Roundtable: Lions' Long-Term Future Very Bright

Lions' long-term future looks promising, after season-opening win against Chiefs.

1.) What surprised you the most about the Lions' win? 

Christian Booher: The Lions' defense. I expected the game to veer into a shootout at some point, given the fact that the secondary hadn't played together in the preseason. Without those game reps, I inferred that there would be lapses in coverage at times. 

With the exception of some moments in the first half, the defense largely came to play. Jerry Jacobs contributed multiple pass breakups, and veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson nearly generated important takeaways. Speaking of takeaways, Brian Branch had the play of the game with his pick-six. 

On the topic of safeties, Tracy Walker III did not play a defensive snap in Thursday's game. That was the biggest surprise from a personnel standpoint, but Branch's performance warranted the move. 

Vito Chirco: What impressed me the most was that the Lions didn't play their "A" game, but still managed to pull out the victory. Past Lions teams would've failed to do so. 

Ben Johnson didn't call the best game, and Jared Goff and Detroit's offense became stagnant at times throughout the night. Additionally, the Lions failed to get consistent pressure on Patrick Mahomes throughout the first half. Yet, Dan Campbell's squad overcame all that, and secured the season-opening victory. It was a gutsy performance and one that, in my opinion, was the mark of a good football team. 

2.) How impressed were you with the Lions' defense in the second half?

Booher: The adjustments were very impressive. Aaron Glenn's decision to incorporate more zone defense into his normal man-to-man scheme generated big results, and kept Patrick Mahomes off balance. 

The Lions also generated plenty of pressure on Mahomes, and forced him to leave the pocket. Aidan Hutchinson and Charles Harris were constant presences in the backfield. Though they couldn't get the mobile passer down, it was an impressive effort. 

Chirco: I was thoroughly impressed. The defense, as a whole, turned around its play in the second half, and consistently made it hard on Mahomes to succeed. It effectively limited his production, and made it hard for the Chiefs to move the football down the field. So, to me, you couldn't have asked for a better second-half performance out of Aaron Glenn's unit.

3.) What needs to improve right away? 

Booher: There were two areas that were glaring to me. First, the receiving depth remains concerning. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds had solid games, but Marvin Jones struggled in his opportunities and Kalif Raymond only had one target. 

Additionally, mobile quarterbacks have been a thorn in Detroit's side since Glenn took over the coordinator role. The defense must finish plays in which they get to the passer and record sacks. Negative plays are a huge asset to any defense, and Glenn's defense needs to generate more. 

Chirco: Two things stick out to me right away: You've got to deploy Jahmyr Gibbs more often, and you've got to figure out who's going to be Jared Goff's No. 2 target in the passing game. 

Marvin Jones Jr. proved on Thursday that he shouldn't be counted on to be that guy. Additionally, I'm fearful that the Lions don't possess another pass-catcher who's capable of being that guy. I think the next man up currently for that role is Josh Reynolds, who amassed four catches for a game-high 80 yards in the season-opening tilt. 

With Jones' struggles, though, this could also be a prime opportunity to get Gibbs more involved in the passing game. I think Johnson will do so more and more often as the season progresses, too.

4.) The Lions were aggressive again in the opener. Were you okay with the fake punt and going for it on fourth down late in the game? 

Booher: I was on board with the decision to go for it late in the fourth. Had the Lions converted, they were just one more first down from forcing Kansas City to burn its timeouts and likely wouldn't have given the ball back to Mahomes and company. 

The fake punt wasn't as relatable, but I still understood the decision. Had Detroit punted, Kansas City would've had a short field. While the difference in yardage would have been glaring had the Lions not converted, it was likely that the Chiefs would've marched down and scored anyway had it not worked. 

For that reason, I am willing to applaud and understand the move. In the end, it worked like a charm, and the Lions finished the drive with their first touchdown of the season.

Chirco: To start off, both decisions were the definition of bold. Being bold, though, has become part of Dan Campbell's very nature as a head coach, and Detroit fans have come to admire him for it. And, they especially admire him for it when the decisions work out. 

The first one did on Thursday -- the fake punt on Detroit's own 17-yard line -- and it led to a touchdown for the Lions and the first points of the night. That fake punt shocked me, and stunned the NFL world. Yet, it's another example of Campbell trusting in his team and keeping his foot on the gas pedal regardless of the situation. 

As for Campbell's second aggressive decision Thursday (going for it on fourth-and-2 late in the game), I totally understood the call. Detroit was on Kansas City's 45-yard line at the time, and Campbell wanted to "punch" the Chiefs in the proverbial mouth one last time and put them away. Campbell didn't want to give Mahomes the ball back with over two minutes to play. As any NFL fan knows, that's an ample amount of time for the two-time MVP to lead the Chiefs down the field. So, instead of punting, Campbell kept his offense on the field and attempted to convert the fourth down. On the play, Jared Goff's pass to Josh Reynolds went incomplete. Despite the conversion failing, I stand behind Campbell's decision to go for it. 

5.) The rookies contributed, especially Brian Branch. How confident does this make you in Detroit's long-term future? 

Booher: In short, very confident. Each of the Lions' first four picks are already key contributors. For a team that has long-term competitive aspirations, that is monumental. 

I am very excited to see how this young core develops moving forward. While the usage of Jahmyr Gibbs was a little underwhelming, his exposure gave plenty to be excited about. Branch and Jack Campbell both look like staples of the defense. It's exciting, and lends credence to future confidence in Brad Holmes' draft decisions. 

Chirco: It looks like Detroit's young core -- Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch -- has a promising future. As expected, Gibbs looked explosive with the ball in his hands, while Campbell and Branch each made key plays in pass coverage. Additionally, LaPorta came through with a solid performance, hauling in each of the five balls that were thrown his way.

Moving forward, it looks like each of them will be a big part of the team's offensive and defensive gameplans, respectively. And, that's the definition of a promising development for the Lions and their long-term future.