2022-23 Lions End of Season Review

     

    First and foremost, I want to give credit where credit is due, this team really gelled in the second half of the season and were the best team in the NFC in the second half, arguable the best team in all of football in that second half. With that out of the way, let's dig into the year and see how the Lions were able to pull off the first winning season for the franchise since 2017. 

2022 Offseason

    I personally feel the best place to start when taking a look at how this team came together is to look at the offseason and the draft the Lions and GM Brad Holmes were able to put together that made this team so special. First off let's look at some of the signings that Brad Holmes made that made an impact this year.

• Linebacker Alex Anzalone
• A lot of people were not happy with this resigning when it happened, a lot of people wanted the Lions to make a big splash at the Linebacker position in the offseason. Anzalone, who had a career best 49 solo tackles in the 2021 season, just didn't seem like he was the way to go. Anzalone would prove everyone wrong with a career high 77 solo tackles in 2022 and 125 total combined tackles and was a great linebacker. 
• Tight end Brock Wright
• Starting the 2022 season, nobody expected Brock Wright to be the go to tight end by the middle of the season because the Lions had pro bowl caliber tight end T.J. Hockenson on the roster. However, after a deadline move that sent Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings, Wright stepped up and became an amazing red zone option for a short pass to the end zone. Wright would finish with a total of 4 TD in just 10 games started, 2 coming in the week 17 matchup against the Chicago Bears. The future looks bright at the tight end spot for the Lions going forward.
• Wide Receiver D.J. Chark Jr.
• While Chark had a bit of an up-and-down year, dealing with an ankle injury early in the year, he really opened up the field and gave more options to Jared Goff, improving the offense substantially. He played in 11 games, amassing 30 receptions, 502 yards and 3 touchdowns, proving that when he is healthy, he can be dangerous. He had 3 games with 90+ yards, with his best game being the Week 16 loss to Carolina where he had 108 yards on the day. If Chark can stay healthy, he could be a dangerous deep-threat for the Lions, if they re-sign him this offseason.

    Now, lets take a look at the Lions 2022 Draft Class that made a big, immediate impact statement this year.

• Round 1, Pick 2: Defensive End Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
• Coming out of the draft, there was plenty of conversation about this young man being a potential bust for the city of Detroit. While the beginning of the season looked a little dim, by the end of the season, Hutchinson would become a fan favorite and potential 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year. Hutchinson would finish the season with 9.5 sacks, 3 interceptions and 52 combined total tackles. Hutchinson would make history as being the only rookie in the NFL to ever have at least 7 sacks and 3 interceptions in the same season. This young man will be a cornerstone of this gritty Lions defense for the foreseeable future.
• Round 1, Pick 12: Wide Receiver Jameson Williams, Alabama
• This pick was heavily scrutinized as the Lions would trade up to draft this talented young wide receiver. The reason it was scrutinized was because Williams was still healing from a torn ACL which he sustained during the nation championship game against Alabama. This injury would see him miss the first 11 games of the season, not making his debut until the December 4th matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Williams would finish the year with just 1 catch, for 41 yards and a touchdown. While Williams did not produce much for the Lions this season, look for him to be the Lions speedy deep threat for the next few years.
• Round 3, Pick 97: Safety Kerby Joseph, Illinois
• What else can I say about this young man, other than he owns Aaron Rodgers. Joseph did not immediately start for the Lions at the safety spot for the season, as veteran safety Tracey Walker was healthy. Once, Walker went down with a season-ending injury, it was next man up, and Joseph did not disappoint. The young man would finish the season with 83 tackles and 4 interceptions, three of those coming against the great Aaron Rodgers. If this young man can keep producing like this, the Lions secondary could be looking up for years to come.
• Round 6, Pick 188: Linebacker Malcom Rodriguez, Oklahoma State
• This young man epitomized what coach Dan Campbell preached all season, Grit. He became a quick fan favorite with his appearances on the HBO special Hard Knocks. He fought and earned his spot on the opening day roster and would not disappoint. While he finished the season with only 1 sack, he did finish the season with 83 total tackles and seemed like every time the ball was in his vicinity, the ball carrier was not going to get passed him. Ironically enough, the brightest moment of the season for Rodrigo was when he manhandled veteran All-pro center Jason Kelce and threw him out of his way like he was nothing. This kid is entertaining and will be interesting to watch next season.
• Round 6, Pick 217: Defensive End James Houston, Jackson State
• Houston, like some of the previous rookies, did not make the roster for opening day. This did not stop him from becoming a formidable force at the edge rushing position, and a great compliment to Hutchinson. Houston did not play in a game until week 12, were he recorded 2 sacks against Bills star quarterback Josh Allen. He didn't stop there as in the 7 games he played, he would record 8 sacks, 3 coming against the Chicago Bears in week 17. This gives the Lions plenty of options with their two first-round draft picks as they may not have to worry about finding another complimentary edge rusher for Hutchinson.

1-6 to 9-8

    The beginning of the season looked dismal with the Lions finishing 1-6 through their first 7 games. It looked like it was going to be another S.O.L year, but in week 9, something clicked and they were able to pick up a tough win against the Green Bay Packers at home, after that win, they never looked back, wining 8 of their last 10, with the two losses coming at the hands of Josh Allen and the powerhouse Bills and the Carolina Panthers, who ran all over the Lions defense. In my personal opinion, the biggest difference between the Lions losses and Lions wins, is being able to stop the oppositions run game. Comparing the averages between losses and wins, this was the difference.

• Losses: 16 carries, 112 yds, 1 TD, 7 yds/carry
• Wins: 11 carries, 60 yds, 0 TD, 5.4 yds/carry

    In wins, Lions were able to hold the opposition to just an average of 60 yards per game, in losses opposing offenses had they're way on the ground, averaging 112 yards, almost double the average in wins. Obviously, this is not the only reason for Lions success, as individual game play, time management and other factors play into wins and losses, but the difference is staggering. When the Lions defense can stop the run, they are as good a team as any. On the offensive side of the ball, things could not be looking any better. We finished the season with a quarterback who threw for 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, in Jared Goff. We had an emerging young running back who ran for 1,066 yards and a franchise-record 17 touchdowns in Jamaal Williams. Finally, we had a second-year wide receiver who had 106 receptions on 146 targets, 1,161 yards and 6 touchdowns in the talented Amon-Ra St. Brown. 

The Future

    The future of this Lions team is bright, with an emerging young core on both sides of the ball, and plenty of draft capital in the next draft to spare. This team is only going to go up from here, and should be in the playoff hunt again next year, if not in the playoffs. They should have been a playoff team this year, unfortunately bad early season play, made that sweet dream into a crushing nightmare. I am happy to see where this team goes next season and can't wait to keep reporting on them to you all.