Lions Grades: Offense Near Flawless, Defense Does Not Measure Up

Grading the Lions' Week 10 win.

It took guts, but the Detroit Lions ultimately held off the Los Angeles Chargers for a 41-38 win Sunday at SoFi Stadium. 

The Lions got out to an early lead, then had to outduel a surging Chargers offense in the second half. It was the latest test for Dan Campbell's group, as Jared Goff and company answered the bell to secure the win. 

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

Quarterbacks: A

Goff avoided the turnovers that have plagued him, which in turn maximized the offense's production. Detroit's offense got into the red zone on every first half drive save for the final one. 

In the second half, the passer played his best ball as he matched blows with Los Angeles and Justin Herbert. He made several key throws, but none bigger than the touchdown to Brock Wright in the fourth quarter and fourth down conversion to Sam LaPorta that ultimately won the team the game. 

The veteran passer finished 23-for-33 for 333 yards and two touchdown passes. Eight of those completions went to St. Brown as the two continue to show off elite chemistry. 

Running backs: A

With David Montgomery back and healthy, Detroit has a backfield tandem with potential to be the league's most potent. In Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, Ben Johnson's offense has two elite options. 

Both made huge impacts Sunday. Gibbs punched in two touchdowns and surpassed 100 all-purpose yards, while Montgomery had a 116-yard performance highlighted by a 75-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. 

Together, they offer a combination that is more than thunder and lightning. Each has their distinct style, but Campbell and Johnson have been adamant about not limiting either one. 

As a result, expect more performances like this as long as both are healthy. 

Wide receivers: A-

Amon-Ra St. Brown notched his fourth consecutive 100-yard game, finishing with a career-best 156 yards through the air on Sunday. He scored for the first time since Week 6 in the third quarter. 

The wideout continues to perform at an elite level. The Lions also got good supplementary performances from Kalif Raymond and Jameson Williams. 

Raymond made a huge 41-yard reception on the Lions' final drive to set up the game-winning field goal. Williams caught both of his targets and had a touchdown that was called back on the opening drive. 

Williams also had a solid downfield block on Montgomery's touchdown run. Raymond did have a drop, as did Josh Reynolds on a contested catch opportunity in the first half. 

Tight ends: A-

Sam LaPorta made the biggest play of the night, a six-yard reception on fourth-and-2 with under two minutes remaining. It was his final catch in a four-reception, 40-yard performance. 

The rookie has carved out a nice niche within Detroit's offense and once again played his role to perfection. 

Brock Wright also made a massive play in Sunday's win, hauling in a 25-yard touchdown. The play was well-designed, as he leaked out down the seam and was left all alone. 

Offensive line: A

Goff had high praise for his offensive line during his postgame presser, and for good reason. The passer was not only not sacked, but was hurried just twice throughout Sunday's game. 

The Lions rushed for over 200 yards, including Montgomery's 75-yard dash that was essentially a broken play. Not counting Goff's kneel-downs at the end of the fourth quarter Detroit averaged over seven yards per carry. 

Taylor Decker was the lone penalized party in this group, as he was whistled for an illegal low-block that erased Williams touchdown. Against a strong defense headlined by Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack, not allowing a sack and running the ball so well is admirable. 

Defensive line: C-

While the offensive line was successful, the defensive line struggled to get heat on Justin Herbert. Outside of Aidan Hutchinson's three hurries, none of the Lions could generate much pressure. 

Alim McNeill had five tackles but made little noise in pass rush. Julian Okwara, whom the team has leaned on more as the SAM linebacker at time, was flagged for roughing the passer on a play that was offset by intentional grounding. 

The Lions had six sacks against Las Vegas in Week 8 but failed to record a single one against the Chargers. 

This discrepancy in performance has extended for most of the season, as the team must find a way to level out some of the struggles that they've faced from a pass-rush aspect. 

The run defense effort was solid, as Austin Ekeler was limited to 67 yards on 19 carries. 

Linebackers: C

Alex Anzalone once led the team in tackles with nine and added two quarterback hits along with a pass defensed. The breakup came on a deep ball in which he was covering a tight end. 

This group did struggle with missed tackles, though. Anzalone missed one on a third down, while Barnes missed a sack opportunity. Jack Campbell was once again steady, finishing with five tackles. 

Elsewhere, Malcolm Rodriguez saw more playing time at fullback on offense. He managed three tackles working in reserve duty. 

Secondary: D

The Lions had no answer for Keenan Allen in the secondary, as he hauled in 11 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns. Several players got a chance to work against him, but there was no remedy for the situation. 

Allen beat Jerry Jacobs on his first score, then fooled Cam Sutton on his second in the fourth quarter. A poorly timed rotation resulted in a touchdown toss from Herbert to Jaylen Guyton, while rookie Quentin Johnston scored his first career touchdown on a strongly designed play-action play. 

Pass interference penalties also hovered over this group. Sutton was flagged twice in one drive, while Jacobs also drew a flag. 

Kerby Joseph did notch his second interception in as many weeks on an impressive toe-drag in the first quarter.

Special teams: A

Riley Patterson connected on both of his field goal attempts, including the game-winning 41-yarder. However, the Lions elected to punt from Los Angeles' 37-yard line rather than have him attempt what would've been a career-long field goal. 

Jack Fox punted just once, pinning the Chargers inside their own 10-yard line. Raymond returned his only punt return attempt 12 yards. 

Coaching: A

To put it blatantly, Detroit's aggressiveness was the difference. Facing a fourth-and-2 with 1:47 remaining, the Lions elected to go for it rather than take the lead with a field goal. 

The decision paid off, as Goff hit LaPorta for the conversion. The Chargers were forced to burn their final timeout as a result and Detroit bled the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal. 

Additionally, the staff looked brilliant for electing to run a draw on a first quarter fourth down that ended in a conversion. 

Offensively, everything Ben Johnson called seemed to work. The run game was dialed in, while the passing game picked up the slack for the defense in the second half. 

Defensively, the Lions couldn't adjust once the Chargers increased their tempo. After starting strong, the unit couldn't contain the connection between Herbert and Allen. 

Ultimately, Aaron Glenn and company must adjust in the coming weeks. Some of it can be attributed to rust coming off the bye, but the issues in coverage must be corrected for the Lions to feel comfortable about seeing an elite passer in the postseason.