Sunday was one of the most fun experiences as a Lions fan I can remember. The 47-9 win in Dallas over the Cowboys was an amazing display of dominant Detroit football.
The offense scored every time it tried until garbage time.
The defense suffocated a one-dimensional Cowboys offense.
The Cowboys kicked a field goal at the end of their opening drive to take the 3-0 lead. After that, the game was all Detroit, all afternoon.
There were gadget plays, like the TD pass to Sam LaPorta off a flea-flicker. And the David Montomgery TD run with seven OL and two TEs all lined up tight. And the would-be touchdown off a designed lateral to RT Penei Sewell, negated by a specious penalty on Frank Ragnow. Heck, the Lions even lined up Dan Skipper at wide receiver for a play.
The Lions completely–and validly–humiliated the Cowboys in their own building, on attention-starved owner Jerry Jones’ 82nd birthday, no less. The win snapped a lengthy losing streak to Dallas by Detroit, with many of those losses coming in excruciatingly frustrating fashion.
Catharsis.
Alas, it’s hard to feel as awesome as I should about the massive victory. Losing the best player on team, and arguably the NFL’s best defensive player over the first six weeks in Aidan Hutchinson, sure sucks a lot of wind out of the positivity sails.
It doesn’t look like Hutchinson will return in 2024, or the postseason run this Lions team is poised to make. That’s a major blow to a defense that has performed at a very high level for most of the young season.
It’s too early to know exactly how the Lions will try to replace Hutchinson. Trade rumors are nothing but that–rumors. Generally speaking, the availability of anyone who could even come close to providing what Hutchinson does for Detroit is simultaneously nonexistent or exorbitantly expensive in a franchise-crippling fashion.
The internal options have some potential, but they’re not Hutchinson. Nobody is. Nobody can be. And that’s one reason why I’m optimistic about the Lions going forward without Hutchinson; I don’t think they’ll ask any one player to directly replace No. 97. Nor should they…
Isaac Ukwu and Trevor Nowaske have shown some pass rushing ability in very limited exposures thus far. Alim McNeill burst out in Dallas with two sacks against perennial All-Pro Cowboys OG Zack Martin. Levi Onwuzurike can provide effective bulk and occasional QB pressure from the outside. Josh Paschal played his most effective game of the year in Dallas. Coordinator Aaron Glenn hasn’t been so reliant on the blitz to generate pressure thus far, but he’s shown in the past he can dial up very effective blitzes. Branch, Amik Robertson, Alex Anzalone and even safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (if he ever gets healthy enough to play) are all accomplished blitzers.
It’s not optimal, of course. Yet successful teams are forced to compensate for losing star players all the time. Take the 49ers, who continue to run the ball extremely well despite star RB Christian McCaffrey not playing a snap this year. The Steelers survived two months without T.J. Watt two years ago. A Texans team that prominently featured current Lions DT DJ Reader went on a playoff run after losing J.J. Watt to a gruesome injury midway through the 2019 season.
Losing Hutchinson stinks, no doubt about it. But it’s not the end of the Lions aspirations. Not even close. There is still considerable talent and ability on both sides of the ball for this year’s Detroit team to win postseason games–plural. It certainly won’t be as easy, but it can be done. Great teams find ways to overcome, and I agree with Tom Brady that this is a great Lions team.
Yes, even without Hutchinson. The road to the Super Bowl is still right in front of these Lions. I believe in Dan Campbell driving the team down that road. I believe in Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta and the best offensive line in football. I believe in Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, the top playmaking safety tandem in the league. I believe in the revamped cornerback room, penalties and all. I believe in McNeill and Reader to continue to make life miserably futile for opposing running backs, with a steadily improving Jack Campbell playing well behind them. I believe in the home field advantage of Ford Field. I believe in the culture Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes and the Lions have created.
It was never going to be easy. It’s not supposed to be easy. The Lions will remain a great team and I’m still here for it, even with losing such a dominant player like Hutchinson.