After Jared Goff mounted a game winning drive that ended with a 51 yard touchdown to Brock Wright, the Jets tried to stage their own game winning drive. However lucky for the Lions, the Jets missed the game tying field goal.
However as I was watching the final drive, there were good and bad things that I saw from the Lions. So, here is one positive and negative takeaway from the last drive of the Lions/Jets game.
Positive: The Defensive Front Steps Up
On the first play of the drive at the Jets 25, Aidan Hutchinson came barreling through the offensive line barely missing Zach Wilson, but he succeeded in pressuring Wilson to step up in the pocket. Once Wilson stepped up, Romeo Okwara happily swooped in for the sack. This was Okwara’s second sack of the game, and his second overall on the season. Okwara made his season debut last week against the Vikings, but stayed relatively quiet, but after showing out in 2020 with 10 sacks, Okwara made a good impression this week. This is good news for the Lions if Okwara continues to shake off the rust as the team needs every weapon available as they try to make the playoffs.
The defensive line got another sack on the drive. Both, James Houston and Romeo Okwara, came bursting off the edges making Zach Wilson step up. It looked like Wilson wanted to run, but John Cominsky stepped in and sacked Wilson as he was about to escape. This pressure contributed as to why the Lions racked up 4 sacks against the Jets. This is an incredibly good thing when it comes to playoff aspirations as everyone on the defensive line is contributing.
Negative: Lions Secondary Stays Abysmal
After an incomplete pass to Braxton Berrios on 2nd down, the Lions set themselves up nicely as they created a relatively impossible 3rd and long to convert. However, Zach Wilson delivered a good looking ball to Garrett Wilson for 22 yards and the first down. This breakdown can be attributed to the Lions’ secondary. Throughout this season the secondary has been incredibly lackluster, and is ultimately why the Lions had a historically bad defense at the start of the season.
Additionally, Zach Wilson made another impossible play as he completed a 20 yard dot to Elijah Moore on a 4th and 18. Ultimately, Greg Zuerlein could not convert, but the Lions were incredibly lucky that they were not playing a better team. This breakdown of coverage could have had a more devastating impact. I say that, because last year during the Lions/Ravens game, Lamar Jackson completed a long pass to Sammy Watkins across midfield to set up a last second field goal. This turned into Justin Tucker’s 66 yard NFL record field goal. If the Lions want playoff aspirations, we still need to improve in the secondary.
A win is a win, and the Lions are still in the playoff picture. Also, the Lions enjoyed some luck for a change, how many times can you say that?
