8 Lions winners and 3 losers from the Jets win: Detroit found a lot more to like than dislike in this one
Jahmyr Gibbs dominated, several young Lions made the most of new opportunities, and Detroit’s secondary finally showed signs of settling down in a 31-24 win.
The Detroit Lions beat the New York Jets 31-24, putting up 31 points for the third consecutive week. The 1992 San Francisco 49ers also scored exactly 31 points in each of their first three games, so Detroit isn’t alone in pulling this off. The Lions defense played better than most fans will give it credit for, Jahmyr Gibbs dominated, and the secondary showed real signs of life after a rough Week 2 against Buffalo.
This was exactly what Lions coach Dan Campbell said it would be. Earlier in the week, he called it a 60-minute brawl and warned everyone not to look past the Jets. New York brought it, too. The Jets played well in Weeks 1 and 2, and they showed up again. But Detroit found a way to win, and there are far more positives to take away from this one than negatives.
The winners list is long
Ennis Rakestraw
He only played 23 snaps, but he made them count. Multiple tackles and a demanding pass breakup on the sideline where he swatted the ball right out of the receiver’s hands. He was targeted four times and allowed just one catch for 6 yards. With Rakestraw looking solid, there’s a door open for him to take on a bigger role. This is a performance you can build on, and it’s not crazy to think he could work his way into a starting role, assuming the Lions don’t complete the Joey Porter trade that ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Detroit has reached out to the Pittsburgh Steelers about.
Alim McNeill
He balled out. An 85.9 instant grade on Pro Football Focus, the highest-graded defensive player for Detroit. Seven pressures and a sack and a half. This is the McNeill we’ve been talking about. He’s been playing like this in Weeks 1 and 2 as well, rebounding from a down year where he’ll tell you himself he just wasn’t right, still nursing that knee and maybe coming back a tad too early.
Christian Izien
He had 10 tackles, including a tackle for loss that set up the defensive stand on 4th-and-6. He lined up as a free safety on 26 snaps and in the slot for nine. An 80.7 Pro Football Focus grade. That’s what this team has needed at safety for so long.
Chuck Clark
The vet won the game. Three tackles, four assists, but nothing matters other than the sack-fumble on Geno Smith on the final play, with Jack Campbell recovering. Both safeties were phenomenal. That meeting earlier in the week where the Lions sat everybody down and asked them to explain where they’re supposed to be clearly did wonders. The veterans showed up in the right spots and did everything they were supposed to do.
Isaac TeSlaa
The second-year receiver went off for 66 yards, including a 49-yard play that set up the game-winning Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown. Earlier this week, an article questioned whether the Lions should consider trading him because wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery told us targets would be harder to find. Then he goes and does that. This was a get-right game for him.
Sione Vaki
He ran for 26 yards, and the stat line won’t jump off the page. But this was the day the vision for what Vaki can be started to crystallize. Two first downs on short carries in the first half, an 11-yard catch and run in the second half, and a strong blitz pickup. He’s the short-yardage, goal-line, lower-the-shoulder guy who gets the hard yards and protects the quarterback. That’s exactly what you need from him, especially when Jahmyr Gibbs had both of the Lions’ sacks credited to him on blitz pickups.
D.J. Wonnum
A sack and a half and three pressures. That first sack was exactly what the Lions envisioned when they brought him in. Aidan Hutchinson draws all the attention, and what Detroit has needed for a long time is somebody who can take advantage of those one-on-ones while also holding up against the run. Wonnum does both, and that’s a significant upgrade.
Jahmyr Gibbs
This is the easy one. 99 yards on the ground, 2 touchdowns rushing, 7 catches for 65 yards and a touchdown through the air. A 1-yard loss kept him from 100 yards, but it doesn’t matter. Coming into this game, the Jets had allowed a combined 131 rushing yards through two weeks. Detroit put up 133 by itself.
The losers
Rock Ya-Sin
He played just 13 snaps after playing full games the first two weeks. On his very first snap, he got called for defensive pass interference. That’s been a recurring issue, and with Rakestraw looking solid, Ya-Sin is in a bad spot.
D.J. Reed
He was targeted five times, allowing four receptions for 68 yards, 32 of which came on one play. Take the two penalties away and it’s not a terrible game. He played well against Buffalo, where he was barely targeted. But those two DPI flags were the difference between a 31-14 blowout and a 31-24 nail-biter.
Jimmy Rolder
He didn’t do anything wrong. He just never played. Coming off an injury and being ramped up slowly through the first two weeks made sense, but this felt like the day for his debut, and he never hit the field. It’s not a cause for concern yet, and nobody’s calling him a bust. But it’s something to keep an eye on.
Looking ahead
The Lions are 2-1, the defense is showing improvement, and Gibbs is running like nobody can stop him. Detroit has the Carolina Panthers next week in prime time, and Bryce Young will be waiting. Carolina has been all over the place, so it could be a tricky one. But if the Lions keep putting up 31 points a week, they’re going to be hard to beat.
Detroit Lions News