The 7-1 Detroit Lions arguably are the best team in the NFL. And though Dan Campbell has imbued his team with a physical, no-sense identity, the reality is the Lions are led by a high-flying offense built for the modern NFL. In fact, the unit is so good that Tom Brady believes it compares favorably to one of the top offenses he ever went up against.
Tom Brady Lauds Lions Offense, Makes Peyton Manning Comparison
During a recent appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Brady was asked to compare the 2024 Lions offense to a non-New England Patriots offense from his playing days.
“I would say the early Colts offense we faced [is the only comparison],” Brady told Cowherd. ” … They were so good, and I’m lucky I didn’t have to go against them [as a defensive player].
“[Bill] Belichick would say, ‘Guys, listen, understand this, they are going to move the ball on us. They’re too good. They got so many guys. They’re going to go up and down [the field]. We need to play good red-area defense, and we’re going to work on red-area defense on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday because that’s going to decide the game.'”
Brady then offered his take on how to slow Detroit’s offense.
“When you play the Lions, the only way to beat them is to play a style where the offense complements the defense, and then the kicking game does their job,” Brady said. “Sometimes, when you punt, you play great field position. Offensively, the best defense against the Lions offense, to me, is possess the football.
“You don’t want to make it a track meet against a team that can run it. They throw it to their tight end, they throw it to their receivers — when they get Jameson Williams back, they have the explosive receiver. They go for it on fourth down so often. You got to stop them for four downs, not just three, which is a really hard thing to do.”
.@TomBrady shares his comp for this year's Detroit Lions 👀
"I would say the early Colts offenses we faced." pic.twitter.com/vzGtPI4n0K
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 6, 2024
Belichick, Brady’s longtime head coach, recently offered similar praise for the Lions offense while speaking with quarterback Jared Goff.
“It’s impossible, I think, for a defense to stop your offense,” Belichick told Goff during a SiriusXM segment. “There are too many weapons, the offensive line is too good, blitzing isn’t the answer, not blitzing is not the answer.
“I think you’ve just gotta, playing you guys — to me, would be just, hang on and try to create as many long and long situations as possible. But that’s hard because you have so many explosive players, and you do such a good job of distributing the ball.”
What Metrics Say About Detroit’s Offense
Goff is off to a Pro Bowl-caliber start this season.
Through nine weeks, he ranks 14th in yards per game (230), first in completion percentage (74.9%), ninth in touchdowns (14), and second in passer rating (115), per TruMedia. He also has thrown just four interceptions and ranks fifth in EPA per dropback.
Goff currently owns this season’s fifth-highest Pro Football Network QB+ metric grade (B+). He also owns the highest single-game grade (94.8 in Week 4), a mark that ranks as the third highest in our database since 2019.
So, yeah, Goff has been pretty good. However, his supporting cast and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also deserve a ton of credit.
The Lions lead the league in scoring (33.4 points per game) while ranking seventh in yards per game and sixth in rushing yards per game. Detroit currently owns the fourth-best Pro Football Network Offense+ metric grade (B+).
The advanced metrics paint a similar picture.
Detroit ranks fourth in total offensive expected points added, fourth in yards per play (6.3), third in net yards per pass attempt, fourth in first downs per game, seventh in third-down percentage, seventh in red-zone efficiency, and sixth in explosive plays.
The offensive line has led the way. The group has allowed pressure on just 35.6% of dropbacks and is arguably the best run-blocking unit in the NFL.
No matter how you slice it, Detroit’s offense is among the NFL’s most consistent and dangerous.
When Is Jameson Williams Returning for Lions?
Wide receiver Jameson Williams missed the last two games while serving a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Separately, Williams is at the center of a Detroit Police Department investigation into an early October traffic stop, during which officers found a gun under his seat but not registered in his name.
Williams wasn’t arrested over the incident and hasn’t been punished by the NFL. As for the PED suspension, the 22-year-old wideout was reinstated this week and is expected to play Sunday night when the Lions visit the Houston Texans.
“We’re throwing him back in there,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said on Monday. “He’s going, you know? We’re (kicking motion). Let’s go. So, we’re going to kick him out there with the offense and get him going, man. I expect him to be ready to roll.”
Jameson Williams is reinstated and his suspension is over. Dan Campbell used a kicking motion to say how the Lions plan to get him going right away.
"We're gonna kick him out there with the offense and get him going. I expect him to be ready to roll," he said. pic.twitter.com/JeanSTLzMN
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) November 4, 2024
Last week, Campbell was asked about Williams’ troubling off-field track record.
“I judge people over what’s in their heart, and I know what this kid’s made of, and he’s worth hanging with,” Campbell told reporters. “So, he’s going to learn from this, he’s going to grow, he’ll be better for all of this.
“You just continue to coach him up on it, teach him, and let him know. It’s a different environment, and you have to understand that you’re looked at different, and you’re viewed different. Anybody else out there, if something happens, nobody even knows about it. It doesn’t — whereas they’re looking, and any little thing can turn into a huge thing here.”
Williams racked up 17 catches for 361 yards and three touchdowns in the first six weeks. With catches of 50, 52, and 70 yards, the 2022 first-round pick added an explosive downfield element to Detroit’s offense.