2
Detroit Lions Defensive Grades
Defensive line: C- In the trenches, the Detroit Lions showed some resolve against the run, with Kenneth Walker, who opened up the game with a very nice run, being stuffed time and time again, averaging a mere 2.5 yards per carry. But let's not sugarcoat it; the pass rush was virtually non-existent. It took until late in the game to finally get to Geno Smith. The Seahawks with without BOTH of their starting offensive tackles, and the Lions could not take advantage of it.
Linebackers: C Derrick Barnes and Alex Anzalone had their moments, with Barnes emerging as a standout run defender and Anzalone notching a crucial sack. But where was rookie, Jack Campbell? Well, it was tough for him to make plays when he was on the bench for most of the defensive snaps. Tackling was an issue, and the coverage left much to be desired.
Secondary: F The secondary, oh boy, where do we begin? This was their big test, and they flunked miserably. Jerry Jacobs was a target all day, and the rest of the gang didn't fare much better. C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a moment in the run game but erased it with a boneheaded penalty. Kerby Joseph almost had a pick (off his fingertips), but that was about it.
Overall Defense GPA: 1.23
Detroit Lions Special Teams Grades
Kicking/Punting: A Riley Patterson was the man of the hour, nailing all five of his kicks, including that nail-biting 38-yarder to send us to overtime. Jack Fox only had to punt once, but it was a 53-yard bomb.
Punt/Kick Return: B+ Kalif Raymond was solid as he almost always is, including a solid return late in the fourth quarter that put the Lions in a position to score, which they did.
Coverage: A- The Detroit Lions' coverage teams, both punt and kick return, were solid throughout the game. The Seahawks averaged 22.3 yards per kick return (would have ranked No. 17 in 2022) and Fox's only punt was not returned.
Overall Special Teams GPA: 3.67
Bottom Line: Room For Improvement
There you have it, Detroit Lions fans, a report card filled with ups and downs after a rollercoaster of a game. Let's hope our Lions learn from this and come back even stronger next week. One thing's for sure, the roar of the pride is far from silenced!
