5 takeaways from the Detroit Lions’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers
Meaningless has no meaning to the Detroit Lions .
The Lions marched into Santa Clara with an agenda. The winner of this game would not alter the standings for Detroit nor its division, but a victory over the San Francisco 49ers was a year in the making. Revenge was a key narrative for Detroit on Monday night, with the Lions getting payback for an NFC Championship loss to the 49ers back in January. The Lions have next week’s NFC North tilt against the Minnesota Vikings in their sights, but for one night, the Lions were not focused on the future. The now was San Francisco, and the now resulted in a 40-point showcase.
It was far from perfect for Detroit in their penultimate game of the regular season, but the win sets the stage for a pair of 14-win teams to duke it out for the top seed in the NFC. Even a meaningless game has takeaways—let’s take a look.
No rest, no problem
For the second week in a row, the Lions avoided a major in-game injury. Whereas last week’s game against the Chicago Bears mattered at the time, this game was a non-factor in the standings, and many (46 percent of our voters ) thought that Detroit should rest their starters in a meaningless game. That was not on the agenda for the Lions, however, and we got to witness the best of that decision. The Lions thrived on offense with their starters playing sizable roles, and in a 40-34 victory, every single point was important. The lone noted wound was Penei Sewell with a minor thumb injury. Per Dan Campbell, it doesn’t pose any long-term issue .
Were the Lions lucky to escape mostly injury-free, especially with a lot of vicious hits courtesy of the 49ers? Perhaps. Yet, in the NFL, every game brings an injury risk. You cannot play afraid of the injury bug.
Can the defense survive until reinforcements arrive?
There was optimism that despite all of the recent defensive struggles, relief is just around the corner. Some of their injured starters, such as Alex Anzalone and (maybe) Carlton Davis, could return over the course of a playoff run, a much-needed boon to an injured defense. The question is whether the Lions can even go on a playoff run with this current lineup.
The Lions defense remains vulnerable. The linebackers constantly bite on most play-action passes. The pass rush is struggling to produce on a consistent basis, even with Purdy having a backup offensive line in front of him. The defensive backs are getting both picked and picked on. Aside from Kerby Joseph’s interceptions, there were not many highlights for the defense on Monday night.
There are two pressing questions surrounding the Lions defense right now. Will the return of Anzalone and/or Davis be enough to turn around the unit? Can the Lions even survive long enough in the playoffs for them to return? Detroit has a pivotal game against the Vikings next week to decide the division and the first seed in the NFC. A bad defensive performance could not only result in a loss, but it would mean losing out on a much-needed playoff bye—and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. A win next week could be the difference between a healthier defense and a skeleton crew.
The Lions seemingly had a defensive turnaround in the second half, but it was buoyed by Joseph’s two picks and a missed Jake Moody field goal (his second of the game). They allowed a touchdown on the 49ers’ first drive of the half, then allowed a Joshua Dobbs-led touchdown on the final drive. If Joseph does not snag those picks, are we looking at a vastly different scoreboard?
The Detroit offense can only carry the team so far. At some point, the defense needs to put up some resistance. The Lions need more game-changers than just Joseph.
The most dangerous offense entering the playoffs?
There is an old proverb: defense wins championships. The Lions want to prove that wrong, and they have the offense to do it.
In a mostly meaningless game, the Lions offense did not take the night off. They dropped 40 points on the 49ers through their usual means: a pristine passing effort from Jared Goff, the speed of Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams, the reliability of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, a dominant offensive line, a sprinkling of trick plays, and under-the-radar efforts from the likes of Craig Reynolds, Tim Patrick, and even Allen Robinson.
Goff might not win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award, but there is no question that his role in the offense rivals the importance of a Lamar Jackson or a Josh Allen. Dan Campbell might not win the Coach of the Year award, but there is no question that his leadership and culture has directly led to another brilliant season. Ben Johnson might not win Assistant Coach of the Year, but there is no question that the offense has been elevated to historical levels thanks to his genius.
The Lions offense should instill fear in each and every opponent. They might not have a mobile quarterback like Jackson or Allen, but they have every other tool in the toolbelt to win—and win big.
Road warriors
With one home game remaining on the schedule, the Lions have completed a road sweep. The Lions went into Arizona, Dallas, Minnesota, Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, Chicago, and San Francisco and emerged with wins in each—a perfect 8-0 in away games.
Winning in general is difficult in the NFL, but winning away from home is always a tough task. Not only did Detroit win each road game, they seemingly excelled on the road. The offense averaged over 30 points on the road and pulled off some of their best performances of the season in those games. They had the incredible comeback against the Houston Texans . They won a close game against the Vikings. They throttled the Dallas Cowboys .
The final chapter of the 2024 Lions has not been written yet, but we can at least say that whether at home or on the road, they were warriors. If the Lions fall to the Vikings next week and end up with the fifth seed, they will certainly need some stellar away performances if they want to win the Super Bowl .
A 14-win team will only be the fifth seed
I am not advocating for playoff format reform (though I could make an argument). Instead, I simply want to point out that the loser of the Lions and Vikings game next week will have to settle for the top Wild Card spot. Let that settle in for a moment: an NFL team will have 14 wins in a 17-game season, yet they could potential play every playoff game on the road.
This is a once in a lifetime type of event—here’s hoping that Detroit ends up on the winning side of that record.