Week 2 handed the Detroit Lions their first defeat of the 2024 NFL season, and after reflecting on why the loss felt so disheartening, I’ve concluded: that it was self-inflicted.
The Lions’ offense was the one area everyone expected to perform reliably. Major contracts for Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Jared Goff symbolized Detroit’s smart drafting and their trust in Goff’s ability to lead the team.
That confidence shouldn’t waver after just two games. However, it’s still disappointing to see the offense fall short when it mattered most—especially in a game where the Lions’ defense showed strong signs of potentially becoming an above-average unit for the first time under Dan Campbell.
How can the Detroit Lions move forward in Week 3?
It’s too easy—and frankly too predictable—to say, “Fix the red zone offense.” Of course, the Lions need to do that, and they likely will if they want to meet their goals for this season. No question, that Jared Goff needs to execute better, but this can’t all fall on him.
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The key for Detroit to take a step forward in Week 3 lies in Ben Johnson keeping the offense more balanced.
Goff shouldn’t be throwing the ball 55 times unless we’re in an overtime scenario. The running game has to be a central focus because it reminds teams just how tough it is to play a squad that can grind out a 13-play drive. That kind of physical, punishing football is hard to maintain week after week. Running the ball for 17 weeks just to make it to the playoffs sounds grueling. Even writing it feels exhausting. Realistically, it’s not feasible for the Lions to rely heavily on the run game every week—unless necessary, like in Week 1’s overtime situation.
There’s also no need to overreact to one player being underutilized. St. Brown wasn’t as involved in Week 1, and then he got 19 targets in Week 2. Similarly, David Montgomery was leaned on 19 times, including six out of eight plays in overtime against the Rams, yet only had 11 carries against the Buccaneers. Two overcorrections don’t make a right.
So, it’s not all on Goff, it’s not about running the ball 45 times, and it’s not necessary to force-feed Sam LaPorta 11 targets this week. What will help the Lions’ offense is finding a balance, allowing them to get back to their identity. With a defense that’s shaping up to be a top-10 unit this year, there’s reason for optimism—even after the disappointment of Week 2—if they can put it all together on offense.
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