Sometimes the box score tells the wrong story, and Sunday was one of those days. The Detroit Lions’ offense was electric, efficient and relentless against the Rams — the kind of performance that usually ends in celebration, not frustration.
If there was any lingering doubt about the direction of the Detroit Lions’ offense, Sunday’s shootout loss to the Los Angeles Rams should have erased it. The final score will show heartbreak, but the film, and the numbers tell a different story. Detroit’s offense did more than enough to win, continuing a trend that has defined the Lions since Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties.
Since Campbell assumed control of the offense, Detroit ranks first in total yards and yards per play, third in points scored and fourth in touchdowns. Just as telling, the Lions rank 24th in punts and dead last — 32nd — in turnovers. This is an offense built to stay on the gas, and against the Rams it did exactly that.
Jared Goff delivered one of his most complete performances of the season, carving up the Los Angeles secondary for 338 passing yards and three touchdowns. Goff finished with a passer rating of 111.8 and consistently answered every Rams score with precision and calm. Against his former team, the quarterback looked fully in command, spreading the ball and attacking all levels of the field.
At the center of it all was Amon-Ra St. Brown, who put together a dominant performance that felt inevitable. St. Brown hauled in 13 receptions, his most in a game this season for a season-high 164 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first Detroit player to record 125 or more receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in either half of a game since Calvin Johnson did it in 2014. Even more remarkably, St. Brown continues to make NFL history, becoming the first player ever to record 90 or more receptions in each of his first five seasons.
When the Rams focused their coverage on St. Brown, Jameson Williams made them pay. Williams’ speed stretched the field repeatedly, changing coverage schemes and opening space underneath. He now has six touchdown receptions of 20 or more yards this season, tied for the sixth-most in single-season franchise history. For his career, Williams has 15 touchdowns of 20-plus yards, tying him with Marvin Jones for ninth-most in team history.
Williams also joined elite company on Sunday, becoming just the third Lions player, alongside Calvin Johnson in 2008 and 2011 to record at least 65 receiving yards and a touchdown in four consecutive road games. His development has transformed Detroit’s offense from efficient to explosive, and against the Rams, that explosiveness was on full display.
What stood out most was the balance and confidence of the offense. Detroit didn’t rely on gimmicks or short fields. The Lions moved the ball consistently, finishing drives and refusing to settle. This is an offense that expects to score, not hope to.
The frustrating reality is that performances like this deserve better outcomes. Scoring at this level, with this efficiency, should win most Sundays in the NFL. Instead, the Lions were forced into a shootout they could not outlast.
Still, the message is clear: the Lions’ offense is championship-caliber. With Goff in rhythm, St. Brown playing at an All-Pro level and Williams providing game-breaking speed, Detroit has one of the most dangerous units in football.
Detroit will now return home to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in its final home game of the season, knowing the margin for error is gone. If the Lions are going to win out and keep their postseason hopes alive, the offense will once again be asked to lead the way, and based on Sunday, it’s more than capable of doing so.