NFL: Checking out how the Lions have done after their bye week

With no game, it was a long, slow Sunday for Lions fans.

Detroit’s NFC North rivals Minnesota and Green Bay each won Sunday, but the Lions remain 1.5 games ahead of the Vikings for first place and remain big favorites to win the division at Michigan sportsbooks.

Multiple Lions are in the running for post-season honors. DraftKings has Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs third to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and Lions star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson fourth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. Dan Campbell remains the strong favorite at Caesars to win the Coach of the Year award.

Hopefully, the bye hasn’t stopped the Lions momentum. They’ve won five out of their last six games. They should be rested and ready for the second half of the season.

First of all, the NFL did the Lions a big favor giving them their bye at this point of the season – right at the halfway mark. In the last five years, the Lions bye was Week 6 or before four times.
After bye weeks in the last five years, the Lions are 2-2-1, I know, no trend there. Under Campbell the last two years, the Lions tied the Steelers at 16 in Week 10, and lost to Dallas last year.

Interestingly enough, the Lions have played on the road five straight times after their bye week. This year it will be six. However, in their last five games after byes, the Lions have covered the spread four times, and hit the under four times.

After his breakout performance in Week 8 against the hapless Raiders, it’s no surprise that Gibbs is among the favorites to be NFL Rookie of the Year, but really, the Lions have gotten a great lift from their entire 2023 Draft Class.

Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta has already set the franchise record for rookie tight ends with catches and has become a big threat in the offense, and defensive back Brian Branch has become a lockdown corner.

When your rookies are stepping into big positions and performing, that’s a great sign.

People keep saying the same thing about Lions quarterback Jared Goff – that he’s playing the best football of his career right now.

That may be a stretch, remember, Goff did take the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2019, but Goff seems perfectly at ease running Ben Johnson’s offense. Entering Week 9, Goff was fourth in the NFL in passing yards and the ninth-highest rated passer.

It’s such a quarterback-centric league now, you can’t help but focus on Goff, but the true heroes for the Lions have been an offensive line that has given him time to throw. Lion quarterbacks have been sacked 16 times this season, the second fewest of any team in the league. The chemistry and play of the Lions offensive line is the biggest reason the Lions are expected to reach the playoffs this season.