The Detroit Lions had a tough test to begin their 2024 campaign and were able to pass it with a 26-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at Ford Field on Sunday night.
While the Lions will certainly take the win, it definitely wasn't pretty, mostly because of the lackluster showing from quarterback Jared Goff, who struggled mightily. Goff completed 18-of-28 passes for 217 yards and one touchdown to one pick, but he could've been picked off at least two more times.
Thankfully for Goff, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown made a great play to bat a pass down before a Rams defender could snag it, and Los Angeles cornerback Cobie Durant dropped another would-be interception later in the game.
Entering Week 2, the Lions are sitting in the No. 3 spot in the NFL power rankings of Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer, which is where they were ahead of Week 1. Detroit falls behind the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 1) and the San Francisco 49ers (No. 2), which is right where they should be. However, it's possible the Lions will jump up a spot if San Francisco loses to the New York Jets on Monday night.
Here's Iyer's thoughts on Detroit after its win over the Rams.
"The Lions almost had a carbon copy tough test against the Rams at home like they did in the playoffs, but they once again dug deep and showed they can be resilient offensively and defensively — and work overtime if needed — under Dan Campbell," he wrote.
As far as the positives go, the Lions saw a breakout game from third-year wideout Jameson Williams, who had a career-best 121 receiving yards. Running back David Montgomery was excellent when the Lions remembered they had him, and the defense held its own to help put the Lions over the top.
The Lions will return to action when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. Hopefully we'll see a better showing from Goff in that contest.
