In one of the most improbable victories in quite some time the Detroit Lions scored 19 unanswered points to defeat the Texans to go 8-1 on the season. The Lions were losing at halftime 23-7 as Jared Goff had one of the worst first halves in recent memory. Even though he threw five interceptions, Goff ended up with the win, throwing for 240 yards and two touchdowns. One of the things that makes Goff so special is that he is unflappable, even in the most dire circumstances. There are still a lot of questions about him playing on the road, especially later in the season, but as of right now, he looks like one of the top quarterbacks in the NFC.
Gibbs and Montgomery
The Lions’ rushing attack was led by Jahmyr Gibbs who had 71 yards along with two receptions for 37 yards. David Montgomery once again scored a touchdown on the road and had 32 yards rushing to go along with 24 yards receiving. It is the Lions’ commitment to their ground attack that balances this team even when they’re not playing well.
Williams and St. Brown
Wide Receiver Jameson Williams returned to the lineup after missing the last two games due to a suspension. Williams had three catches for 53 yards and gave the team the explosive downfield presence that they were missing in his absence. Tight end Sam LaPorta had 66 yards and a touchdown, and star wide receiver Amon-Ra. St. Brown had 6 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Two Different Halfs Of Football
The Texans are now 6-4 and play the Cowboys next Monday night in what might be called a must-win game if they want to win the division. CJ Stroud is going to have to play like he did in the first half of SNF and not like he did in the second half. He was fantastic early on, and then he and the offense were held to no points after the 1st half. Shockingly, the defense let the Texans down, considering they played so well in the first half. The Texans were missing star defensive end Will Anderson, which had a lot to do with the outcome, but regardless, they still did not make the big stops when they needed to. The most telling statistic was that the Texans did not have one sack in the game. Yes, the Lions offensive line is good, but zero sacks puts way too much pressure on the secondary.
Mixon Keeps Finding The Endzone
Offensively, the Texans were led by star running back Joe Mixon, who had 46 rushing yards and a touchdown to go along with 44 yards receiving. The biggest surprise to Texans fans was that Nico Collins was not activated before the game as he is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Collins has been one of the top wide receivers in all the NFL and he is sorely missed by the Texans who desperately need him back in the lineup.