By Mark Halpern
This past weekend, the Lions took on the young and upcoming Atlanta Falcons, a game predicted to be a rookie running back showdown between Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. It didn’t happen, as the Lions showed why they should be feared going forward.
Jared Goff has a team to work with, and it’s starting to come together for him, like in Los Angeles. Goff threw for 243 1td/1int and ran for a touchdown. Gibbs had a decent day with 80 yards on the ground. This was Gibbs’s first complete game day as David Montgomery was sidelined with a thigh bruise. St. Brown had another 100-yard reception game, but today was about another rookie who showed why the Lions spent a second-round pick on: Sam LaPorta. LaPorta went off for eight rec and 80 yards with his first NFL touchdown. We have heard the names of Mayer with the Raiders and Kinkaid with the Bills but only a little from Laporta. He was Goff’s second favorite target on the day, and he showed good route running and got open for a 30+ yard TD. LaPorta will make it easier for Goff to find his #1 and #2, and yes, this was just one week, but he made a name for himself.
The Lion’s Defense was all over Desmond Ridder, sacking him seven times and hurried him more than a dozen more. The Defense didn’t record an interception because Ridder was too busy running for his life like Zach Wilson and Daniel Jones over the first few weeks of the season. This Defense I said when I did my preview was hungrier than last year and showed why they should be feared going forward.
The Lions have a divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers this Thursday night. Jordan Love has the Packers’ offense moving, but can the Defense stop this potent offense? We shall see. The two teams saw each other in week 18 last season when the Lions knocked the Packers out of the playoffs.
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