The Detroit Lions have turned over a new leaf and are playing well on offense, and to most everyone who pays attention, the skill guys will be seen as the reason why.
After all, the Lions have been able to generate big play after big play. They put up 416 yards of offense and four touchdowns on the Minnesota Vikings en-route to a big 34-23 win.
That momentum, though, was only made possible by the guys up front. That was according to Jared Goff, who took time out of his postgame presser to give his offensive line all the credit for heavy lifting.
As Goff told the media, he understands how fortunate he is to be able to have such a group of players in front of him to pave the way and give him time to execute.
“They’re a force right now.”
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“It’s really nice. especially when you look around the league and see that not every team is like that. I’m lucky to play behind them, and they’re a force right now. Logan (Stenberg) stepping up today doing a good job in there at right guard. We’re able to do a lot of things offensively that not many teams can do because of how good they are,” Goff said.
Detroit’s offense racks up the yards, but none of it happens without the line. They give Goff time to distribute the football and make big plays, which is something that he seems to grasp.
Dan Campbell: Lions Driven by Offensive Line
It isn’t just Goff that understands how important the offensive line is to the team. Dan Campbell knows what is driving his team’s success, and understands that the offensive line is a big part of the mix.
After the win, Campbell called out Detroit’s line as being elite as well, and helping the team win games in a lot of ways.
“It all starts with our offensive line.”
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(We’re) pretty well-balanced. We can kind of play any type of game we need to offensively. That’s a good thing. It all starts with our offensive line,” Campbell said honestly.
Campbell is right. The Lions have won shootouts while also being able to grind teams down up front with the run game. The one constant is protection, which is what Detroit is getting.
As the coach knows, the team’s front is the straw that stirs the drink. Week in and out, they simply keep proving why they’ve got the goods.
Lions Line Deserves Credit for Stepping Up
This season, it can be forgotten that many of the players starring are not ones that were originally expected to start. Detroit sustained a few injuries that have changed the narrative about their offensive front.
Halapoulivaati Vaitai went down with injury early in the year, and center Frank Ragnow was lost for a few game stretch. Additionally, the Lions have had to periodically deal with the loss of guard Jonah Jackson as well, and key reserve Evan Brown has been dinged-up, too.
Instead of shrining, the Lions have simply seen key players step up and play roles. Dan Skipper has filled in admirably, and is a huge part of the rotation for the team. Logan Stenberg has managed to play quality football when called upon, as he did in Week 14.
Kayode Awosika has held his own after being inserted into the action, and Matt Nelson has been a key reserve, as well. It isn’t just the starters, but the role players who are stepping up.
Detroit’s line is playing well, and a big reason the team has surged down the stretch into the playoff conversation.
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Lions’ Unsung Heroes Get Major Postgame Shout-out From Jared Goff