Sad News: James Mitchell Will no longer play for Detroit Lions as doctor presents report that he has…
DETROIT — The Detroit Lions (10-4) beat the Denver Broncos (7-7) 42-17 in prime-time action in Week 15 back at Ford Field. This post will run through MLive Lions beat writer Ben Raven’s grades from the game.
Quarterbacks: Jared Goff was back inside the dome behind his stout offensive line, and the veteran quarterback had one of his best showings of the season. Goff was good no across the board, making an absolute killing on play-action looks. He hit 24 of 34 passes for 278 yards, matching his career high with five touchdown passes.
Most importantly, Goff protected the ball while leaning on reliable playmakers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. Goff also connected with Jameson Williams for a career-high four passes. He flashed his chemistry with Josh Reynolds on a quickfire fade on Patrick Surtain in the middle of the field. Goff looked cool, calm and comfortable in the team’s blowout victory. Grade: A
Jameson Williams was more involved than ever before, notching more than two touches in a single game for the first time in his career. And Josh Reynolds had another strong game, with two catches for 41 yards, including that big one on Surtain for 21 yards. Williams needs to show some growth in tracking deep balls. But anything more from the speedy second-year wideout is a big win. Grade: A
Defensive line: This might have been Josh Paschal’s best game as a pro, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Paschal was strong on the edges and the interior, stopping a couple of short passes and getting home for a solo sack and two tackles for loss. Aidan Hutchinson added four solid run stuffs and a quarterback hit on Russell Wilson.
Derrick Barnes suffered a shoulder injury in the first half, then somehow returned and made one of the most significant plays of the game. Barnes made a stop at the 1-yard line, leading to the controversial offsides penalty on fourth-and-goal, with the Broncos settling for a field goal in a 28-7 game. Jack Campbell, Malcolm Rodriguez, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Anthony Pittman saw defensive reps on Saturday night. Grade: A-
Special teams: Michael Badgley replaced Riley Patterson as kicker for this one. He hit all six extra-point attempts without trying a field goal.
Coaching: Dan Campbell and his staff put on a clinic against his old mentor, Sean Payton. It’s hard to disagree with Aaron Glenn or Ben Johnson on much after this performance. Glenn again shifted his personnel and called some vital blitzes that propelled the Lions to a first-half shutout.