The Detroit Lions showed their offensive firepower Sunday in a 52-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, who suffered their worst loss in franchise history.
Quarterback Jared Goff bounced back from his five-interception game in last week’s win over the Houston Texans with a perfect passer rating (158.3) against the Jags, completing 24 of his 29 passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns. Goff became the only QB in history to have multiple games with 400-plus passing yards and a 158.3 passer rating.
The Lions also benefitted from three of their top skill position players, as running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown combined for five TDs.
St. Brown has scored a TD in eight straight games, the longest streak in Lions team history. He finished with 11 receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Montgomery and Gibbs became the second rushing duo with eight-plus TDs through 10 games since the Green Bay Packers’ Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor did it in 1960.
Jacksonville’s offensive struggles continued in its second game without QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) as Mac Jones struggled to sustain any momentum outside of the first drive.
The Lions defense took another hit Sunday. Linebacker Alex Anzalone, Detroit’s second-leading tackler, broke his forearm and is expected to be out 6-8 weeks, coach Dan Campbell said in the postgame news conference. Detroit is already without star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who broke his fibula and tibia in Week 6.
Jacksonville’s 46-point loss was its worst since a 44-point loss in 1995. Doug Pederson and the Jaguars are on a four-game losing streak and questions loom if this will be his final game as coach.
“I can’t control that,” Pederson said. “Listen, I’ve been around this league a long time. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, obviously. But at the same time, I have a job to do.”
Pederson also wouldn’t rule out making staff changes during the Jaguars’ upcoming bye week.
Detroit (9-1) will travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts in Week 12.
Lions keep rolling
Another week, another win for the Lions. That’s eight in a row now, putting them at 9-1. It’s their best start since 1934. En route to scoring 52 points, the Lions set a franchise record for yards. The offense did not punt. The only time it didn’t score was when the backups took a knee on the game’s final possession. They held the Jaguars to two field goals, making them work for everything offensively. Detroit did what it was supposed to do. — Colton Pouncy, Lions beat writer
Detroit’s big 3
Detroit’s offensive stars came to play. St. Brown and Jameson Williams (124 yards and a TD) set career highs in receiving yards. Montgomery and Gibbs combined for 218 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. And finally, after throwing five interceptions vs. the Texans last week, Goff bounced back in a major way. A masterful performance for the Lions offense after some subpar weeks. — Pouncy
Problems in Jacksonville
Lining up without Lawrence was always going to make winning a tough ask, but this was a bloodbath. Several Jaguars went down with injuries. The offense under Jones failed to muster 200 yards, finishing with 170 on 47 plays. The defense couldn’t prevent the Lions offense from scoring. You have to wonder how many games Pederson has left in Jacksonville — and if the franchise’s next head coach might be one of the two coordinators (Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn) from the opposing team. — Pouncy
Required reading
(Photo: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)
