DETROIT — The Detroit Lions came incredibly close to reaching their first Super Bowl last season but fell short against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game. This season, however, they seem to have developed a much-needed competitive edge.
As they prepared to face Mac Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, the Lions found themselves favored by two touchdowns for the first time in 47 years—a notable shift in their fortunes. In past seasons, they may have taken a comfortable win for granted, but this time, they fully acknowledged the challenge ahead.
Exhibiting dominance, the Lions (9-1) established new franchise records for victory margin (46 points) and total yards gained (645) in an overwhelming 52-6 victory. They scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions, followed by a field goal on the eighth, before taking a knee on the ninth to conclude the game. Defensively, they limited the Jaguars to just two field goals and a meager 170 yards of total offense, showcasing the largest yard advantage in the NFL since 1979.
“When you score seven touchdowns and hold the opponents to two field goals, you obviously had a number of guys who played very, very well,” commented Lions head coach Dan Campbell. “They excelled from start to finish today. That’s impressive.”
Looking ahead to their game against Indianapolis, where they are seven-point favorites, the Lions are aware they should emerge victorious if they replicate their stunning performance against the Jaguars. “We’ve got a task ahead in Indianapolis, facing a team very much in playoff contention,” Campbell stated. “They’ll be ready, and so will we.”
Presently, the Lions lead the NFL in scoring, averaging 33.6 points per game—an achievement celebrating the 80th anniversary since they last finished the season in the top scoring spot. They also rank fourth in passing touchdowns (22) and second in rushing touchdowns (18), making it challenging for opponents to devise defensive strategies against their offense.
“The success begins with our offensive line,” Campbell emphasized. “When they excel, we have the freedom to call any kind of play.”
However, there are areas that require improvement. Defensive end Za’Darius Smith made his debut with the team following a trade acquisition but was not outstanding in his first game. Smith, while combining efforts with Jack Campbell on the team’s only sack, only registered one assisted tackle during a game where the Lions achieved three quarterback hits.
Quarterback Jared Goff, who struggled earlier with five interceptions against Houston, bounced back magnificently against the Jaguars. He completed 24 of 29 passes for 412 yards, four touchdowns, and achieved a flawless passer rating of 158.3. This milestone marked Goff as the first quarterback in league history to record multiple games with a perfect rating while amassing over 400 yards and four touchdowns—a feat he previously accomplished with the Rams in 2018. Furthermore, his completion percentage of 82.8% established him as the first to exceed 80% in five games within a single season.
On the downside, punter Jack Fox has had an impressive season with a net average exceeding 45 yards and nearly half of his punts landing inside the 20-yard line. However, he only took the field on Sunday to hold for extra points and field goals, marking the second game of the season without a punt—an occurrence also seen during a win against Dallas on October 13.
In terms of injuries, linebacker Alex Anzalone is sidelined for four to six weeks due to a broken right forearm, compounding the team’s existing depth issues at linebacker as Derrick Barnes and Jalen Reeves-Maybin are already on injured reserve, along with both starting defensive ends, Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport.
A noteworthy statistic from the Jaguars game was Detroit’s impressive average of 8.5 yards gained per play, the second-highest in team history. Even though they approached surpassing a longstanding record of 8.6 yards per play, backup quarterback Hendon Hooker opted to take a knee on the last two plays.
Looking forward, the Lions might find a challenge in defending against agile quarterbacks like Anthony Richardson on their upcoming schedule.