The Lions have spent seven weeks making a simple point: this isn’t smoke and mirrors. Detroit is still right in the mix for the top spot in the NFC North, and the numbers are starting to back up what the eye test has already hinted at - this is a more complete team than the one that has so often come up short.
That case starts on defense, where the pass rush looks far more dangerous than it did a year ago. Detroit needed to remake that group this offseason to lighten Aidan Hutchinson’s workload, and the front office went about it with DJ Wonnum, Skyler Gill-Howard, and the return of Alim McNeill.
Through seven weeks, those moves have paid off with a 61 percent pass rush win rate. The sacks haven’t fully matched the pressure yet, but the Lions are still tied for the league lead in team sacks, and the pressure is already paying dividends.
Brian Branch’s interception in Week 7 came off one of those hurried looks, and the Lions should expect at least one of Hutchinson, McNeill, or Wonnum to start turning more of those pressures into clean finishes.
Jared Goff has been doing his part on the other side of the ball, even if the MVP buzz hasn’t followed. He’s sitting on 14 touchdown passes, no interceptions, and one rushing touchdown, yet he still isn’t getting much national love.
The advanced numbers, though, tell a different story. Goff ranks fourth among quarterbacks with at least 200 plays in EPA/play at 0.22 and third in total EPA in that same group, per Sumer Sports.
Even more striking, he leads all starting quarterbacks in EPA/play against the blitz at 0.32. That matters, especially with divisional games looming and Minnesota blitzing at the rate the source described.
Goff has looked unusually comfortable moving around the pocket, and that’s a big reason Detroit’s offense keeps humming.
The secondary has been another story of real progress, and D.J. Reed’s last two games suggest the Lions may have found a steadier answer outside.
Per Pride of Detroit’s Al Karsten, Reed posted the fourth-highest PFF grade among cornerbacks between the Week 5 win over Arizona and the Week 7 win over Green Bay. Karsten also had Reed ranked eighth against the run and fourth in coverage over that stretch.
Against the Packers, Reed was a force in the open field and stopped Green Bay on two plays that could have turned into major gains. Detroit brought him in to be that kind of stabilizer, and he delivered.
Brian Branch’s return only sharpened that picture. Back in the lineup, he immediately changed the feel of the defense, picking off a 50-50 deep ball from Jordan Love in Week 7 and forcing opponents to account for him on the second level.
His 92.6 overall PFF grade in that first game back underscores the impact. Branch also gives Detroit another piece who can pressure the quarterback, which matters with the Lions’ blitz packages still looking uneven.
If Kerby Joseph gets back on the field, that only raises the ceiling further.
The run game has been productive too, even if it hasn’t always looked clean. The Lions are the fourth-most stuffed team in the league, per PoD’s Jeremy Reisman, but Jahmyr Gibbs has still produced a 49.25 percent rushing success rate.
That’s enough to count as a strong team indicator here, because Gibbs has essentially been carrying the ground game. Even with odd run design and formations that haven’t always been well hidden, Detroit keeps finding ways to stay efficient.
In a division where only the Bears really have anything resembling an effective run game, that edge matters.
All of it adds up to the same conclusion: the Lions have more than just a hot streak going. Their pass rush is dangerous, Goff is playing efficient football at a high level, Reed is settling in, Gibbs keeps making the run game work, and Branch gave the defense exactly the kind of jolt it needed. That’s how a team starts to look less like a nice story and more like one of the teams to beat.
In Other News...
Lions Trade Deadline Debate Comes Down To One Risky Cornerback Choice
The Colts decision to move on from Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner for future draft picks has only sharpened the trade deadline conversation around their roster, and it should have the Lions paying attention. If Indianapolis is truly in seller mode, Detroit could find itself looking at a rare opportunity to add help at cornerback, where a proven veteran or a younger high-end starter would fit a clear need as the deadline approaches.
Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner are the names to watch, and each comes with a different kind of gamble. Ward brings experience but also age, a serious concussion history and an expiring contract, while Gardners talent is obvious even if the price tag is not, with a hefty cap hit looming in 2026. For Detroit, the appeal is obvious, but so is the risk if Brad Holmes decides to make a move. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Trade Deadline Pressure Is Rising Around One Defensive Decision
With the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching, the Lions are again being linked to help on defense, and the conversation starts with the same familiar question: how aggressive should they be about fixing the back end of the roster? Cornerback sits near the top of the shopping list, with linebacker and defensive tackle also drawing attention as the team weighs whether to add a proven piece or stand pat and trust its current group.
Sauce Gardner is part of the discussion because of a sharp dip in production with the Colts, while Charvarius Ward has also surfaced as a possible option despite the complications that come with an expiring contract and injury history. Those kinds of names show how wide the range of possibilities is for Detroit, from bigger swings at the position to more restrained moves that fit the long-term picture, and it leaves the Lions facing a deadline decision that could shape how the defense looks down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Goff Is Forcing His Way Into The MVP Conversation
Jared Goffs latest run has done more than keep the Lions on track, it has pushed his season into a different kind of conversation. After Detroits recent win, he has piled up 150 completions on 223 attempts and posted a passer rating of 112.5, production that has him sitting near the top of the league and drawing fresh attention from around the NFL.
An ESPN feature made the case that Goff belongs in the sleeper MVP discussion, pointing to his strong expected points added as a sign of how efficiently he is driving Detroits offense. He is still not the favorite in that race, but the fact that his name is being mentioned at all says plenty about how steady and valuable his play has been for a Lions team with bigger ambitions. [Read more 🡒]