Tag: Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams

Detroit Lions Podcast: Breaking down the Lions Week 1 win

Detroit Lions Podcast: Breaking down the Lions Week 1 win

The latest episode of the Detroit Lions Podcast is a happy one, celebrating the Lions’ Week 1 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

This one is a solo show recapping everything from Sunday night’s win. From David Montgomery’s heroics in overtime to why the Lions needed those late-game heroics after a disappointing fall from a 17-3 lead to a 20-17 deficit, it was an intense game with a lot of different wrinkles and tentacles.

The Lions pass rush thrived even without recording sacks, as evidenced by how the Rams played offense. Detroit’s own offense had its bread and butter taken away, but Jameson Williams provided a lift the Rams simply could not defend.

Film Study: Jameson Williams has career day for the Lions season opener

Lions film study breaking down Jameson Williams and his career day against the Rams in Week 1

All off-season we’ve heard about wide receiver Jameson Williams having a breakout year for the Detroit Lions. There’s still plenty of football left to play but after one game, Williams is off to an impressive start this season.

On Sunday night against the Rams, Williams had 5 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown. In addition to that, he also had one carry for 13 yards. While it was a quiet night for the Lions number one receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, it was the big time game that Lions fans have been waiting on for Williams.

He impressed so much that he earned himself a game ball for his performance. Let’s dive into some film to breakdown the career day that Jamo had for the Lions during the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.

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Starting with one of the first big plays from Jameson Williams in this game. The Lions align in the I-formation with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end). Bunched to the right is Jameson Williams (WR #9) and Kalif Raymond (WR #11).

Prior to the snap, Raymond is sent on an exit motion to the sideline. Once the ball is snapped, you’ll see Williams explode up field and he’ll threaten the defender vertically with his speed. As the defender opens his hips and prepares to run stride-for-stride, that’s when Williams breaks to the middle of the field.

Coming off play-action, Goff sees Williams open and he fires the ball to him with ease. With plenty of room to run, you can see Williams run and collect plenty of yards after the catch. This was an explosive play that helped get the offense going after a slow start to the game.

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Next, I want to focus on the end around that was ran with Jameson Williams. It’s the same play we saw on Thursday night with Xavier Worthy of the Kansas City Chiefs and it’s the same play we saw Williams score on during the NFC Championship game against the 49ers.

Looking at the play above, the Lions align under center with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end). Bunched to the right of the formation is Kalif Raymond (WR #11) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR #14). Once the ball is snapped, you can see Williams running into the backfield.

As Goff fakes the hand-off to the running back, he flips the ball to Williams. This leads to him getting out in space and up field for a gain of 13 yards. Getting the ball in his hands can always lead to a big play and had one more block been secured at the second or third level, this could have possibly been a touchdown.

https://x.com/RussNFLDraft/status/1833487840363393199

Lastly, I want to focus on the touchdown pass to Williams in the 3rd quarter. Looking at the play above, the Lions align in a trips formation (to the left or bottom of the screen) with their ’11’ personnel (one running back and one tight end).

At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see Jameson Williams running vertically up the sideline. During his route, he will throttle down and make it look as if he’s potentially running a comeback route or a curl route. This forces the defender to stop his feet and as that happens, he bursts up field.

This creates plenty of separation and leads to the deep pass completion from Goff. Ultimately, Williams gets into the end-zone and increases the Lions lead to 17-3.

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Overall, it was a great start to the season for Jameson Williams. It was a slow start for players such as Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown but there’s been questions surrounding which player will step-up as another option in the Lions passing attack. It may only be one game but it really looks like this could be the game plan for him on a weekly basis.

Dan Campbell gives a great quote on why the Lions didn’t get sacks vs. Matthew Stafford

Dan Campbell gives a great quote on why the Lions didn’t get sacks vs. Matthew Stafford despite getting a ton of pressure on the Rams QB

It’s been a pretty common lament from Lions fans in the wake of Detroit’s Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams. For all the pressures the Lions got on Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, playing behind backup offensive tackles, Detroit’s defense managed just two sacks.

The Lions did indeed put tremendous pressure on Stafford. Between Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport and friends, the Lions hit Stafford 12 times–the third-most of any defense in the NFL in Week 1, per NextGen Stats. However, the Rams offensive scheme prevented those pressures from becoming sacks very effectively.

Between Matthew Stafford’s quick release and an offensive game plan that got the ball out very quickly, Stafford already had the ball out before the hit could become a sack. Or, as Dan Campbell said on Tuesday,

“You could put two high school tackles out there, and we weren’t going to get to the quarterback as fast as he was throwing this ball,” Campbell told the 97.1 The Ticket hosts during his weekly appearance.

