Week 1 of the NFL season has come and gone, and it is safe to say we have a long season ahead with some upsets and nailbiters already in the books. One of those nailbiters included the Lions' victory over the Rams in their Week 1 matchup, which saw both teams deliver stellar performances on offense. Thankfully for the Lions, they were able to put up the better fight and come out of Week 1 with a W. Let's dive into the key players whose stock rose after the Lions' victory on Sunday Night and those whose stock dropped.
Stock Up
Jameson Williams
TAR REC YDS TDs
9 5 121 1
David Montgomery
ATT YDS TDs
17 91 1
Jahmyr Gibbs
ATT YDS TDs
11 40 1
Alex Anzalone
TKL TFL
13 3.0
Aidan Hutchinson
TKL TFL Sacks
5 1.0 1.0
Kerby Joseph
TKL TFL INT
6 0 1
Easily the most impactful for the Lions win was Jameson Williams. Only by catching the football five times did he maximize his time on the field and produce over 100 yards of receiving, with one touchdown. "Jamo" had shown the NFL on Sunday night that he is a breakout star in the making and an added threat to the Lion's already stacked offense. I expect Williams to produce more games like this as the season progresses. The rushing attack of Montgomery and Gibbs also impacted the Lions' victory Sunday night. While Montgomery was given more touches and produced more yards because of it, Gibbs was still able to produce with the rushing attempts he was given, including one touchdown to go with it. Expect more of this as the season goes on, with Montgomery and Gibbs sharing most of the rushing attempts on the offense.
As for defense, Alex Anzalone was all over the field, producing the most tackles on defense and three tackles for loss. Anzalone was the standout on defense in Sunday's game and came through for the Lions when needed the most on defense. Kerby Joseph also played a factor in the game's outcome, with six tackles and one interception. The same goes for Aiden Hutchinson, who produced one tackle for a loss and even one sack. Hutchinson came out of the off-season with no rust, and I expect more games like this from him as the season moves forward.
Stock Down
Amon Ra St. Brown
TAR REC YDS TDs
6 3 13 0
Jared Goff
C/ATT YDS TDs INTs
18/28 200 1 1
Derrick Barnes
TKL TFL Sacks
4 0.0 0.0
Okay, hear me out on this one. Goff did produce 200 yards passing with a touchdown, but his passing rating percentage was 64%, and he had an interception, which isn't bad but not great. Again, it was the season's first game, and Goff had to shake the rust off, but it was not the greatest start for Goff. This absolutely will change during the course of the regular season. Amon Ra St. Brown did not have the greatest opening game either, only catching three passes for 13 yards. Again, it could be the rust shake-off, but not a great start for St. Brown, especially coming after a stellar season last year and a well-deserved contract extension. On defense, Derrick Barnes did not help much with the effort, only producing four total tackles. Again, all of this could be because of rust, but you want to start the 1st regular season game with a bang, especially if it is a Sunday Night Football game.
My Take
Through all the positives and negatives of this game, the Lions were the victors, especially against a high-powered Rams offense with the likes of Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Puka Nacua. I can absolutely see the Lions making some slight adjustments and shaking the rust off to improve their efficiency, but other than that, the Lions looked well ready for the 2024 season.
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