The Detroit Lions got off to a sluggish start in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals.
They went three-and-out on their first series, then gave up a touchdown to the Cardinals on their first defensive series. However, when the second quarter rolled around, their fortunes changed dramatically.
Pushed forward by some aggression offensively, the Lions scored on seven consecutive drives including 31 unanswered points at one time and wound up with an emphatic 45-21 win to move to 3-2 on the season.
Here are grades for each position group following the Lions' dismantling of the Cardinals.
Quarterbacks: A-
Jared Goff was once again excellent for the majority of Sunday's game. He was sacked on his first two drop-backs, including on a safety blitz from Budda Baker that wasn't picked up, but was clean and efficient after that.
Goff made some tight window throws to Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams to convert fourth downs, with the throw to Williams going for a touchdown. His first touchdown pass came on a well-designed concept that left LaPorta running uncovered up the right sideline.
The veteran finished 19-of-30 for 271 yards and three touchdowns, and now has 12 passing touchdowns and zero interceptions through five games. He became the second quarterback to have thrown 12 touchdowns and no interceptions through that time frame.
Running backs: A
Jahmyr Gibbs helped spark the Lions' offense. After the initial fourth-down conversion to LaPorta, Gibbs rushed for 16 yards on the next play fueled by a push from several of his teammates. He'd punch it in two plays later, giving him the first of his two scores on the afternoon.
The Alabama product broke Barry Sanders' record for most touchdowns by any player under the age of 25, and will likely create some serious separation given that he doesn't turn 25 until next March.
Gibbs also had some valuable reps in pass-protection and had an overall thorough performance. He tallied 151 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, along with five catches for 56 yards as a receiver.
Wide receivers: A-
The Lions had some unique looks for their wide receivers in Sunday's game. There was a double reverse involving Amon-Ra St. Brown that turned into a screen, as well as multiple slot-screen looks for St. Brown.
Ultimately, the group was highly efficient throughout the game. Jameson Williams made his two catches count, as both went for touchdowns including a 39-yard scoring grab in the third quarter after he beat his defender deep.
St. Brown had 69 yards on six catches, while Isaac TeSlaa did not have a catch on two targets. In an unfortunate development, Tom Kennedy went down with a knee injury on a punt return and did not re-enter the game.
Tight ends: A
LaPorta was a huge spark for the offense in Sunday's game. After the team went three drives without a first-down, they finally broke through when LaPorta snagged a 12-yard reception on a fourth-down to move the chains and set up their first touchdown.
He'd reach the end zone on the next drive, as some clever play-designing from Drew Petzing left him all alone for a 38-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-1. LaPorta would finish with a game-high 88 receiving yards on five catches.
Offensive line: B
It was a tough start for Detroit's offensive line, as their first two pass plays ended in sacks. Budda Baker's blitz was well-timed and simply overpowered the outnumbered line, while center Juice Scruggs was to blame for the second sack as he was beat by former Lion Roy Lopez.
After that tough start, however, everything clicked for the group. They finished averaging over five yards per carry on the ground, and would allow just one more sack.
Rookie Blake Miller took some lumps, as he was whistled for two penalties, but delivered another reliable performance.
Defensive line: A-
The Lions notched five sacks on Sunday, giving them 20 as a team which is the most in franchise history through five games. D.J. Wonnum led the charge with two sacks, both of which came at key points in the first half.
Aidan Hutchinson teamed up with linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez on a sack that forced a fourth-quarter turnover on downs, while rookie Skyler Gill-Howard and Alim McNeill teamed up for one to force a long field goal that was ultimately missed.
Linebackers: B-
Detroit did some shuffling with their linebacking corps ahead of kickoff, with Devin White returning to the starting lineup. However, White suffered a forearm injury in the first half and is expected to miss significant time.
As a result, the Lions leaned on their depth. Jack Campbell had a team-high 11 tackles, and had good coverage on Trey McBride's touchdown where the tight end made an incredible juggling catch.
Elsewhere, Derrick Barnes had a sack and five tackles while Rodriguez was credited with a half-sack when he teamed up with Hutchinson.
Secondary: B+
Sunday was Detroit's best defensive game to date, and one of their top performers was cornerback Roger McCreary. The Cardinals went after McCreary early and often Sunday, and he finished the game with a team-high six passes defensed.
D.J. Reed had three tackles for loss amidst his seven solo tackles in Sunday's game. Rookie Keith Abney logged some snaps at the safety position, and recorded his first-career interception on the final play of the first half.
Special teams: A-
Detroit had some early miscues on special teams, as they were called for illegal formation on kick return and nearly had a punt blocked. However, they were outstanding in the return game with Tom Kennedy and Jacob Saylors notching some big returns.
Kennedy was replaced by Amon-Ra St. Brown as the punt returner when he exited, and St. Brown nearly had a disaster as he coughed up the ball on his first return. However, Tay Martin avoided the damage by recovering the fumble.
Jake Bates remained perfect on the year, connecting on a 46-yard field goal before the half and knocking through all of his extra points.
Coaching: A-
While the slow start took away the potential for a perfect showing for the coaching staff, it was their best schematic game through the first five weeks. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing had a number of well-designed plays go for big gains, and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard worked around a tough start to dial up a nice showing.
At one point, the defense had forced five-straight three-and-outs, which was a big development from weeks past. Sheppard seemed to be pulling the right strings throughout the game, which led to the success.
Now, the Lions get a week to recover and bounce back before two-straight divisional games that will be pivotal to Detroit's hopes of winning the division.
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