It’s fitting that a team coached by Dan Campbell is one of the most Dr. Jeckell-Mr. Hyde teams of all time. The Detroit Lions have had a wild ride thus far in the NFL this season as Lions may have the worst record in the NFC North, but they are easily the most explosive team in the that division.
The Detroit Lions under Dan Campbell are without a doubt the most interesting, complex, fun, high-intensity, and insane football team to grace the NFL this season, and probably the last ten season put together. Even though they have a pretty disappointing 1-3 record, they have had some of the wildest finishes out of every team.
From starting out the year with a nail-biting 38-35 loss to the (currently) undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, to then smashing the woeful Washington Commanders 36-27, to following up that win with two, respective, heartbreaking losses to the Minnestoa Vikings 28-24 and this past Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks 48-45.
So, what do all of these games have in common? The Lions are posting MASSIVE points tallies against their opponents…while also giving up scores even worse.
Like the animal on their logo, the Detroit Lions have become the kings of the NFL offensive jungle as they have assembled the most potent offense in the NFL to date. Let me repeat myself: the DETRIOT LIONS have the most potent offense in the NFL.
I didn’t even think those words could be used in a coherent sentence before today.
After that Seattle loss, the Lions now top the league in total offensive yards gained with 1,747, average yards gained/game with 436.8, their 5th in total passing yards gained with 1,091, 5th in average passing yards/game with 272.8, 6th in total rushing yards gained with 656, 6th in average rushing yards/game with 164.0, and are 1st in the NFL in total points scored with 140, and 1st with average total points scored/game with 35.0.
Just to put those two total points scoring stat in perspective, the Lions are currently ahead of the second place Kansas City Chiefs (who have Patrick Mahomes as their QB) by 11 total points and 2.7 points/game, respectively.
It’s insane how good the Lions offense actually is.
I mean, when’s the last time a Lions TE had 179 passing yards and 2 TDs as T.J. Hockenson had Sunday afternoon? Charlie Sanders back in the 60’s and 70’s? Or what about a Lions quarterback with 378 yards AND 4 TD passes as Jared Goff had? Matthew Stafford? Bobby Layne? Well, probably not that legend as he was playing back in the 50’s.
Anyways, it’s incredible what the Detroit offense has been able to achieve after the team finished dead last in the NFL last season. And it’s even more awe-inspiring when you realize that the Lions don’t have a traditional ‘franchise WR” or a traditional “franchise QB” or even a traditional “franchise RB” on their roster.
It is a collection of hardworking ‘# 2s’ that have bought into Dan Campbell’s style of offense.
Yet, for all of the credit the Lions’ offense has deserved, their defense must get and equal amount of criticism. Simply put, they’re utterly awful.
The Lions’ defense has given up the most total yards against in the NFL this season with 1,779, the most average yards against/game with 444.8, the 3rd most total passing yards against with 1,117, the 3rd most average passing yards against/game with 279.3, the 3rd most total rushing yards against with 662, the 3rd most rushing yards against/game with 165.5, the most total points scored against with 141, and the most average points against/game with 35.3.
To put those scoring against stats in perspective, the second worst team, the Seattle Seahawks, have currently given up a whole touchdown less per game and a whopping 26 points less than the Lions.
No wonder this team is sitting dead last in the NFC North, their defense is practically begging for the opposing teams to score on them. And when your offense has to score at least six touchdowns to just win the game, you know your team’s defense is trash.
Obviously, the Lions offense is already ready to compete with the toughest teams in the NFL as the rebuild on the offensive line and skills positions has been nearly completed. If the Lions can draft/sign a star WR/RB and a franchise level QB next offseason, this Lions offense will be unstoppable.
The defense, on the other hand, still needs a lot of work. Young talents like DE Aidan Hutchinson and CB Jeff Okudah will be stars in the NFL one day, but the rest of that side of the ball needs to be torn down and rebuilt quickly.
They won’t be able to keep this level of offensive talent forever as players will demand new, more lucrative contracts soon. So, the Lions need to hurry and splurge in the draft and free agency for starting-caliber defensive players.
Thus, with the extremes of the Lions offense and defense, can you see why this team is the literal personification of Doctor Jekyll-Mr. Hyde.
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