Week 4 boom: Jared Goff – HIT
Week 4 bust: Jeff Okudah – HIT
After another high scoring, one possession loss, the Detroit Lions moved to 1-3 and have presented themselves with many questions. It is unlikely that the offense will continue at this pace, but hopefully for Lions’ fans, neither will the defense. For the first time this year, the Lions will have to play outdoors, which could influence thai week’s boom and bust candidates.
Boom: Jamaal Williams
Jamaal Williams has been given a heavy workload to begin the season, especially in the red zone, and there is no reason that will stop this week. The Patriots defense has been extremely mediocre through four weeks, but their performance against Aaron Rodgers last week could signal some improvement. If Bill Belichcik’s defense caused problems for Aaron Rodgers at home, expect for the Lions to limit the passing game on the road. This calls for a heavy dose of Jamaal Williams once again, especially if D’Andre Swift is limited or inactive. While Rodgers struggled last week, the Green Bay Packers’ running backs did not, accumulating 5.7 yards per carry. With the Patriots averaging under 30 pass attempts per game, it is possible the Lions will match their strategy of ball possession with frequent runs. This may be a lower scoring game than previous Lions’ games, but that should benefit Williams’ production.
Bust: Jared Goff
Leading the league’s highest scoring offense, Jared Goff has surpassed expectations in 2022. However, his ascend has been influenced by several desirable factors such as playing indoors and facing weak secondaries. This week, Goff will battle the legendary Bill Belichcik, who humbled Goff in Super Bowl LIII when he was with the Los Angeles Rams. In that game, Goff completed just 50% of his passes, never found the endzone, and threw an interception. Although this Patriots’ defense lacks the assets the Super Bowl defense had, Belichick understands how to highlight Goff’s weaknesses. For similar reasons to Jamaal Williams seeing a larger volume, Goff could see fewer opportunities, which may be the Lions’ best chance at winning this week. For the second time, Belichcik may bring Goff back down to Earth, and return his MVP caliber numbers to ordinary.
