The Detroit Lions are firmly sewn into the NFL’s upper class and are being recognized nationally as one of the best on Monday following the last-second 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The main storyline was Dan Campbell’s decision to keep the offense on the field for fourth-and-2 with 1:48 left and the game tied at 38 instead of attempting a 43-yard field goal to take the lead. The roll of the dice paid off for Detroit, who converted the fourth down and whittled the clock down to 3 seconds before Riley Patterson hit the game-winning 41-yard kick.
The last-second win over a playoff team from last year was another reminder the Lions are different under Campbell. The win moved the Lions to 7-2, tied for the best start in franchise history since the NFL merger in 1970.
The realization of general manager Brad Holmes’ vision for the backfield was also a topic of conversation. David Montgomery returned from his rib injury and made an immediate impact with a 75-yard touchdown — the longest Lions’ rushing touchdown in 12 years — while first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs added explosive plays and two goal line touchdowns. The two-headed attack combined for 228 total yards and three touchdowns on 29 touches.
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Here’s what national NFL writers are saying about the Lions victory the morning after:
ESPN: One seed Lions a possibility
ESPN’s late-night host Scott Van Pelt said the path exists for the Lions to finish atop the NFC standings and secure a first-round bye in the playoffs in his weekly “One Big Thing” column.
“The Detroit Lions are going to have a chance to play themselves to the top of the NFC — their schedule is not nearly as difficult in the coming weeks as the Philadelphia Eagles’,” Van Pelt wrote. “The Lions’ aggressiveness was on display in Los Angeles on Sunday as they went for it on fourth down five times — the last of the four they converted allowed them to exhaust the clock and prevent Justin Herbert from tying this game for a fifth time. The Lions kicked the game-winning FG as time expired to move to 7-2, which is tied for their best nine-game start in the last 50 years.”
CBS: Lions are biggest threat to Eagles in NFC
CBS’ Jeff Kerr had a similar assessment and declared the Lions as the biggest threat to the 8-1 Philadelphia Eagles for the one seed in the NFC playoff bracket. He said Detroit’s offensive line could be the equalizer against the Eagles’ devastating pass rush and the team can stack wins with a favorable schedule.
“The Lions put up 41 points and 533 yards in winning a shootout against the Chargers,” Kerr wrote. “The key part of that game was Detroit not allowing a sack and giving up just two quarterback hits against a Los Angeles pass rush that has Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. The Lions’ offensive line can neutralize an Eagles defensive line that is excellent at getting to the quarterback, something the 49ers and Cowboys have struggled with this year late in games.”
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NBC: Where will Ben Johnson be coaching next year?
NBC Sports columnist Peter King did not have much about the Lions in his Week 10 review, but he did pose a question about the future of Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. His play calling helped Detroit score on seven of its nine drives excluding the one to close the first half in the shootout win.
The savvy playcaller has elevated Detroit’s offense to one of the best in the league and helped revitalize Jared Goff’s career. Now, his time as a head coach in the NFL is expected around the football world at this point.
“Ben Johnson, the Detroit offensive coordinator, had one heck of a game in the 41-38 nipping of the Chargers at SoFi Sunday,” King wrote. “Tony Romo couldn’t stop screaming about him. I just wonder: Which young quarterback will get the gift of being coached by Johnson next year?”
New York Times: Lions have 99% chance to make playoffs
The New York Times developed a playoff odds calculator which simulates future NFL games thousands of times to try to make an accurate prediction. Based on their numbers, it would take a miracle for Detroit to miss out on the postseason. It also has a feature to see how the odds change if the Lions win or lose upcoming games on the schedule if you want to see how a possible misstep could impact the team.