Takeaways from Detroit Lions 33-28 victory against New Orleans Saints.
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00:00 John, the Lions beat the Saints in New Orleans on Sunday, 33 to 28.
00:04 What do you make of that victory for the Lions?
00:06 Yeah, Vito, critical win for the Detroit Lions.
00:10 When you see the Packers play as of late, they've been winning some ball games and playing really well offensively.
00:15 For the Lions, they got out to a 21-0 start before we were able to sit down and enjoy some popcorn.
00:20 It was a fast start for the Lions, but once the Saints got into the game, notably in the third quarter,
00:27 things got a little bit dicey for the Lions. Defensively, I thought that the Lions took another step backwards.
00:33 They really didn't play their best game in the secondary, and you recognize that the Saints really had momentum in the fourth quarter.
00:40 Bruce Ervin had a key sack of Derek Carr that ended up taking him out of the game.
00:46 The Saints then relied on and turned to Jameis Winston, a backup quarterback who really struggled against the Lions' defense.
00:53 Now, you look at it from a couple different angles, Vito. One, the offense was able to make key plays late.
00:58 When the Lions needed to go for the victory, and instead of punting the football and trusting the defense,
01:04 Dan Campbell called up a great play for Josh Reynolds, and the Lions extended a drive and went into victory formation.
01:11 But on the other token, you recognize the defense still is not getting enough pressure.
01:16 Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, and Derek Carr were able to execute a lot better in the second half,
01:22 and things got a little bit dicey. It was only a five-point victory, and many people thought early on,
01:26 based on the Lions getting a couple turnovers, that the game might have been easier than it actually was.
01:31 But in the end, Vito, a football team that's capable of winning tight, close contests, you have to give credit and respect to.
01:38 The Lions are making plays. Yes, there are things that need to be cleaned up.
01:43 Yes, the defense definitely has areas of weakness that need to be cleaned up.
01:47 But you look at it offensively, Jameson Williams has an electrifying touchdown.
01:52 Jared Goff played fearless and executed late.
01:55 You look at the quality performance, the exceptional performance of rookie tight end Sam Laporta.
02:01 There's a lot of good things the Lions can take away from this contest, most notably a victory late, a tough contest.
02:07 But many people also are wondering why the game was that close when the Lions were clearly, clearly better than the Saints.
02:15 John, thanks for all the time.