Getty Jamaal Williams gestures after a first down for the Lions in 2022.
The Detroit Lions are off to a solid start during the 2023 season, and currently sit at 1-1 on the year. A big reason for their success has been the team’s resurgent offense.
So far this year, the Lions have scored over 35 points in both of their games. While that wasn’t enough in Week 1, it was more than enough in Week 2 in order to come away with the win.
With a team in-flux, it would be easy to write the accomplishment off as a mere fluke. But is it? According to ESPN writer Eric Woodyard, the answer to that question is a resounding no.
Writing after Detroit’s big 37-26 win in Week 2 and key takeaways, Woodyard was posed a question about if the Lions’ hot offense is for real. As he said, it is, assuming players are able to stay healthy this year.
“Detroit got major contributions from its top skill players, notably Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, T.J. Hockenson and D’Andre Swift. There’s no reason to believe their production isn’t sustainable — if healthy,” Woodyard wrote in the piece.
Under Ben Johnson, the Detroit offense has taken some leaps forward this season. Thus far, the Lions have a top-five offense in the league, posting an impressive 405.5 yards per-game. Detroit also has the third-best rush offense in the league, going for a 186 yards per-game average so far.
All of this points to the fact that the Lions are in good shape to keep things churning forward. It’s certainly been a great start for the team, and while it’s true they have to stay healthy, there is some optimism about where things are trending at this point.
Another solid Week 3, and it might be time to start talking about the Lions’ offense as a unit that is for real in 2022.
Lions Offense Making Personal History in 2022
If there are any clues as it relates to whether or not the team is making meaningful strides, a key stat need only be referenced which shows how dominating the team has been lately.
The Lions have been scoring at will the last few games, and have made some history that they did the last time they won an NFL title in the 1950s.
“The Lions have scored 35+ points in 3 straight games, their longest streak since doing so 4 straight times from 1952-1953. The Lions won the NFL Championship each of those seasons,” the site pointed out with a tweet.
Scoring over 35 points a game in the league isn’t an easy task, much less doing so in multiple weeks dating back full seasons. Detroit’s offense sure seems like it is in very good shape given this variable.
While the Lions may not be on track to win a title, these numbers show the uncharted territory that the team finds itself at in terms of consistency and damage.
Lions Rushing Attack Leading Offense
While the team’s passing attack has been huge thus far this season, the running game has been fantastic as well. Detroit has bruised on the ground, and that has led to helping the passing game along.
In terms of the run, the Lions have hit on three runs of 40 yards or more already this season. That total is tops in the league at this point in time. D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams and company have done a nice job in between the tackles, especially breaking big runs and getting into the end zone.
Swift has rushed for a total of 81 yards and two touchdowns on the year, while Swift has gone for 200 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. That’s the kind of balance that can be huge for a team that makes the pass all the more dangerous.
It’s easy to see that the Lions are in very good shape as it relates to their offense, and that is due mostly to a strong running game. For that reason, it’s easy to proclaim the team looks for real so far in 2022.
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