Jaguars @ Lions
Final Score: Lions 52 – Jaguars 6
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan)
I’m not sure what Doug Pederson did to Dan Campbell, but the Lions did everything they could to pour on as many points as possible through three quarters as they completed an absolute rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday afternoon in Detroit. Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown looked like they were sharing a brain, Jameson Williams was a big-play dynamo, and the two-headed backfield of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs each ran all over the Jaguars defense. Let’s dig in.
Three Up
- Jared Goff – Well, that was about the best possible way to bounce back from five interceptions on primetime television.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown – His best performance of the season so far, he’s now scored in eight straight games.
- Jameson Williams – We knew this was a good matchup for Williams coming in, and he delivered with an excellent performance.
Three Down
- Mac Jones – It’s hard not to feel bad for Mac. He’s in a bad situation behind a porous offensive line with an even more porous defense on the other side. He didn’t help his own case on Sunday.
- Travis Etienne – With Tank Bigsby out, this was supposed to be a good day for Etienne. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
- Doug Pederson – When you hear a coach say, “If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, but at the same time, I still have a job to do…” at a post-game press conference, you know he had a rough week.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Mac Jones: 17/29, 138 Yards, INT | 2 Carries, 7 Yards
There are only a handful of NFL backup quarterbacks that see success when they enter in relief of the starter. With Trevor Lawrence sidelined again, Jones was under center again – and struggled again. One of the worst decisions of the day came as the Jaguars were mounting a drive into Lions territory. On second-and-one, instead of checking down or throwing the ball away for another shot, Jones lofted the ball into double coverage, trying to hit his tight end deep downfield. It was undercut by the defense and picked off. Granted, the Jags were already trailing by five touchdowns by that point, so you can’t blame him for taking a shot, but it wasn’t a good decision.
Running Back
Travis Etienne: 12 Carries, 27 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 6 Yards
One of the best fantasy running backs of last season has fallen off a cliff along with the rest of the Jaguars’ offense. Etienne was back to being the lone bellcow back of this offense, with D’Ernest Johnson taking just 14 snaps to Etienne’s 35. However, Etienne turned feature back duties into just over 2.0 yards per touch.
Tank Bigsby: DNP
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Evan Engram: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 28 Yards
Used primarily in short-yardage areas, the Jaguars were hoping for Engram to create in space after pulling in the catch. It was tough to generate offense against an aggressive Lions defense, and Engram fell short alongside his entire offense in this one.
Brian Thomas Jr.: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 82 Yards
Brian Thomas Jr. was one of the only bright spots on this dark day for the Jaguars, pulling in five catches for 82 yards, including a nice 24-yard reception. He pulled in one of the more spectacular catches of the season so far on the left sideline, snatching and toe-tapping while absorbing a hit from the safety. You know the meme image of a luxury sports car parked under a carport in a trailer park? That’s BTJ.
Gabe Davis: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
Brenton Strange: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Luke Farrell: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
Parker Washington: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
With Christian Kirk sidelined, one would expect somebody other than BTJ to pop off in this Jaguars offense. For the second week in a row, nobody in this motley crew did anything. Another missed opportunity.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 24/29, 412 yards, 4 TD | 4 carries, 21 yards
After chucking up five interceptions in primetime last week, Goff returned home to the comfortable confines of Ford Field and posted another incredible stat line. He completed all but five of his passes, throwing for four touchdowns for the first time this season. His 412 passing yards were the most in a game since Dec. 1, 2019, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams and threw for 424 yards against the Arizona Cardinals. Goff may have lost any chance of winning MVP after his primetime stinker, but he’s at least back in the conversation after this performance.
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs: 11 carries, 69 yards, TD | 1 target, 1 reception, 54 yards
Jahmyr Gibbs was electric as always, breaking off big plays in the run game and the passing game. He made a huge 54-yard catch-and-run out of the backfield, just outrunning defenders up the sideline for a massive gain. He got to the end zone, bouncing a run up the middle to the outside and beating the defense to the pylon. A solid fantasy day from one of the most fun players to watch in the league.
David Montgomery: 15 carries, 75 yards, 2 TDs | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 20 yards
Montgomery was this week’s benefactor in the Lions’ backfield, finding the end zone twice from inside the five-yard line. Montgomery is so good at making the first tackler miss, with shifty feet and patient runs, he continues to impress with his consistency, gaining four or five yards on every carry. His three targets in the passing game are almost bonus points at this juncture, his fifth game of the year with at least three receptions.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 11 targets, 11 receptions, 161 yards, 2 TDs | 1 Carry, -4 Yards
All hail the Sun God. The Jaguars play man-to-man at one of the highest rates in the NFL. Maybe that was a bad idea against one of the best route-runners in the league. St. Brown torched the Jaguars’ secondary for a career-high 161 receiving yards and found the end zone twice as well. He’s a stud.
Jameson Williams: 6 Targets, 4 receptions, 124 yards, TD | 1 Carry, 2 Yards
Williams took advantage of man coverage, too, dropping a four-catch, 124-yard game. His 64-yard touchdown catch-and-run marked his fourth reception of at least 50 yards and helped him to a career-high in receiving yards. The entire Lions’ passing game put on a clinic, and Williams was a benefactor of that.
Sam LaPorta: DNP
LaPorta picked the wrong game to miss.
Tim Patrick: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 26 Yards
Involved in the offense as the third receiver, Patrick has ascended past Kalif Raymond on the depth chart and can be considered a deep-league flyer in this high-powered Lions offense.