The Detroit Lions required extra minutes, but they were able to win in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. The Rams gave the Lions everything they could handle in a game that appeared to be slipping away from Detroit at many points. However, the Lions were able to force overtime and upset the Rams 26-20, kicking off the season on a positive note.
Detroit looked wobbly throughout the game and never found a rhythm on offence. Their defence held up well enough to force extra, but Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford seemed unstoppable in the second half.
There are no style points in the NFL; a win is a win. Lions fans can be forgiven for being apprehensive about their team’s performance on Sunday Night Football.
Following Week 1’s game against the Rams, we’ll look at the Lions’ three areas of concern.
The Rams defense bottled up Jahmyr Gibbs for much of the game
Lions supporters were expecting a big game from Jahmyr Gibbs to kick off the 2024 season. The second-year running back had an outstanding rookie season, and supporters expected him to continue where he left off.
Things did not go as planned.
Gibbs ran 11 times for 40 yards and a touchdown, averaging 3.6 yards per carry. This is nearly a yard and a half less than Gibbs’ yards per carry from the 2023 season. Although the sample size is modest, it demonstrates Gibbs’ inability to establish himself on the ground.
The Lions had one of the top running games in the NFL in 2023, and their offensive line is perhaps the best in league. As a result, the Lions’ inability to get Gibbs on the ground should be cause for concern, especially in Week 1, which is typically unpredictable.
Perhaps preseason rust is a major problem here. After all, the Lions dominated overtime with run after run after run. Only one of these was Jahmyr Gibbs, but the point remains: Detroit appeared to be in overtime.
Where was Lions star receiver Amon-Ra St.Brown?
This could have been the biggest surprise of the Lions’ Week 1 encounter. Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of Detroit’s most valuable offensive players, and he is now compensated accordingly.
As a result, people expected St. Brown to be the consistent performer he is. That’s what made the Rams’ complete shutout so stunning.
St. Brown had six targets, but only caught three catches for 13 yards.
One explanation could be that opposing defences are finally realising how valuable St. Brown is to Detroit’s offence. In Week 1, the Rams used numerous three-safety looks and significant resources to take away the middle of the field.
That worked out for the Lions because Jameson Williams had a coming-out celebration. It could not have arrived at a better moment.
Regardless, the Lions will need to find answers on offence to the Rams’ defence from Sunday. Other NFL teams may adopt it as a model for slowing down St. Brown and the Lions offence.
Lions fans should keep an eye on St. Brown throughout every offensive play in Week 2.
Lions defense could not stop Cooper Kupp, get sacks on Matthew Stafford despite depleted o-line
Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp looked like their 2021 selves in Week 1.
Cooper Kupp was far and away Stafford’s preferred target on Sunday. Kupp has 14 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. The Rams may not have intended to make this their major tactic. After all, Puka Nacua departed the game early due to injury.
Kupp had an incredible 21 targets out of Los Angeles’ 48 total passes. Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson were the Rams’ next closest receivers in terms of targets, each with seven.
It’s simple to see why the Rams adopted this method. What’s worrying is how effectively that worked against the Lions. When Puka Nacua departed the game and it was evident that Kyren Williams wasn’t having a good day, the Lions could have easily focused on stopping Kupp.
The Lions dramatically rebuilt their secondary this offseason. As a result, some tensions are to be expected as the group comes together. However, this appears to be a design failure rather than a personnel failure.
It’s certainly plausible that Detroit was content to let the Rams dink and dunk their way down the field rather than making big chunk plays. This would also explain why the Lions’ defensive line failed to record a significant amount of sacks against Matthew Stafford despite an extremely decimated offensive line.
Lions supporters should keep an eye on the relationship between the team’s coverage unit and defensive line in the coming games. Their Week 2 game against the Buccaneers should be interesting, as Tampa Bay like pushing the ball down the field. Aidan Hutchinson and his friends will have plenty of opportunities to fire Baker Mayfield.