Free Press columnist Carlos Monarrez tackles three tough questions after the Detroit Lions’ 30-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium:
Who deserves most credit for the Lions winning the NFC North?
That’s easy: Coach Dan Campbell has done what many people thought was impossible — he has restored faith and pride in this team with the Lions’ first division title since the 1993 season. And he has done it the right way, building trust, respectability and rapport with his players, his general manager, his fans and even grumpy reporters like me. The Lions signed Campbell to a six-year contract in 2021 and it’s pretty obvious they need to lock him up ASAP with another long-term deal. With three years left on the deal, the Lions don’t have to extend Campbell. But as a show of faith (and appreciation), they should give him a big, fat extension, no matter what happens in the playoffs. Campbell is the fifth Lions coach I’ve covered and he is by far the most competent, confident and in-control coach I’ve seen, especially when it comes to winning games, forging cohesiveness and guiding a team.
Which Lion had the biggest game?
It’s tempting to pick Amon-Ra St. Brown for his 106 receiving yards or Jahmyr Gibbs for his two rushing touchdowns. But my pick for “biggest” — or most meaningful — is Jameson Williams, because he took another step, (and an important one at that) in showing how much Jared Goff and the offense trusts him. He had 43 yards on a season-high five catches and came up big on the Lions’ first drive. On a blitz on second-and-10 from the Vikings 16, Goff threw to Williams near the left sideline; after the catch, Williams juked one defender, then broke a tackle from a second defender for a 12-yard gain that proved the Lions could beat Brian Flores’ blitzes and exotic defensive looks. On the second drive, Goff threw to Williams in tight coverage again up the middle for another first down. In the second quarter, Goff hit Williams with a short pass and Williams fought after the catch for a 6-yard gain. It’s clear Goff and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson have a lot more faith in the second-year receiver, and he continues to reward their trust each week.
Any concerns from this game?
You had to ask, didn’t you? Yes, when the game comes down to the final 49 seconds against a fourth-string quarterback, there are only two viewpoints: Either Vikings coach and offensive play-caller Kevin O’Connell is a genius with limited resources or Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is in over his head. And let me assure you O’Connell is not a genius. I’m sure the company line will be repeated once again about the defense doing enough to win the game, and there certainly were some strong performances from several players, including two sacks (really?) from safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, plus the game-clinching interception. The defense had four picks, which is stellar. But again, against a fourth-stringer, Nick Mullens, who was without star tight end T.J. Hockenson and No. 2 receiver Jordan Addison for most of the second half. Yet the Lions’ defense, which continues to rely heavily on blitzing, allowed the Vikings to crawl back from a 17-7 deficit to take a 21-17 lead. The Lions didn’t retake the lead, in a game they should have been leading comfortably, until 4:38 remained in the third quarter. Next week’s game against Dallas’ second-ranked offense might be unwatchable.
