Glendale, Arizona. — The message was clear, as was the manner in which it was delivered.
Not when the Lions offense arrived en masse – en masse – to begin their first away game of the season.
There was an additional offensive lineman in the Lions’ huddle, the hulking 6’1″ and 330-pound Dan Skipper. And there was an additional tight end, with Brock Wright joining Sam LaPorta at the line of scrimmage. That wasn’t just a ton of muscle on defense, but a total of nearly 2,500 pounds.
And when David Montgomery took the first handoff from Jared Goff in the Lions’ backfield and sprinted eleven yards for a first down, it was safe to say that the guests had officially arrived.
“I think,” Goff said, nodding, “it just lets the other team know what we’re doing here.”
They were here to win, of course, and the Lions did win that game on Sunday, building an early lead and then taking it 20-13 over the Arizona Cardinals in front of 63,650 fans, including probably 25,000 or more fans in Honolulu blue.
But it was the manner in which they won that game that seemed to resonate in retrospect: They managed 188 rushing yards against the Cardinals on Sunday, matching their season high of 43 carries from last year.
A week ago, the Lions’ game plan went too far in the other direction against Tampa Bay, as Goff had 55 pass attempts in a 20-16 loss to the Buccaneers. And while the biggest problem there was simply poor execution in the red zone, where the Lions completed 1 of 7 passes, head coach Dan Campbell made it a point to emphasize in practice this week.
The run comes first – and last, if not always. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s script to open the game reflects this, too, starting with a jumbo package. And a promise of sorts.
“Coach said if we get more than four yards on the first drive, we’ll just stay in the jumbo and keep running,” left tackle Taylor Decker said with a smile. “We knew that was the plan and we just had to go out there and execute it.”
Of course they did. And had it not been for a brief injury scare that forced Skipper out after the second play of the game – another ruthless run by Montgomery – the Lions probably would have continued plowing after those road graders. But as it was, the Lions’ first eight-play, 70-yard touchdown drive began and ended with three consecutive runs, leaving little doubt about their intentions.
“Yeah, I mean, I think that gives the guys a lot of confidence, you know?” Campbell said of the ground-and-pound approach early in this game. “And I think that’s something they can really sink their teeth into. … That doesn’t mean you have to go for 10-yard runs every time, but you know what kind of game you’re going to be in when you’re the opponent. That’s what it’s going to be today. And that’s what you really want to do.”
Or more accurately, recover. Because we already knew these Lions were capable of doing just that. They take control of games with brute force and some talented running backs running behind arguably the most dominant offensive line in the NFL.
Still, everyone needs a reminder every now and then, right? And that was exactly Campbell’s approach on Sunday as the Lions faced an Arizona team that hadn’t exactly been physically challenged in its first two games, particularly last week against the struggling Los Angeles Rams.
“I thought that would be a big deal for us, to really have this team play somewhere they’ve never been before,” said Campbell, whose team hasn’t lost a consecutive game since October 2022. “They really controlled both games, Buffalo and the Rams. They got out to an early lead and were really able to do what they wanted to do. And so if we could attack them early and just try to establish the running game … that would be our best chance to be successful here. And it worked out perfectly.”
That was indeed the case. The Lions managed 13 plays and another touchdown on their second possession, and this time it was Jahmyr Gibbs who led the way with nine carries as the offensive line continued to apply pressure.
“It’s very empowering,” said guard Graham Glasgow. “And I think it’s very demoralizing when you’re the (other) team.”
Goff, on the other hand, was nearly perfect, completing all 12 of his first-half attempts for 137 yards and two touchdowns, the last of which was a nifty hook-and-lateral play that saw Amon-Ra St. Brown throw the ball to Gibbs, increasing the lead to 20-7 with 29 seconds left.
But after that, things got tighter and tighter, and as injuries mounted in Detroit – a real problem as the Lions headed home Sunday night – the scoreboard changed, too. But that’s life on the road in the NFL. (Just ask Houston or San Francisco about their losses this weekend.)
But with the game still hanging in the balance late in the game, Goff & Co. came out after another huge stop by the Lions defense and tried to hold onto the ball as best they could. Skipper came running back onto the field and joined the tight ends. And after another handoff to Montgomery (23 carries, 106 yards), there was little doubt about what would happen next, right?
Well, not quite. They stayed on the ground, that’s true. But this time it was Goff who took the ball and held it himself, sliding for an 8-yard gain and securing the win as the Cardinals ran out of timeouts. The Lions’ quarterback jumped up and emphatically signaled for first down while his offensive line celebrated their good work. The visitors’ sideline also erupted in cheers, and while the home team’s fans streamed toward the exits, the other half of the stadium began the ever-present “Jar-ed Goff!” chants.
“It’s not perfect yet, but at the end of the day, we knew — and our guys knew — that this was going to be one of those dirty, messy, inglorious jobs,” Campbell said. “And that’s what the game was.”
From start to finish, exactly as the Lions had imagined.
@JohnNiyo
