3 things we learned: The Lions are the most dangerous team in the NFC

DETROIT — The Lions ran away from the Tennessee Titans in a 52-14 roar Sunday at Ford Field. Here are three things we learned in the win, Detroit’s fifth in a row.

The Lions (6-1) are the most dangerous team in the NFC. They can win in many ways and continue winning no matter who loses. Aidan Hutchinson was sidelined with a broken leg and they eliminated the undefeated Minnesota Vikings the following week. Jameson Williams was suspended and a few days later he was given a 52nd spot on the Titans. Yes, the Titans were 1-5 (and coached that way too). But that’s the NFL and it’s hard to beat someone by more than 30 points. However, the Lions have done it twice in three weeks, and they did it without Williams on Sunday. Heck, Jared Goff threw for only 85 yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown only received 7 yards. David Montgomery had only 33 rushing yards. and they were still so far ahead that they lifted the starters in the fourth quarter. For the second time this month.

And what a month it has been for the offense. They have scored 162 points and 21 touchdowns in their last four games, both franchise records. They have now outscored their opponents by 100 points overall this season, which is more than five touchdowns better than anyone else in the NFC. They can run, they can throw, they’ve only dropped one pass all season: one! — and they have the best trick operation in the league.

“The hole is deep,” Ben Johnson said the other week. Oh really. No one is deeper on offense these days, no quarterback is playing better than Jared Goff, no offensive coordinator is in the bag like Ben Johnson, and that makes Detroit awfully difficult to beat. And right now, there’s no one in the NFC that comes close. The big question remains defense, and specifically the pass rush, where a glut of injuries forced the Lions to turn to guys like Al-Quadin Muhammad and Isaiah Thomas against Tennessee. If they find anything resembling an answer there, no one in the NFC will be able to match them this season.

Edge rotation is a big work in progress. Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, John Cominsky and Derrick Barnes are out long-term, forcing the Lions to move Muhammad (who signed to the practice squad last week) and Levi Onwuzurike to the limit. That’s not exactly what the Lions envisioned when they began the season, and they had a tough time catching up with Mason Rudolph, especially early on. Onwuzurike generated key pressure that led to the selection of Trevor Nowaske, but the defensive front hit Rudolph just twice the rest of the game, with the only sack coming on an unblocked blitz by linebacker Alex Anzalone. Muhammad finished with a team-high six pressures and jumped on a late fumble, so at least that’s it. But the Lions simply need to get more out of their predicament. Rudolph was on fire from the start, and the game could have played out much differently if not for the four takeaways and three massive special teams returns.

The offensive line has failed in pass protection lately. They haven’t been bad, but for a group that believes it’s the best in the league (and rightly so) there have been some issues over the last two weeks. Left tackle Taylor Decker allowed a sack on the first play against Tennessee and has now been tagged for eight pressures in the last two weeks combined, more than double his total in the first five games. The Lions allowed six pressures and three sacks on 18 Jared Goff dropbacks. All three sacks came in the first quarter, and Goff was so banged up that he had to tape his ankle after the last one. The good news is that Jahmyr Gibbs ran for a 70-yard touchdown on the next play, and the defense and special teams provided plenty of short fields. Goff has never had to do less in a victory during his years in Detroit. But the Lions have a lot of horses up front and need to strengthen ahead of Green Bay. They hold themselves to an elite standard and would be the first to say the same.

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