DETROIT — They unloaded everything, scoring on big plays and small plays, in usual and unusual ways. So sure, why not clinch one of the biggest victories in recent Lions lore by tossing the ball to the 335-pound offensive tackle and letting him rumble for the final first down. As Penei Sewell caught it and dove for the necessary yardage, the sellout crowd roared like we’ve rarely heard.
Ah, sights and sounds seldom experienced around here this time of year, and it’s fascinating to behold. The quarterback, Jared Goff, is playing with sky-rocketing confidence and flair. The receivers, including prized rookie Jameson Williams, are catching whatever they can, moving the ball practically with ease. The crowd that filled Ford Field Sunday came expecting a celebration, and the holiday vibes rolled from the very start.
And here’s the biggest change in the Lions: This was not a surprise. They blitzed Minnesota 34-23, using every gadget they have, and a few we had never seen. They actually were favored over the 10-2 first-place Vikings and showed why, piling up 464 yards and looking like an authentic NFL contender. Yes, there’s still work to do in that regard, but this looks real, how good teams are supposed to look.
The playoffs are still a longshot, but with four games remaining, the schedule isn’t daunting, starting with a visit next Sunday to face the New York Jets. If no one else saw them winning five of six to rise from 1-6 to 6-7, the Lions swear they did. Perhaps nobody felt the sting, and needed the rebound, as much as Goff, who’s looking more and more like the quarterback of the present and future.
“It makes me feel like we’re making a lot of people eat what they said,” Goff said. “We know who we are, and we know what we can do, and yeah, things sucked early on obviously. And who knows how long that could have lasted, right? But we trusted ourselves, trusted the work we put in, trusted Dan (Campbell), trusted the coaching staff. We’re almost back to .500 now, and who would have thought that at 1-6.”
Not me. Not you. The Lions are winning now with a high-powered offense, an opportunistic defense and the standard batch of Dan Campbell gambles. The Vikings came to town poised to clinch the division title, and they unleashed their own aerial show with Kirk Cousins and receiver Justin Jefferson. But for the seventh time this season, the Lions topped 30 points, matching a franchise record. You might have to go back to 2011 to find such a potent Lions attack.
“It’s about as good as it’s felt in my entire career here,” said left tackle Taylor Decker, in his seventh season. “About as confident as we’ve ever been. It feels like we kind of validated the work we put in, reinforced that we’re doing the right things.”
Reinforced with the help of reinforcements, as more injured players return to the lineup. The speedy rookie receiver, Williams, made a brief debut last week, then caught the first pass of his pro career Sunday, a 41-yard touchdown. Goff was super sharp, completing 27 of 39 for 330 yards, with three touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks.
Everything starts with the Lions’ powerful offensive line, which grinds opponents by running the ball, and pass-blocks with precision. So when it’s third-and-seven at Minnesota’s 41 needing a first down essentially to clinch it, why not call for the big fella. Sewell stunned the Vikings by catching the pass from Goff and lunging forward for 9 yards.
Worth the risks
This is who the Lions are, a reflection of their rambling, gambling coach. When the reflection was blurry and the roster wasn’t healthy earlier, it was hard to see anything clearly. Campbell has emboldened them with his risk-taking, which doesn’t always work, but works often enough to be dangerously unpredictable. One fourth-and-8 from the Lions’ 26 in the third quarter, he called for a fake punt, and C.J. Moore took the snap and pounded 42 yards to set up the touchdown that made it 21-7.
Who does that? Just like, who throws the ball in a crucial situation to a gigantic tackle who had never caught an NFL pass?
“Dude’s got some n-ts on him, it’s as simple as that,” Sewell said of Campbell. “Dan Campbell’s gonna be him, and nobody’s gonna change that, and that’s what I love about him.”
What’s revealing itself here is trust. Of course it takes talent and health and smart decision-making to win. But when Campbell was flailing last season and into this one, the players didn’t bail. When Goff was struggling, Campbell didn’t bail on him. Goff and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson have grown trust in each other, to the point Goff said he’s playing the best football of his career.
Anyone gonna dispute it?
“Nope, can’t argue with that,” Campbell said. “He’s playing outstanding and he’s a direct link as to why we are playing better. He’s taking care of the football and he’s making big throws, man. He’s been highly accurate and just — man, there’s a lot of faith. A lot of faith in him and he’s got a lot of faith in us.”
Staying true
In the first six games, Goff committed nine turnovers, as he pressed to compensate for a woeful defense. The defense has made giant strides, with contributions from numerous rookies, including No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson, who collected his seventh sack. Now in the last seven games, Goff has only one turnover, and hasn’t thrown an interception in 181 pass attempts. Nine different Lions caught passes, as Goff stood back there like an orchestra conductor. With Williams now available, the Lions have an impressive array of receivers, including Amon-Ra St. Brown, D.J. Chark, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond and running back D’Andre Swift.
Things can change very quickly in this league, so I’m issuing all the standard warnings. But this isn’t completely unexpected, as the Lions showed signs of revival even as they lost close games. Back in September against the Vikings, they dropped a 28-24 crusher when Campbell made the wrong call on fourth down late in the game. The Lions missed the field goal and the Vikings struck back for the winning touchdown.
It’s such a narrow divide. The Vikings had won an astonishing nine games by a single score. The Lions had lost five games by a single score, most recently 28-25 to Buffalo on Thanksgiving. In defeat, the Lions looked improved, but craved confirmation.
“Look, I don’t think there’s a surprise here,” Campbell said. “I’ve said it before, it’s hard when you get down in the dumps and it’s easy to lose faith. But these guys never did and we stayed true to what we’re about. Our guys know they belong. They know when they play football like we’ve been playing the last six weeks, we can play with anybody. That’s the truth.”
There was a stadium full of believers on Sunday. These are unusual times in Detroit, playing meaningful NFL games in December, and nobody quite knows how to treat it. If it was fake or fluky, you’d know. I have no idea where this goes, or how long it goes, because it’s an unforgiving league that punishes the slightest mistakes. But for now, the Lions are passing the test of authenticity.
