There’s plenty to nitpick about the Detroit Lions after a 2-2 start, but the early returns have also produced a long list of bright spots. The offense has been especially sharp, even if drops, shaky rushing production and some muted play-calling have kept it from looking like a top-5 unit.
More like top-10. Tragic.
With that in mind, here are four Lions who don’t have much to prove heading into Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Jared Goff has been rolling from the start. He’s thrown nine touchdown passes without a turnover and sits 10th in the league in QBR at 66.3.
He’s been efficient everywhere on the field, and if Jameson Williams cuts down on the drops, that deep-ball game could open up even more. Goff’s work has also been boosted by a retooled offensive line that has done a strong job in pass protection, giving him time to stay in the pocket and run Drew Petzing’s play-action-heavy approach.
Christian Mahogany has made the most of his chance up front. The Lions’ pass protection has been excellent, and for those who lean on PFF, Mahogany is graded as the third-best guard in the league overall at 86.7.
The broader numbers back it up too: he’s given up just three pressures, no sacks and one quarterback hit, while also drawing only one penalty. That’s a major turnaround for a player who missed part of the 2025 season with a leg fracture and entered 2026 as a possible bench option at left guard.
Instead, he outplayed every other guard on the roster competing for that spot. At this point, the job is his, and Juice Scruggs is not expected to take it from him once Cade Mays is back in the rotation full-time.
Alim McNeill has been just as impactful on the defensive side. Through four weeks, he leads all interior defensive linemen with 20 pressures.
Back in full action after the ACL tear he suffered in 2024, McNeill looks like the same disruptive force he was before the injury. He’s a big reason the Lions’ defensive front has real bite again, and he’s under team control for at least two more seasons.
Rookie Skyler Gill-Howard, Tyleik Williams and Aidan Hutchinson have also been wreaking havoc, though the secondary issues have kept that surge from covering up everything.
Jake Bates has answered questions after a strange offseason. He didn’t face much competition in camp and then missed a few preseason kicks, which wasn’t exactly an encouraging setup after his struggles in 2025.
But through four games, he’s been perfect on extra points and perfect on field goals. With Detroit having trouble finishing drives early in games, Bates has helped keep points coming and given the offense a steady hand when it needed one.
He’s earned his flowers.
In Other News...
Lions Trade Deadline Pressure Is Growing Beyond One Obvious Need
With a 2-2 start and a critical game against the Cardinals on deck, the Lions are already hearing the trade-deadline drumbeat a little louder. November 10 is not far away, and Detroits front office has been loosely tied to a few areas that could use reinforcement as the season settles in, with running back and safety among the most obvious spots being evaluated.
The conversation around what comes next is wider than one hole, though, and that is where the pressure starts to build. Detroit has been linked to help at multiple spots as it weighs whether to make a move for a backfield piece, a defensive upgrade or even another quarterback option, leaving the deadline picture broad enough to keep the speculation moving in more than one direction. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbells Ditka Reaction Hit A Nerve Lions Fans Know Too Well
Mike Ditkas death at 86 brought an immediate wave of reflection across the NFL, and for Dan Campbell it clearly meant more than just the passing of a legend. The Lions coach spoke about Ditka with the kind of respect that comes from knowing exactly how much he shaped the game, remembering the Hall of Fame tight ends rise with the Bears, the Super Bowl title that followed, and the long shadow he later cast in New Orleans.
For Detroit fans, Campbells reaction landed with a familiar edge, because Ditka has always represented a hard line in the franchises division rival history. Campbells admiration was unmistakable, but the moment also underscored how personal these losses can feel when a coach who helped define one era of football becomes the subject of a current coachs memories and respect. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Draft Radar Is Already Focusing On Some Intriguing Early Fits
The Lions college scouting calendar is already starting to take shape, and a fresh look at the upcoming slate points to several prospects worth keeping on the radar. Among the names being tracked are Hubbard, Smith, Evans and Clarke, each offering a different kind of appeal based on recent production, traits and how they might translate to Detroits roster needs. There is also some added background here through offensive coordinator Drew Petzings connection to the Arizona Cardinals, which helps explain why a few of these evaluations may carry more than casual interest.
What makes this kind of early monitoring useful is that it goes beyond highlight chasing and into fit, with the Lions always looking for players who can match their physical profile and developmental timeline. Evans is one of the more interesting examples because of the position switch he made at Nebraska, while the others bring their own case studies in how much a strong stretch of fall football can move a prospects stock. For Detroit, the real value is in watching which of these players keep stacking good games once the matchups get tougher. [Read more 🡒]