The Detroit Lions have been slow starters, and that has become a real issue in the first quarter.
Jake Bates has helped keep them afloat with field goals when the offense has failed to get into the red zone early, but Detroit has also sabotaged itself on those opening drives. The only opening-drive touchdown came in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, and since then the Lions have not found the end zone on their first possession. Conservative play-calling and straying from the game plan have kept momentum from building, and the defense has followed that up by allowing opponents to move right down the field.
Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals looks like a chance to break that pattern. Arizona is giving up an average of six points per first quarter, which is tied for 24th-worst in the league.
The Cardinals are also allowing 117.5 rushing yards per game, and that puts the spotlight on Jahmyr Gibbs early. If Detroit wants to cover up some of its defensive issues, Gibbs needs to be featured right away.
A fast start matters even more because Arizona has enough talent on offense to cause problems if the Lions let them settle in. Jacoby Brissett has not consistently gotten the Cardinals’ attack rolling, but they have also not faced the league’s worst passing defense yet.
Against Detroit, Brissett could help Michael Wilson and Trey McBride look elite, while also giving a struggling Marvin Harrison Jr. a chance to bounce back. It would be frustrating, but not exactly shocking, if Arizona suddenly found its passing game against the Lions.
Gibbs could use help up front, too. Even with a strong start to his season, Detroit still sits 20th in rushing success.
A return from Cade Mays could make a difference there, especially with his reputation as a run-blocker. That would also give the Lions’ guard group a boost and strengthen their push to take control early.
Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will likely want to make a statement against his former team, and a classic Gibbs-heavy performance would be the cleanest way to do it.
In Other News...
Dan Campbell Just Put More Pressure On Detroit's Offense
The Lions have spent the early part of the season trying to keep pace in games that have turned into shootouts, and Dan Campbells message leaves little room for comfort. With the defense giving up big point totals in several outings, the coach made it clear that Detroits offense has to carry a heavier load if the team wants to stay above the middle of the pack and keep its bigger hopes alive.
Campbells benchmark is as blunt as it gets: the Lions need to be putting up at least 35 points a game to help cover for the defensive problems and give themselves a realistic chance to contend. It is the kind of standard that puts immediate pressure on every drive, and it also raises the obvious question of whether this roster can sustain that level long enough to matter in a playoff race. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Sam LaPorta Situation To Watch
The Lions and Sam LaPorta have put extension talks on hold after the sides were unable to find common ground early in the season, leaving one of Detroits most important offensive pieces in a familiar waiting game. For now, LaPorta is leaving the business side to his agent while he keeps his attention on helping the team, and Dan Campbell has made clear the organization still values what the tight end brings to the offense.
LaPorta has described the situation as a stalemate, but he has also sounded upbeat about the possibility of revisiting negotiations down the road. That leaves the Lions in a spot worth monitoring, because when a player has already established himself as a central part of the passing game, every pause in talks carries a little more weight than it might elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Holmes Keeps Facing The Same Lions Secondary Problem
At the 2024 NFL scouting combine, Brad Holmes made clear how much he values cornerback play, and the Lions general manager has kept acting on that belief ever since. Detroit has tried to patch up its secondary through the draft and free agency, bringing in Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw in 2024 while also signing veterans such as Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, but the results have been uneven as injuries and inconsistent play have continued to complicate the picture.
Holmes has taken multiple swings at the position, yet the same problem keeps surfacing in Detroit: finding and keeping cornerbacks who can hold up over time. With players like Carlton Davis moving on and the secondary still a lingering concern, the Lions are left with a familiar question about whether the answer is simply adding more talent or finally solving the evaluation and retention side of the job. [Read more 🡒]