Grades: Jared Goff Falters, Defense Stands Tall

Grading Lions' win over Houston Texans.

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) scores a touchdown against Houston Texans / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to secure their seventh-consecutive win and improve to 8-1 on the 2024 season.

After trailing for most of the game, the Lions scored 19 unanswered second half points to emerge victorious against a high-powered Houston Texans team. Detroit won 26-23, by virtue of a 52-yard Jake Bates field goal as time expired.

Here are grades for each position group based on performance in Sunday's game.

Quarterback: D-

Jared Goff had a performance to forget in Sunday's game, as he tossed five interceptions in a game for the first time in his career. Entering the game with just four on the season and having not thrown one since Week 3, it was an uncharacteristic performance for a player who had been playing at an MVP level.

He threw three in the first half, including one on the first drive that was the result of a ball tipped into the air by cornerback Jalen Pitre. His second came when he was hit from behind and the ball was jarred loose, and the third was a Hail Mary attempt on the final play of the first half.

The struggles didn't go away in the third quarter, as he threw a pick near the goal line on the team's first drive and later missed a deep ball that was picked off by Calen Bullock.

Still, Goff had good moments, such as touchdown passes to Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown. He also delivered a strike on a crucial third down to St. Brown that forced Houston to use its final timeout.

Running backs: B

For much of the first half, the Lions' run game was non-existent. This forced them to become one-dimensional, which has been the cause of offensive struggles this season.

At the end of the game, however, it became apparent that Jahmyr Gibbs was finding his stride. Though Gibbs was held under five yards per carry for the first time since the season-opener, he had multiple big runs late in the game.

Gibbs also contributed as a receiver with two catches for 37 yards, while David Montgomery added a 24-yard catch as well. Montgomery finished with 12 carries for 32 yards, including a 3-yard score in the third quarter but was stopped on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt.

Wide recievers: B+

Jameson Williams made a big impact early in the game with a pair of critical third-down conversions on Detroit's first touchdown drive. His first was a 23-yard grab that was bobbled and secured, while the second was a 13-yard catch to move the chains.

Williams finished with three catches for 53 yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a touchdown for the seventh-consecutive game and finished with six catches for 60 yards. One of those catches was a nifty flip pass on the first third down of the game, and another was the one that essentially sealed the game on the final drive.

St. Brown also threw a nice downfield block on a 20-yard run by Gibbs in the fourth quarter. He and St. Brown were the only receivers to catch a pass, as Tim Patrick had one target and no receptions.

Tight ends: B+

Sam LaPorta produced a season-high in receiving yards with 66 on three catches, including a 20-yard touchdown grab to put the Lions on the board in the second quarter. He also hauled in a 37-yard grab in the third quarter to set up Montgomery's touchdown run.

However, it turned sour when he suffered a shoulder injury and did not return to the game. LaPorta's injury is not expected to be serious, but Campbell indicated that he could miss the team's Week 11 game against Jacksonville with what he deemed a sprain.

Offensive line: C

Without Taylor Decker, the Lions elected to utilize Dan Skipper at left tackle and keep Penei Sewell on the right side. Early on, it was a struggle for Detroit's pass rush to keep Houston at bay. Though Goff was not sacked in Sunday's game, many of his early attempts were hurried.

In the second half, the effort was much better. Sewell had several key blocks to spring Gibbs' runs, including a well executed pull to the outside on a wide run and a pancake that allowed the running back to cut back for a nice gain.

The line did certainly miss their starting left tackle. With Skipper starting, newly signed veteran Jamarco Jones was utilized as the swing tackle in jumbo packages.

Big kick, big win!@jakebates30 pic.twitter.com/0yx2JHZjZW

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 11, 2024

MORE: Studs and Duds: Bates' Booming Kicks Seal Comeback Win

Defensive line: A-

Sunday marked the best performance from the defensive line since Aidan Hutchinson's injury in Week 6. The unit produced four sacks, as Pat O'Connor, James Houston, Josh Paschal and Alim McNeill each got to C.J. Stroud.

It was the best performances of the year from O'Connor and Houston. Though O'Connor only played in spot duty, he managed a tackle for loss on a reverse that was blown up by fellow defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad. Houston, meanwhile, had a sack in the red zone after initially dropping into coverage.

Paschal and McNeill each also produced two tackles for loss, and the Texans were held to just 56 yards rushing. It served as a performance more indicative of what the Lions had done earlier in the season up front.

LInebackers: B

Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell both had strong moments. Campbell had a key fourth quarter pass breakup along with seven tackles, while Anzalone had five.

Trevor Nowaske has settled into the third linebacker role with Malcolm Rodriguez sidelined once again, and he finished with two tackles. Tight end Dalton Schultz had a pair of big receptions against the second level, but the group did a solid job fitting the run.

Secondary: B+

It was a struggle early on for the secondary, as Amik Robertson was out of position twice on the opening drive and Terrion Arnold committed pass interference in the first quarter as well as beaten for a touchdown to John Metchie III. However, a strong effort from Brian Branch helped steady the ship.

Branch produced a game-high 10 tackles, two passes defensed and a quarterback hit. His second pass breakup came at a huge juncture, leading to a punt followed by Detroit's game-tying field goal. Carlton Davis also notched two important interceptions, marking the first multi-interception game of his career.

Special teams: B+

Jake Bates played hero once again for the Lions, nailing the game-winner from 52 yards out as time expired. Both of his field goals came from beyond 50 yards, including a 58-yard boot to tie the game. Each of the kicks snuck past the upright.

Jack Fox's first punt went just 40 yards and netted 22 after an 18-yard return. Steven Sims averaged 14.3 yards per punt return for the Texans against a normally solid coverage unit.

For Detroit, Kalif Raymond had three punt return attempts for 15 total yards.

Coaching: B

Early turnovers put both the offense and defense at a disadvantage early on. While the offense couldn't find a rhythm, the defense was constantly being put in tough positions.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's game plan seemed more pass-heavy in early downs than normal, which may have contributed to some of the struggles in the run game. However, the offense found just enough to be efficient when needed most.

Defensively, Aaron Glenn's group bent plenty but forced three massive field goals in the first half, limiting the damage caused by the turnovers. They blanked Houston's potent offense in the second half as part of an inspired performance.

Overall, Dan Campbell's group once again proved that it is exactly what he hoped it'd be from a culture perspective. The Lions were relentless in their comeback and snatched an impressive road victory from the jaws of defeat.

The sign of a great team is being able to win when things aren't going right, and that's exactly what Detroit did on Sunday.