The Detroit Lions beat the favorite Minnesota Vikings 34:23 on Sunday. The Lions once again showed an impressive performance, especially on offense. Can it still go into the NFL playoffs with such achievements for the crisis-hit franchise?
The Lions had more than 30 points in a game for the seventh time this season. Of course, the offensive series, which is bursting with playmakers and is now working really well, plays a large part in this.
With the German-American Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, Josh Reynolds and since Sunday also rookie Jameson Williams, the Lions have a very strong receiver room, with Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift also a strong duo on the running back position.
After defeating the Vikings, the Detroit Lions are at a record of 6-7. Getting close to Minnesota (10-3) in the NFC North will be difficult, but a playoff spot is still possible in the weakening NFC. The closest competitor for the last spot in the postseason would currently be the Seahawks with seven wins.
However, the momentum clearly speaks for Detroit. With five wins from their last six games, the Lions are one of the hottest teams in the league and in this form they are certainly a candidate for a great comeback. The Michigan men started the season with a record of 1-6.
Goff more than just a bridge quarterback
Ahead of Sunday’s game, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Lions plan to do more with quarterback Jared Goff than just use him to transition to another playmaker. Detroit sees Goff as their head of offense and will continue to do so for years to come.
One of the most recent statements by head coach Dan Campbell fits in with this. After the Lions’ 40-14 win over the Jaguars, Goff’s trainer raved: “He’s very consistent, he makes the right decisions and handles the ball well.”
Goff has 22 touchdowns this season with just seven interceptions and has a 97.9 quarterback rating on the scoreboard. He’s also one of only three quarterbacks (alongside Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes) to record a game with at least four touchdowns and no interceptions this season.