Stafford had an average time to throw of 2.32 seconds in the first half, which would have led the NFL in quickness of getting the ball out in Week 1. In the second half, that number rose up to finish at 2.72, which ties for 13th. That was a function of the Lions changing the defense to limit more of the shorter throws and also the Rams looking to strike downfield more.

Rams set mark for pre-snap motion in Week 1 loss to the Lions

The Rams set mark for pre-snap motion in Week 1 loss to the Lions as they tried to impact Detroit’s defense

If it felt like Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was all over the field on pretty much every play of Sunday night’s game, it wasn’t your eyes playing tricks on you. The Rams offense attacked the Lions defense with an unprecedented amount of pre-snap motion in Detroit’s Week 1 overtime win.

Kupp was the primary man in motion, and he was in almost constant motion. According to NFL NextGen Stats, the All-Pro wideout motioned pre-snap on 42 plays against the Lions. That’s the most of any player in a single game in the last seven years.

The motion is an effort to dictate coverage matchups and also tip off the offense to the called coverage scheme on a play. It’s something the Rams use liberally all the time, but it was in special abundance in Ford Field.

Also per NextGen Stats, Kupp was in motion at the snap of the ball 30 times. That’s six more than any other player in a game since 2017. Interestingly, Kupp held the prior mark, too.

It proved effective in setting up Kupp for a big night against the Lions. He caught 14 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, seeing an incredible 21 passing targets from Matthew Stafford.

Will future Lions opponents use the same tactic of heavy pre-snap motion? Possibly, but Kupp is a unique, high-level talent and Rams head coach Sean McVay is one of the best play-callers in the business. It’s hard to see that working for teams with inexperienced passing offenses like Chicago, Indianapolis or Tennessee in some coming weeks.

Matthew Stafford was not amused by the ‘Jared Goff’ chants

Rams QB Matthew Stafford was not amused by the ‘Jared Goff’ chants or being asked about it after the game in Ford Field

When Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford took the field before Sunday night’s game in Ford Field against the Detroit Lions, he was greeted by the fans with a familiar cacophony around Michigan these days.

“Ja-Red Goff! Ja-Red Goff!”

It’s quite a turn for Stafford, the longtime Lions quarterback and owner of nearly every statistical passing record in Detroit franchise history. Dealt after the 2020 season for Goff and a whole lot more, Stafford is now the enemy. The fans who used to cheer loudly for Stafford are now loudly praising his successor instead.

After the game, Stafford was asked if he was over the Goff chants in his former home. A curt Stafford quickly acknowledged the chant and very clearly was ready to move on.

Hopefully this ends the melodramatic discourse about a player who hasn’t been in Detroit in four seasons.

Top photos from the Lions overtime win vs. the Rams in Week 1

Top photos from the Lions overtime win vs. the Rams in Week 1

The Detroit Lions didn’t have their “A” game in the Week 1 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams, but the team did enough to still vanquish the visitors and open the season 1-0.

The 26-20 overtime win wasn’t always pretty football, but the reigning NFC North champs effectively defended the den in beating back a spunky, well-prepared Rams team and quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Rocking the all-blue uniforms, Detroit salvaged the victory for the Ford Field faithful. The “blueberries” also made for some outstanding visuals, as captured by the professional photographers in the stadium. Here are some of the best shots from the game.

Lions survive a shaky effort to beat the Rams in overtime

The Detroit Lions survive a shaky effort to beat the visiting Los Angeles Rams in overtime

The Detroit Lions are 1-0. It can be difficult to remember that, because it doesn’t really feel like a triumphant debut for the 2024 Lions.

Detroit survived a vastly undermanned Los Angeles Rams team, eking out a 26-20 overtime win in Ford Field. In front of a national audience on Sunday Night Football, the Lions looked rusty and meek, especially on offense. There were sporadic reminders that the Detroit offense has been one of the NFL’s best over the last two years, but they were not close to being in top form after not playing a down together in the preseason.

The Lions did not get great performances from the expected stars on the team. All-Pro wideout was a nonfactor all night, getting just six targets and netting three catches for 13 yards. One target to St. Brown was a throw where Jared Goff was a half-count late over the middle and Rams safety John Johnson picked it off.

Tight end Sam LaPorta was very quiet as well, catching just four passes for 45 yards. On one key third-down catch, LaPorta ran his route well short of the sticks. Whether by schematic design or a lapse by LaPorta, it’s the kind of mistake the Lions don’t typically make. His last catch, on the game-tying drive at the end of the fourth quarter, netted nearly half of LaPorta’s yards.

