Detroit Lions winners and losers from overtime victory over Rams

Mike Moraitis

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Detroit Lions winners and losers from overtime victory over Rams image

The Detroit Lions began their 2024 campaign on the right foot, beating the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field, 26-20, in overtime.

While the end result was great, the route to get there was very bumpy, as the Lions' offense was not at its best, particularly because of quarterback Jared Goff, who struggled in his 2024 debut.

Thankfully, the defense was able to hold its own for the most part against Matthew Stafford and Co., and the Lions got the big plays when they needed them on the offensive side of the ball to put them over the top.

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The Lions will certainly take the win, but they've got to be better if they want to deliver on their Super Bowl expectations. Now, a look at the winners and losers from Detroit's Week 1 victory.

Loser: QB Jared Goff

It was a really poor night for the Lions quarterback, who threw one interception and should have had two more if not for a great play by Amon-Ra St. Brown and a drop by Rams defensive back Cobie Durant.

Kudos to Goff for helping to get the Lions down the field to force the game into overtime, but it was all the rushing attack in the extra frame. Detroit needs more from Goff moving forward.

Winner: WR Jameson Williams

Williams had the breakout game everyone has been waiting for, with the Alabama product tallying a career-high 121 receiving yards. He also found pay dirt on a 52-yard reception that saw him blow right past Rams cornerback Tre'Davious White.

"He showed up," Campbell said of Williams, per The Detroit News' Nolan Bianchi. "That was a big game...and the best part of it, he didn't even play his best ball. ... But it also shows the work that he's put in. ... He keeps taking these steps."

Let the breakout season commence.

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Loser: CB Terrion Arnold

Arnold had a pair of pass interferences in his NFL debut. The first set the Rams up at the two-yard line, leading to a touchdown. The second set Los Angeles up at the one-yard line, but Arnold got bailed out by a Rams holding penalty that ultimately led to Los Angeles settling for a field goal.

Not that we should be at all surprised by a rookie having miscues in his first game, but he does need to clean those up. Arnold finished with eight tackles.

Winner: LB Alex Anzalone

Anzalone was all over the place, especially early on in the game. He finished with a team-high 13 tackles, with three of them going for a loss. Dude is just a stud, plain and simple.

Winner: K Jake Bates

Bates didn't have to attempt any long field goals, with makes from 25 and 32 yards. But the second was in a pressure-packed situation with the Lions trailing by three and trying to force overtime. Thankfully, Bates came through and has gotten his first season in the NFL off to a good start.

Winner: RB David Montgomery

Montgomery was the catalyst on the Lions first scoring drive of the game, which resulted in a field goal. But then it was as if offensive coordinator Ben Johnson forgot about him.

The Lions went back to Montgomery in overtime and the veteran running back rewarded them by ripping off chunks of yardage on the final drive before scoring the game-winning touchdown. He finished with a team-high 91 rushing yards.

Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis Photo

After cutting his teeth with Bleacher Report, Mike Moraitis has covered the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans for FanSided, and the Titans and New York Giants for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. On top of his duties with Sporting News, Mike is the managing editor and lead writer for Titans Wire.