“Who is your Lion?” Detroit Lions fans reveal their favorite player
If your favorite Detroit Lions player is quarterback Jared Goff, you’re in good company. Lions fans have revealed “who their Lion is” ahead of the opening game on September 8, 2024.
On the most important play of Sunday night, the right side of the Detroit Lions’ offensive line ripped open a gaping hole that allowed David Montgomery to advance into the end zone.
The Lions reestablished their team identity when it mattered most, in overtime of the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams. After tying the game with a field goal in the final minutes of regulation, the Lions won the coin toss and began to harass the Rams on the ground on their only possession of the game in overtime. The Lions ran on seven of eight plays and covered 60 yards on the game-winning drive.
“It was a little bit of everything,” right guard Kevin Zeitler said. “We got the blocks done. David read them incredibly well and was able to get through and break tackles as well. It was really like some things were just going full throttle.”
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The Lions started the drive with a 12-yard reverse to Kalif Raymond before Montgomery took over. He finished the drive with five carries for 45 yards in overtime, first running behind Zeitler and Penei Sewell to the second level and breaking tackles for a 21-yard gain. Then he ran through an arm tackle on the left side for a 9-yard gain to the Rams’ 28-yard line. Jahmyr Gibbs gave him a breather, moving the ball to the 15 in two plays before Montgomery took over again.
“We’re tough to break down, so we did what we had to do,” said head coach Dan Campbell. “And our defense held up. Before that, (Lions punter Jack) Fox made a hell of a punt and (the) defense held, the offense got it back and got it to overtime. We won the coin toss and we’re not looking back.”
Montgomery managed a handoff from the shotgun line to the 9-yard line and dragged defenders on the next handoff to the 1-yard line. That set the stage for a dominant performance by the Lions’ blockers: Frank Ragnow plowed Kobie Turner up the middle with help from Zeitler on a double team, while Sewell drove rookie defensive end Braden Fiske yards back into the end zone and tight end Sam LaPorta took the lead. Montgomery calmly navigated the clear path to victory.
“Everyone in the group was like, ‘Let’s win this thing,'” Ragnow said. “We have no doubts. Let’s finish it. And then David was obsessed.”
Campbell attributed Montgomery’s conditioning to the strength he developed as the game progressed. He said Montgomery came into training camp in “outstanding shape” and was a natural bat-runner.
“He’s reliable,” Campbell said. “He runs hard, he’s tough, he’s physical, he’s getting into a rhythm and I think he’s a catalyst for us. He’s starting to wear it and he’s getting better and better and I think the line feeds off him and he feeds off them and we get what we get. This guy is a stud, he’s a stud.”
And Montgomery sounded ready for another series of devastating runs after the game.
“I honestly felt really fresh,” Montgomery said. “We have a good thing going here, we’re going back and forth and saving each other’s energy because we’re both going to need each other to be able to run all year long.”
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The Lions averaged 4.5 yards on their 23 carries in regulation, but they came in bursts. Montgomery set the tone early with seven runs for 33 yards in the first quarter, most of them on a single drive. But for the rest of regulation, the Rams were able to keep the Lions’ rushing in check.
“We knew there were going to be a lot of unknowns,” Ragnow said. “A lot of players that weren’t on tape, that didn’t play in the preseason, a new coordinator. So we knew they were going to throw some opposition at us. It took us a while to adjust and figure it out, and I think in the end we found our rhythm.”
Once the Lions regained their offensive rhythm, they were unstoppable. Montgomery plowed through defenders and eventually found his way into the end zone, denying the Rams a chance to make a stop in overtime.
“Nothing against them, but I was in the mood,” Montgomery said. “I was already in a situation at that point where I had to prove myself, and I felt like this was the best opportunity to do that – for me to show what I can do, but at the same time how much grit this offense and this team has.”
“So, to be able to go out there and finish it — like I said, my O-line, come on, the best O-line in the league. You’ve got the guys outside of me blocking the way they block. You’ve got JG (Jared Goff) making everything possible. So, like I said, I’m just excited we won.”
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Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press, covering the city’s professional teams, the state’s two top universities and more. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22 and email him at [email protected].
