Team Grades: Lions Show What They've Always Had In Win Over Raiders
By Danny Cox
Everyone knew that the Detroit Lions had a lot of talent going into this season, and it was expected they would follow up last season's playoff appearance with one quite similar. Unfortunately, it's been anything but the same, and their talent has simply not shown much at all. With a victory over the Oakland Raiders, the Lions won their second straight game and are beginning to look like the team that everyone knew they were.
Offense: B
It wasn't great, but it was one of the better showings by the offense this season. Not a single turnover was committed, and Matthew Stafford got a lot of players involved. Stafford had a good showing with 282 passing yards and one rushing touchdown, but he was sacked four times.
The running game was a little more productive as usual, but still not much from Ameer Abdullah, Joique Bell, or Theo Riddick. Still, it was a good game with no turnovers and with Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate getting very involved in the passing game.
Defense: A+
This was an extreme and dominating showing by the defense of the Lions. Oakland has been surging the past few weeks and today, they were held to a mere 214 yards of total offense and that includes just 50 yards on the ground.
Making matters better was the impressive performance of the Lions passing defense and how they were able to contain the explosive Raiders offense. Wide receiver and rookie sensation Amari Cooper had just one reception all day for four yards and was targeted only four times. It was a great outing by the defense of the Lions and the win is owed to them.
Special Teams: B+
Matt Prater hit all three of his field goal attempts and his lone extra point to keep the Lions not only in the game, but ahead of things. Sam Martin had a good day of punting the ball and the return game wasn't too shabby either. There wasn't a lot on punt returns, but the kickoff returns from Golden Tate and Ameer Abdullah looked good.
Coaching: B
Lions head coach Jim Caldwell really had things together this week with a nice mix of both run and pass on offense. While the running game wasn't huge, it did help open things up a bit more in the passing game. The defense smothered the Raiders and shut down a team has been coming around.
This is sort of the type of Detroit Lions team that many have been expecting from them this entire season. At times, flashes of these Lions would show in games from earlier this season, but they wouldn't play a full game. Keeping this kind of intensity and performance going with an improved running game would make for a good end to this season.
Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. Danny is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.