The Detroit Lions’ battle with the Los Angeles Rams in last year’s Wild Card round was one of the more exciting and tense games of the year. The 2024 sequel certainly did not disappoint. It took overtime to decide the Week 1 tilt, but thanks to a coin toss and an imposing run game, the Lions emerged victorious and now sit at 1-0 to start the year.
Yet despite the victory, it was far from flawless. If the Lions want to make another deep postseason run, they will need to perform better than they did on Sunday night. The season is young with plenty of time for growth and improvement, will the Lions fix these mistakes and become the Super Bowl threats they wish to become?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Do you feel better or worse after the Lions’ Week 1 win?
My answer: I feel worse.
The Lions walked away from a close battle with a victory, and you can never feel bad about a new tally in the win column. That being said, the Lions have some glaring issues that need addressing if they want to maintain their status as an elite team. This type of performance needs to be a hiccup, not the norm going forward.
The glaring issue to me is the lack of production from the targets not named Jameson Williams. Last season, the Lions prided themselves on being a well-rounded offense that could beat you in numerous ways. The Lions did so against the Rams thanks to speed (Williams) and power (David Montgomery), but it was not always pretty. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta were largely afterthoughts. The turf monster claimed multiple Lions players throughout the night, but that alone should not excuse the lack of separation. Credit to the Rams for honing in on the Lions’ best weapons, but the Lions need to get more production from their stars. If a player like Tim Patrick can be integrated into the offense soon, then it could add an element of size they are dearly missing.
It was also a mixed night for the pass rush, and it repeated a concern we observed throughout 2023. Pressures are important, and they arguably forced Matthew Stafford’s lone interception, but the pass rush needs to finish the sack. You can tip your cap to Stafford for playing incredibly amid the relentless pressure and Sean McVay for scheming a capable counter, but the Lions also need to sack an immobile quarterback with third-string offensive linemen more than twice.
I predicted a Lions win, and I knew it would not be easy against a playoff team like the Rams. That being said, the Lions cannot afford to have many coin-flip games like this.
Your turn.
Poll
Do you feel better, worse, or the same after the Lions’ Week 1 win?
This poll is closed
3413 votes total