Goff wasn’t at his best, either. The drive after his INT intended for St. Brown should have ended in another Rams INT, but cornerback Cobie Durant dropped it. Goff wasn’t aggressive in attacking down the field, and it allowed the Rams to cram the field effectively.

Safety Brian Branch had a poor overall game. Branch missed two INT opportunities and a couple of tackles as well. He got burned on a huge play by the Rams, where backup LB Malcolm Rodriguez ran past Branch well down the field to save a potential touchdown.

About the only thing that worked for the Lions offense was Jameson Williams. Well, David Mongtomery was effective running between the tackles early, and Jahmyr Gibbs had one nice drive. Beyond that, the Rams rookie defensive coordinator, Chris Shula, won the battle against Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

The defense did just enough, barely. Aaron Glenn’s unit probably should have done more against a dilapidated Rams offense that played fourth-string tackles most of the night. Matthew Stafford was sharp in his old building, and some costly penalties by rookie CB Terrion Arnold helped the Rams get two scores as well.

Kicker Jake Bates forced overtime with a clutch 32-yard field goal. Aidan Hutchinson sacked Matthew Stafford to end any Rams threat at the very end of regulation.

And then Ben Johnson remembered that he had David Montgomery. In his first carries in several drives, Montgomery put the Lions on his back and dragged Detroit, as well as the Rams defense, into the end zone for the game-winning score. Montgomery ran for 45 yards on five carries on the final drive, none bigger than the final one.

Montgomery and Williams, who authored the game’s biggest highlight and turned in his first career 100-yard game, were the overriding positives to take away. That, and also not blowing a prime-time game against a team playing backups and undrafted rookies all over the place, which would have been a devastating blow.

It’s still not good enough football from the Lions, but never apologize for a win or take it for granted. Week 1 is a good lesson in that for Dan Campbell and the Lions.

Jameson Williams roasts the Rams D and the Lions fans love it

Wideout Jameson Williams roasts the Rams D for a long TD and the Lions fans love it

It’s Jamo time!

Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams got on the scoreboard in Detroit’s Week 1 matchup on Sunday night. Befitting his world-class speed, Williams got to the end zone in spectacular fashion.

Williams roasted veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White on a sweet double move that left White desperately grabbing at No. 9 trying in vain to keep Williams from breaking free. Jared Goff found the wide-open Williams for a 52-yard touchdown strike in the third quarter.

The long TD connection gave the Lions a 17-3 lead over the visiting Rams. The Ford Field crowd went crazy, and so did social media in reacting to Jamo’s big play.

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Lions inactives vs. Rams: James Houston among the healthy scratches

Lions inactives vs. Rams: James Houston among the healthy scratches

The Detroit Lions announced the inactive players for the Week 1 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. There were no real surprises in who wound up being declared inactive in the opener.

Defensive tackle DJ Reader was questionable for the game, but he was ruled out earlier on Sunday. Reader is continuing to get ready after missing all offseason as he recovers from quad surgery from an injury suffered last December when Reader was with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rookie safety Loren Strickland had already been ruled out in Friday’s final injury report. Strickland has a thumb injury. Fellow safety Ifeatu Melifonwu was listed as doubtful in that injury report with an ankle issue, and he too is inactive. Melifonwu injured the ankle in the Lions second preseason game and only returned as a limited participant in practices late this week.

The healthy scratches:

EDGE James Houston

OT Colby Sorsdal

OT Giovanni Manu

LB Trevor Nowaske

Bish & Brown LA Rams Preview – Detroit Lions Podcast

Bish & Brown LA Rams Preview – Detroit Lions Podcast

We’ve finally made it to the opening week of the NFL! That means we’ll see our Detroit Lions play the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field on Sunday night. The Lions have been heavily discussed this off-season as one of the best teams in the NFL and potentially a team that could win the Super Bowl.

Taking it one game at a time, Scott Bischoff and I return on the Detroit Lions Podcast! For our first episode of the 2024 season, we give you our game preview between the Rams and Lions on Sunday night!

On this episode, Scott and I discuss the following:

  • What’s the Lions passing attack going to look like this season?
  • Is Jahmyr Gibbs going to take the expected step forward in this offense?
  • The defense added a ton of good pieces. Can this unit put it all together?
  • What to expect from the Rams and Lions?
  • All that and more!

Be sure to rate, review and subscribe to the Detroit Lions Podcast on Spotify, Spreaker, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and more! Also, you can follow Scott and Russ on Twitter: @bischoff_scott and @russnfldraft