The Tampa Bay Buccaneers upset the Detroit Lions on the road to continue their perfect start to the season. Their victory at Ford Field showcased enough grit to make Dan Campbell proud as they overcame an injury-riddled defence to defeat, what many consider, a superior opponent.
The Lions meanwhile have fallen to 1-1, casting some doubt on a team that is one of the favourites to win the Superbowl this season. Despite benefitting hugely from major injuries to both opponents, the Lions still struggled to take advantage of it.
Baker still has that Dawg’pound in him.
Even though he left the Browns years ago, it looks like he took the Dog-pound with him. Baker Mayfield displayed a lot of heart in order to get a win in this game as he was essentially under siege from Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions pass rusher benefited from the Bucs starting right tackle, Luke Godeke, being out injured, racking up a personal best four and a half sacks in the process.
Baker persevered, leading his team on four scoring drives, including an 11-yard rushing touchdown that proved to be the game-winner, juking out Malcolm Rodriguez in the process.
The departure of Dave Canales to the Carolina Panthers produced fears that Baker would regress to his worst years, but under new offensive coordinator Liam Cohen, he looks even better.
Should his offensive line get back to full health, the Baker Mayfield renaissance will show no signs of slowing down and the Buccaneers may be heading towards an incredible season.
Are we Concerned about Jared?
Through two games, Jared Goff looks like one of the most ineffective quarterbacks in the NFL. Despite throwing the ball 83 times over two games, he’s only managed one touchdown and three interceptions, failing to cross a 40 in ESPN’s QB rating both times.
These poor performances are extra painful for the Lions, as they are coming off the back of a monster extension. Following a successful season in 2023, the Lions rewarded Goff with a four-year, $212m extension, but he is yet to live up to the standards of the previous year.
While he has been successful in unlocking receiver Jameson Williams this year, Goff has looked a lot less decisive when throwing the ball. Goff is a strong quarterback when playing within structure, but when a snap doesn’t play out as expected he lacks the athleticism and arm talent to make magic happen.
The Lions will need Goff to step his game up in the coming weeks and get in sync with the rest of the offence. Otherwise, the Lions will be realising that they’ve tied the future of their franchise to a Quarterback that has no special traits.
Todd Bowles a Perfect Game
Todd Bowles potentially has his signature win as the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This may sound superfluous as he has won a playoff game during his tenure, but there might not have been a win as impressive as this one.
Going into the game, his defence was significantly undermanned, with injuries to star players such as Antoine Winfield Jr and Calijah Kauncey. On top of that, Vita Vea, perhaps the best run defender in the NFL, was forced to leave the game in the third quarter.
Even with these handicaps, his defence still held the Lions to 16 points. They took the bend don’t break philosophy to the limits, holding the Lions to just one touchdown from seven red zone trips.
Bowles has always been one of the most respected defensive coordinators in the league, but as a head coach, doubts have always been cast upon him. But performances such as these prove that the Buccaneers are fortunate to have him.
Are the Lions just a touch overrated?
The Lions entered this season with massive expectations, but Jared Goff isn’t the only one not to live up to them.
Their offence was expected to be much the same as last season, but through two games they look nothing like it. Their offensive line, which is supposed to be the finest in the league, hasn't been close to that. Goff has faced a lot more pressure than expected while running backs haven’t had the same hole to burst through.
Frank Ragnow, who appeared to have contemplated retirement in the offseason, has posted a sub-50 PFF grade for pass blocking, after being the #1 ranked centre last season by PFF. Right guard, Graham Glasgow, was a revelation upon his return to Detroit, but like Ragnow has started the season poor.
Their Tackle tandem; Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell have been less of an issue, but neither are playing to last year's standard. Penei Sewell in particular is playing nowhere close to the best tackle in the NFL that he was last year. Analysts tend to take into account last year's performance and assume the team will build upon it, but progress is not linear, and negative regression can always strike.
The underperforming o-line can have a domino effect on the rest of the offense, as their performance will directly affect the quarterback's performance, which limits what Ben Johnson can call. This in turn condenses the offence, making it a lot less explosive than last year.
Sam LaPorta was a rookie sensation in 2023, but through two games he has six catches for 58 yards. He appears to be the odd man out as the Lion's offence has been reduced to safe screens to Jamhyr Gibbs and deep shots to Jameson Williams. When it comes to important third-down plays, Goff seems a lot more comfortable force-feeding the ball to Amon Ra St Brown, leaving LaPorta to get his cardio in.
The much vaunted defence does look improved, but not drastically. Rookie corner Terrion Anrold has had a bit of a nightmare start in regards to pass interference calls, being guilty of three in only two games. Against the Los Angeles Rams, the secondary struggled immensely despite it being obvious that their opponent's one play was a quick pass to Cooper Kupp.
What the Lions do have going for them is that it’s still early in the season. Last year, the offence didn’t become what the offence became until week four against the Packers. They can still improve and become a competitive team, but as of now, they don’t deserve the moniker of Superbowl contender.
