Campbell singles out Gibbs, Goff and Clark after Lions’ 31-24 win over Jets
Head coach Dan Campbell said Monday he wanted to single out several players after reviewing tape from Detroit’s 31-24 win over the New York Jets at Ford Field on Sunday. The victory improved the Lions’ record to 2-1, and Campbell identified contributors on offense, defense and special teams who played pivotal roles. He made the comments during his Monday press conference, according to reporting by Tim Twentyman. Campbell cited specific performances that stood out when he evaluated the game film.
On offense, Campbell highlighted running back Jahmyr Gibbs, quarterback Jared Goff and the offensive line. Gibbs finished with 164 total yards and 3 TDs, and Goff completed 78% of his passes for 269 yards, 2 TDs and a passer rating of 122.5. Campbell credited the offensive line with setting the tone early in both the run and pass games against a strong Jets defense.
Defensively, Campbell pointed to safety Chuck Clark, who recorded the game-winning sack and forced fumble, and rookie linebacker Trevor Nowaske. Nowaske played 33 snaps on defense and 17 on special teams, totaling four tackles and two special teams tackles, and Campbell praised his discipline and reliability. “Nowaske just does everything right,” Campbell said. Edge rusher DJ Wonnum also was singled out after producing two sacks and two tackles for loss, while safety Christian Izien finished with 11 tackles, including three tackles for loss.
Campbell also lauded the Lions’ special-teams play, noting kickoff returner Jacob Saylors and two rookies. Saylors produced returns of 44 and 37 yards during the game, and Campbell mentioned rookies Jimmy Rolder and Eric O’Neill for their contributions. Campbell said those units provided important support during key moments.
Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. drew positive notice for his first appearance of the season. Rakestraw mixed into the game for 23 snaps playing outside cornerback and had a tackle and a pass defended; Pro Football Focus statistics cited by the team show he was thrown at four times and allowed one reception for six yards. “Rakestraw I thought showed up,” he said. “He’s going to get some more opportunities here.”
Campbell said the biggest defensive difference was the secondary playing much better in phase, with fewer coverage breakdowns and communication errors than in Weeks 1 and 2. “Coverage was better,” Campbell said. “We were stickier, but we lost a lot of one-on-ones. That’s the next step.” He added that being in phase was a step in the right direction and that the team must now win more individual matchups.
When asked about the offense’s lack of big explosive plays, Campbell said he was not overly concerned. He counted 4 explosive plays in the game but noted Goff will take short throws to move the chains when opponents play a deep shell. Goff completed 78% of his passes for 269 yards and 2 TDs, and Campbell said Goff will not risk a bad decision forcing a big play. Campbell added he wants to see the running game create more explosive plays when opponents defend with two-deep shells.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Detroit’s 31-24 victory against the Jets underlined the team’s balance, with Jahmyr Gibbs producing 164 total yards and 3 TDs while Jared Goff provided efficient passing (269 yards, 2 TDs, passer rating of 122.5). The offensive line set the tone early, and defensive plays from Chuck Clark and pressure from DJ Wonnum helped close the game. Trevor Nowaske’s two-way snaps and two special teams tackles illustrated growing depth, and the secondary’s better phase play reduced coverage lapses. The next steps will be winning more one-on-ones and generating additional explosive plays against deeper coverage shells.
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