Pride of Detroit
In the NFL, no games are sure-fire wins. Entering Sunday, the Detroit Lions had a clear edge over the Cleveland Browns in terms of talent and stats. A formidable defense can make any game competitive, and there was the potential of Myles Garrett to be a game-wrecker.
So much for that.
The Lions handled business easily, dishing out a 34-10 stomping of the Browns. Though not playing to their usual standards, the Detroit offense delivered enough blows to keep this game out of reach. The defense made mince meat of the Browns’ offensive line, yielding little in terms of yardage or points—although some injuries loom large for the secondary.
Now 3-1 on the season, the Lions have wiped away many worries from their Week 1 loss. Who emerged as a winner against the Browns?
Hutchinson versus an immobile Joe Flacco and a backup offensive tackle? That is a recipe for success for Detroit.
The star defensive end looked the part on Sunday, wrecking havoc up front against a battered offensive line for the Browns. Officially, Hutchinson finished the day with two sacks, but his impact was felt on nearly every down. He was living in the backfield, registering multiple pressures and quarterback hits. He had two strip sacks, one of which was called back due to a penalty. Equally impressive, he managed to sniff out a screen play to force a Flacco throwaway.
The only true concern for Hutchison was a pair of minor injuries, twice getting up slowly after being chipped. Hutchinson has gotten battered this season as teams begin to commit two (or sometimes more) blockers to contain him.
It almost feels moot calling St. Brown a winner given how stellar his weekly production is, but he deserves the hat tip for his game against Cleveland. On a day when the aerial attack was fairly limited, St. Brown led the way by a wide margin. He racked up seven catches on his seven targets for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns. When the Lions needed a play, St. Brown was the man for the job. Calling him Goff’s safety net is a disservice to St. Brown’s ability to make space and do damage to opposing secondaries—give him an inch, he will take a mile.
I criticized him last week, and I will praise him this week—such is the life of the NFL.
A week after a sub-par performance as punt returner against the Baltimore Ravens, Raymond answered the call in a big way. The Lions had forced Cleveland into a fourth-down punt, but a serious injury to a starting defender (more on that later) silenced the crowd despite the 10-point lead. Thanks to Raymond, that turned into a 17-point lead before long as the former All-Pro took a 65-yard punt to the house, a lead the Lions never relinquished. Raymond even chimed in on a kickoff return, netting himself 30 yards—though another...
