Detroit Lions couldn't be happier to hit the bye week after 6-2 start
Coach Dan Campbell couldn't have picked a better week for his Detroit Lions to get a bye.
Coming off Monday's 26-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, the 6-2 Lions have a full week to rest before getting ready to play the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 12.
"This is perfect timing — this is exactly what you want from a bye week," Campbell said Monday. "We've been at it for eight weeks — 13 if you count training camp — so it couldn't have come at a better time. We'll have some reinforcements back by the time we play the Chargers, but everyone is going to get some energy back."
The Lions beat the Raiders without No. 1 running back David Montgomery and two starters on the offensive line, center Frank Ragnow and guard Jonah Jackson.
Another addition to the lineup will be wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who was acquired from the Cleveland Browns for a 2025 draft pick. A Detroit native who attended Michigan, Peoples-Jones has caught 117 passes for 1,837 yards and eight touchdowns in four seasons, and will add some depth to the group of wide receivers.
The Lions, though, weren't able to add a pass rusher, something they openly coveted.
"We have a plan in place and we were looking for the right player at the right time and right price," Campbell said. "That's not easy, but that's how we looked at it."
WHAT'S WORKING
Detroit's defense held the Raiders to 157 total net yards, including a season-best 77 net passing yards. The Lions sacked Jimmy Garoppolo six times and held running back Josh Jacobs in check, making it difficult for Las Vegas to sustain drives.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
The Lions turned the ball over three times, including a fumble on the Raiders 4, and had to settle for five field-goal attempts on what appeared to be solid drives. Those are the biggest reasons they were only able to turn 486 yards into two touchdowns.
STOCK UP
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs had gotten off to a slow start, but showed some signs with 68 yards rushing, 58 yards receiving and a touchdown in Detroit's 38-6 blowout loss to the Ravens last week.
It wasn't a fluke — Gibbs rushed for 152 yards against the Raiders and added five catches for 37 yards more. He and Montgomery should give Detroit a versatile rushing attack after the bye.
STOCK DOWN
QB Jared Goff didn't throw an interception in the second half of last season, and it was always going to be tough to match that pace.
However, he's throwing at his highest interception percentage since joining the Lions, and two of his five picks have been returned for touchdowns.
The Lions have enough talent to overcome mistakes, but they still don't have much margin of error.
INJURIES
The Lions didn't sustain many significant injuries against the Raiders, but one might be costly. Long snapper Scott Daly will require knee surgery, forcing the Lions to find a new player at a tough position to fill in midseason.
KEY NUMBER
22. This is the 22nd season at Ford Field, and the only quarterback with a postseason win in the stadium is Ben Roethlisberger in Super Bowl 40. The Lions have a two-game lead in the NFC North and the Vikings just lost their starting quarterback, so a home playoff game is definitely within reach.
NEXT STEPS
While the coaches are going to be watching a lot of game film from the first eight weeks, the players will time to recover before facing the Chargers.
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