The 2024 NFL season has started, marking the official return of our Team of the Week series for the third consecutive year.
Before I introduce the top team from Week 1, I would like to preface that Week 1 can be misleading. Just because a team or player is performing well now does not guarantee that they will maintain that level of performance throughout the season.
Now, introducing our Team of the Week from Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season: the Detroit Lions.
This is the Lions’ second consecutive appearance as the top team from Week 1; they also earned that honor in 2023.
Run Through Their Throats: Overtime Edition
The Detroit Lions’ game against the Los Angeles Rams was the only Week 1 contest that went into overtime. The Lions secured their first win of the season in this Sunday Night Football matchup thanks to running back David Montgomery, who scored the winning touchdown at Ford Field.
In this game, Montgomery had 17 carries for 91 yards and the score. He had the most rushing yards among all running backs in the contest.
The Detroit Lions Are Back
Throughout the offseason, there were questions about whether the Detroit Lions would be able to perform at the same level as the previous season. In a week where many prominent teams underperformed, the Lions demonstrated that they are still one of the best teams in the NFC and could potentially dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs in February.
Lingering questions about Jared Goff were put to rest as he completed 18 of 28 passes for 217 yards and threw a touchdown to Jameson Williams. Williams finished with five receptions for 121 yards and was Detroit’s leading receiver in this matchup. The Detroit Lions won because they stuck to their game plan without overcomplicating things.
Quality of Opponent
When choosing the Team of the Week, one thing I take into account is the quality of the opponents. The Los Angeles Rams are expected to make a playoff run this season. They went toe-to-toe against the Lions, who made it to the NFC Championship last season.
Matthew Stafford had a great day, going 34-for-39 with 317 yards and one touchdown, outperforming Goff.
However, Montgomery had a better rushing day than the Rams’ running backs. (Kyren Williams rushed 18 times for 50 yards and one touchdown.)
Potential NFC Championship Preview?
Could the Rams-Lions game from this past Sunday night be a preview of the NFC Championship? It is certainly possible. During last year’s playoffs, these two teams met in the Wild Card Round with the Lions winning, 24-23.
If they were to meet in this season’s NFC Championship, the storylines would be incredible. The main storyline would be Stafford and Goff once again playing against their former teams. This is an NFC Championship game that NFL fans could get behind.
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