The 2022 Lions had a lot to be impressed with. They blew win expectations out of the water. Their offense played on a level that nobody saw coming. The rookie class might have been the best in the entire league. They finished second in the NFC North when many projected them to finish last in the division. The team wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was definitely impressive.
The most impressive performance, in my opinion, was also my favorite moment of the season. It was in the last game of the season when they beat the Green Bay Packers and kept them out of the playoffs. It was a win for the whole league.
3. Amon-Ra St. Brown
The third most impressive player this season was pro-bowler Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown had 1,161 yards receiving, which was the 7th best in the league. He was a true number 1 for a team that desperately needed it. He added almost 100 yards on the ground to help keep defenses on their toes. He caught 6 touchdowns, and that number should rise next year. He had 106 receptions and an 11.0 average yards per catch. Every game I watched, he stood out and made QB Jared Goff’s life much easier behind center. He always seemed to be open, and when the team needed him the most, he was fourth in the league in first down receptions with 68. Whatever the team asked of him, he provided.
2. Aidan Hutchinson
The second most impressive player this year was rookie defensive-end Aidan Hutchinson. He was a true leader of the defense and made his presence felt on every possession. He had 52 tackles and 34 solo tackles. He led all rookies with 9.5 sacks and was almost 2 sacks away from the second-place rookie Houston, who plays alongside him. He didn’t stop disrupting the pass game with just sacks; he also tied for 6th in rookie interceptions with 3 of them, from the defensive line which is crazy impressive. He was an all-around force on the front of this young and growing defense, and has DPOY votes coming in his near future.
Honorable Mention
A quick honorable mention goes out to Jamaal Williams. He led the league in rushing touchdowns and even broke Barry Sanders’ touchdown record in the process. He was nearly impossible to stop once the Lions got close to the endzone. Having a player like him on the team was hugely important since scoring touchdowns in the red zone can decide wins from losses.
1. Jared Goff
But one Lion really stood out from the rest in my opinion. He showed that he is a serious leader, a real threat in the NFC, and a high-quality quarterback in this league. That Lion is Jared Goff. He threw for almost 4,500 yards, 29 touchdowns, had a 99.3 rating, and only threw 7 interceptions. He made the pro-bowl and played like a top 10 quarterback in 2022. He led the team to an impressive 9-8 record after starting off the year projected as a bottom-3 team in the league. Goff was the most impressive Lion in 2022, and the MVP of the team.
I agree that Jared Goff had an amazing year and was plenty deserving of another chance to lead this team into the playoffs.