DETROIT, Mich. – Senior writer John Oehser examines five key plays from the Jaguars’ 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions in a 2024 Week 11 game at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., Sunday
1. Never in doubt. The Lions' victory Sunday was about them being a big, tough, physical team that looks very much like a Super Bowl contender far more than it was about a ton of big plays. But after dominating the first half at the lines of scrimmage, the Lions turned in a highlight play to increase an already insurmountable lead early in the second half. The Lions took the second-half kickoff and drove 80 yards in four plays. Wide receiver Jameson Williams capped the drive by turning an intermediate crossing pattern into a 64-yard, catch-and-run touchdown to give the Lions a 35-3 lead with 12:55 remaining in the third quarter. The Lions at that point had five touchdowns on five possessions and held a 386-104 yardage advantage. The Lions scored their sixth touchdown in as many possessions when Lxions quarterback Jared Goff capped the ensuing drive with a five-yard pass to wide receiver Brock Wright for a 42-6 lead with 4:16 remaining in the third quarter. The yardage advantage at that point: 479-105. First-down advantage: 28-5.
2. He's very fast – and so is that guy. The Lions dominated early Sunday because they're big and strong. They showed late in the second quarter that they're very fast, too – with two explosive plays from two of their fastest players giving them a four-score lead just before halftime. First, running back Jahmyr Gibbs turned a swing pass from Goff into a 54-yard catch-and-run pass for a first down at the Jaguars 30-yard line. Goff three plays later capped the drive with a 27-yard pass to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who beat cornerback Tyson Campbell and score easily for a 28-3 Lions lead with 2:46 remaining in the second quarter. The Lions had a 306-43 yardage advantage with 19 first downs to three for the Jaguars at that point.
3. Methodical, impressive, easy. While the Jaguars took the early lead Sunday, it was the Lions who set the tone and turned in impressive drives early. On the series after the Jaguars took a 3-0 lead on the game's first possession, the Lions moved methodically and impressively – keyed by one of the NFL's strongest offensive lines. Key play on the drive: A 22-yard pass from Goff to third-team tight end Shane Zylstra on the first play of the series to give the Lions a first down. The Lions drove 70 yards on nine plays, with running back David Montgomery's two-yard run through the left side of the line giving the Lions a 7-3 lead with 4:59 remaining in the first quarter. The Lions followed that drive by driving 93 yards on 13 plays for a one-yard touchdown run by Jahmyr Gibbs for a 14-3 lead with 12:26 remaining in the second quarter.
4. Staying methodical, staying impressive, staying easy. After taking an early 11-point lead after two possessions for each team, the Lions held the Jaguars without a first down and quickly ended and uncertainty over the outcome with a drive that mirrored the first two. The Lions on this possession drove 64 yards on eight plays, with the Lions' offensive line pushing Montgomery the final yard or so of a six-yard touchdown run that gave the Lions a 21-3 lead with 6:39 remaining in the second quarter. Three drives, 17 first downs, three short touchdown runs. Performances get no more dominating than that in the NFL.
5. Record setter. The Jaguars turned in a solid first drive that ended in record-setting – record-tying, actually – fashion. They moved with the opening kickoff from their 31-yard line to the Lions 40, managing two first downs with the drive stalling when a five-yard scramble by Jones set up fourth-and-3 at the 40. Rookie Cam Little converted the ensuing 59-yard field goal, tying Josh Scobee (2010) and Josh Lambo (2019) for the longest field goal in franchise history.
