Sandwiched between a brutal loss to the Green Bay Packers in week one and a frightening matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in week three, the Lions could not afford a loss to the Chicago Bears in week two.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said it plainly: “We’re going to win this game. We have to.”
The Lions needed to avoid 0-2 — and likely 0-3 given the Ravens’ recent dominance over the Lions — to stay afloat with a schedule that doesn’t seem to lighten up for months.
The Lions needed to spoil the return of Bears head coach Ben Johnson, the Lions’ former offensive coordinator, to prove that their success wasn’t solely dependent on him.
Most importantly, the Lions needed to prove that they are a better team than the one who got run over by the Packers in the season opener — that the offense can move the ball, the defense can create pressures and turnovers and the coaching staff isn’t a hollow shell of what it was a year ago.
And in a dominant 52-21 win, they did exactly that.
The offense proved they can move the ball — a lot.
The Lions gained over 500 yards at 8.8 yards per play, over double what they recorded in week one (246 yards at 3.8 per play).
Rushing touchdowns by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery and receiving touchdowns by Amon-Ra St. Brown (a career-high three times), Brock Wright and Jameson Williams headlined the offensive masterclass.
All five of those touchdowns through the air were dished out by quarterback Jared Goff, who tacked on 334 passing yards, zero turnovers and an 82% completion rate — which pushed him to a near-perfect 156.0 passer rating.
The defense proved they can create pressures and turnovers — a lot of them.
Bears QB Caleb Williams was brought down in the backfield four times and pressured 15.
The Lions’ newfound pressure led to a spectacular interception by safety Kerby Joseph, which joined a fumble forced by his running mate Brian Branch and two fourth-down stops in the turnover column.
Detroit’s defense shined brightest in the third quarter, where the Bears only mustered up seven yards on 13 plays.
The coaching staff gave fans a vote of confidence — a lot of it.
Coming off of a troubling week one, new offensive coordinator John Morton’s unit met any concerns with efficiency, communication and execution.
Their 52 points against the Bears is the most a team has scored in a game this season, and they still rank third in points per game (32.5) through two weeks, despite their week one woes.
Kelvin Sheppard’s defense, who looked out of place in week one, played inspired in week two.
Their four forced turnovers paved the way for their blowout, and the defensive line and secondary looked night-and-day better than in the season opener.
Head coach Dan Campbell, admitted that he didn’t do enough to prepare the team against the Packers. This time, he left no questions to be answered about the preparedness a well-oiled machine that took to Ford Field in week two.
On Sunday, the Lions head to M&T Bank Stadium to square off with the Baltimore Ravens, who bolster one of the NFL’s top rosters.
The Ravens are led by two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry — who has over 4,000 more career rushing yards than any other active NFL player — and one of the league’s top defensive players in safety Kyle Hamilton.
In 2023 the Ravens flattened the Lions 38-6, and they’ve since improved on both sides of the ball.
To call this game a test would be an understatement. The Ravens might be the toughest draw possible for the Lions — their dynamic offense has historically shredded the Lions’ old-school defense, and their playmakers on defense match up with the Lions’ playmakers on offense better than any team in the league.
That said, if the Lions come stay as sharp as they were against the Bears, we could be in for an early Super Bowl preview.
The fate of the Lions’ season surely won’t rest exclusively on the results of the week three matchup, but Detroit ought to confirm that they can swim with the biggest fish — and fly with the fiercest birds — in the third year of their quest for a championship.
