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Grading Lions 52-14 win over Tennessee – Macomb Daily

Online Niel October 30, 2024

The Detroit Lions knocked off the Tennessee Titans for their fifth straight win.

After some early fireworks, the Lions settled down and dominated all three phases of the game en route to a 52-14 rout of the Titans ahead of another first-place showdown against the Green Bay Packers.

Here are the grades for each position group based on their performance in Sunday’s win.

Defender: A

The Lions didn’t need Jared Goff to do much in Sunday’s game. Thanks to dominance on special teams and defense, Detroit started five drives inside the Tennessee 30-yard line. That played a big part in Goff finishing with 85 passing yards, which is the second-lowest game total of his career.

Still, Goff did what was asked of him, with 12 completions and three touchdowns on 15 attempts before being pulled in the fourth quarter. He threw touchdowns to Brock Wright, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond, all three coming inside the 10-yard line.

Goff took four sacks and appeared to roll his ankle, but said he would be fine after the game. His health is something to watch during the week, and Detroit made the right move by pulling him in favor of Hendon Hooker late in the game. Hooker completed two of three for six yards.

To run back: A

Jahmyr Gibbs recorded his second straight 100-yard rushing game, highlighted by a 70-yard run in which he rushed untouched down the sideline to help the Lions take a one-game lead after Tennessee tied it.

Gibbs averaged 11.5 yards per carry, giving him six straight games of a yards per carry average of five yards or more. Meanwhile, David Montgomery threw for 33 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

Montgomery’s highlight came in the second quarter when he threw a touchdown pass from Goff to Sam LaPorta. In the late stages of the game, Craig Reynolds had three carries for three yards.

Wide receivers: A

No, Jameson Williams was no problem for the Lions on Sunday. The Lions weren’t forced to run it Sunday and only three receivers caught passes. History will wait at least another week for Amon-Ra St. Brown, who needs just four yards to become the fourth receiver to reach 350 receptions, 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns in his first four seasons.

St. Brown added to his touchdown tally with a second-quarter score, giving him five consecutive games with a touchdown. Kalif Raymond also caught one for the second straight game and Isaiah Williams recorded his first two career catches in his first NFL appearance.

Tim Patrick and Allen Robinson both had targets but no receptions in Sunday’s game.

Tight ends: A

On National Tight End Day, the Lions incorporated both Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright. It was Wright who went first as he caught an 8-yard touchdown to put Detroit ahead 21-14.

LaPorta was the team’s leading receiver with 48 yards on six receptions, including a touchdown catch from David Montgomery and another that nearly went for a score before being sacked at the 1-yard line.

Offensive Line: B-

Tennessee’s Arden Key gave the Lions early matches with two sacks, including one when he beat Taylor Decker on the first play from scrimmage. Key would get his second after Sebastian Joseph-Day got past Graham Glasgow and forced Goff to move.

In all, the Lions’ offensive line surrendered four sacks for 33 yards, holding them back from an otherwise clean performance. They perfectly blocked Gibbs’ long touchdown as the back was barely touched on his way to the end zone.

Additionally, Penei Sewell and Kevin Zeitler had big blocks on Montgomery’s scoring drive. The Titans’ defensive front has been one of the best in the NFL this year, but the sacks allowed must be cleaned up going into a tough stretch of the schedule.

Defensive line: B

Levi Onwuzurike was a big factor in Mason Rudolph’s first interception as he nearly missed a sack and had the ball lifted into the arms of linebacker Trevor Nowaske. James Houston had good pressure as well, but there wasn’t much to talk about elsewhere as the defense’s only sack came from the linebackers.

The Titans were also able to run the ball effectively, holding Detroit’s defense to a season-high 158 yards on the ground. Rudolph, not known as one of the game’s most mobile quarterbacks, also broke for a touchdown run in the first quarter.

On a brighter note, rookie Isaiah Thomas recovered a fumble in his first game with the team and Alim McNeill had a nice tackle for loss.

Linebackers: A-

The linebacking corps was hit early with the injury exit of Malcolm Rodriguez, who left after an ankle injury suffered on special teams. His status moving forward is still uncertain, but Dan Campbell doesn’t think the illness will end his season.

Trevor Nowaske recorded his first career interception in the first quarter and Alex Anzalone had a sack to highlight the effort at the position. Jack Campbell had a team-high 10 tackles, while Anzalone had six, including a great stop on Josh Whyle on third-and-short to force a fourth down.

Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) plays during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Detroit. (CARLOS OSORIO — AP Photo)

Secondary: B

It was a struggle early in the second as Calvin Ridley had 118 receiving yards in the first quarter alone. However, the Lions secondary eventually tightened the screws and limited the damage.

Kerby Joseph recorded his fifth interception of the year and had six tackles. Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold continued to show growth and had a nice pass breakup on third down to force a first down punt.

Carlton Davis had a pass breakup and Amik Robertson topped the reception early with two forced fumbles.

Special teams: A+

In one of the most well-rounded performances in recent memory, it’s only fitting that the special teams have their best game of the season. Detroit had several big plays in the return game, and Jack Fox and Jake Bates both had big days.

Kalif Raymond had a career-high 190 yards on five punt returns, including a 90-yard touchdown return. He was 19 yards shy of the record for punt return yards in a game. Khalil Dorsey also contributed with a 72-yard punt return.

For as much success as the offense has had, Fox still managed to make some history. He became the only player in NFL history to average at least 60 rushing yards and 55 rushing yards in a game with at least five points. Fox averaged 61.0 gross yards and 56.2 net yards on his five attempts Sunday.

Sione Vaki also forced a fumble covering a punt that the Titans were able to punt.

In addition, Bates set a franchise record for consecutive marks to start a Lions tenure with his 11th. He hit all of his extra points and converted his only field goal attempt, a 51-yard boot in the third quarter.

Coaching: A+

With the exciting stretch recently clinched by Detroit and two big games coming up, the Lions were in prime position for a trap game. However, they rose to the occasion and did what competing teams do.

It was a complete effort as the offense and defense both overcame sluggish moments early in the game. The defense set up the offense with good field position while the offense just kept scoring and made life easy for the defense.

There were plenty of factors that tipped this game in the Lions favor, such as the Titans trading multiple assets and playing a backup quarterback. However, the Lions simply did not allow their opponent to sit after a close start.

Ben Johnson’s attack was spot on in the red zone and he again made an innovative call with his midfield pass which worked perfectly.

Aaron Glenn continued to try to come up with ways to pressure the opposing quarterback, but it resulted in just one sack. A lot of credit should go to special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, who was rightfully awarded a game ball for his group’s efforts.

This article was created by the Detroit Lions On SI staff. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

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Grading Lions 52-14 win over Tennessee – Macomb Daily

Defender: A

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Grading Lions 52-14 win over Tennessee – Macomb Daily

Defender: A

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