In an attempt to recover from Week 1, the Lions may have overdone it. They beat the Bears by 31 points and left Ben Johnson speechless as he rushed off the field.
Between the two weeks, the Lions looked like two completely different teams. From the first drive, the offensive line looked brand new, giving Jared Goff enough time to sew the football together before throwing it deep down the field.
The only person who looked the same as the week before was Isaac TeSlaa and his one-handed catch.
So what changed?
Offense Started to Communicate
The change for the Lions started with their communication. Nobody was able to enter the pocket in unguarded. Roles were clear, and the Bears had to fight harder to get their way. The offensive line seemed stronger in Week 2. They won more one-on-one matchups and protected the run better.
Offensive coordinator John Morton gave the offense a little something to work with. Some more creative calls shook up the defense and gave the Lions a split-second advantage when moving down the field.
https://twitter.com/Lions/status/1967303709257297960
Wide Receivers Balled Out
The wide receiver room was top-notch in Week 2. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams each had over 100 yards, and combined for four touchdowns. Goff threw as many touchdown passes as he did incomplete passes. St. Brown and Williams were able to outmaneuver the defense. Combining all of that with the stronger offensive line, Goff easily threw for 334 yards.
https://twitter.com/Lions/status/1967316898804044197
Lions Defense Was Aggressive
The defensive line was relentlessly in Caleb Williams‘ face. The pressure got to the Bears QB, as he threw one interception and 11 incomplete passes.
The Lions’ defense was more aggressive in Week 2. Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch were able to break up passes because they were on their man, not just nearby. Hutchinson cleared his way to the backfield with ease, creating constant pressure. The team had four sacks that came from constant pressure.
https://twitter.com/Lions/status/1967289497445359648
Detroit also performed better during crucial plays. They held the Bears to 7-for-13 on third down, and never gave up a fourth down conversion. This came from both better coverage and their aggressive pass rush.
The Bears tried to play a deeper passing game, and the Lions read it like a bedtime story. Williams’ options were limited, giving the defensive line more time to take him down.
The Lions have seen potentially their highest and lowest games of the season, and it’s already Week 2. They showed what happens when everybody is on the same page and spreads the required work amongst all 11 players on the field in Week 2. In Week 1 they showed the exact opposite.
As the Lions gear up for Week 3 and their trip to Baltimore, fans can only hope they keep their Week 2 mojo and don’t revert back to their Week 1 performance.
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