DETROIT – The Detroit Lions had a fully healthy offensive line and backfield for the first time in over a month against the Chargers, and it allowed them to unleash the full power of their rushing attack.
Last week’s bye turned out to be perfect timing for the first-place Lions, who lost two of their top offensive linemen and their No. 1 running back in the weeks leading up to the break. On Sunday, Frank Ragnow, Jonah Jackson, and David Montgomery all returned to the field, and they looked fully healthy.
Out of the seven players who make up Detroit’s starting offensive line and backfield, only Penei Sewell and Graham Glasgow have stayed on the field for all nine games -- and Glasgow didn’t begin the season as a starter.
Glasgow was forced into a starting spot when Halapoulivaati Vaitai suffered an injury in the second week against the Seattle Seahawks. Since then, he’s filled in along all three interior positions.
Here’s a look at the injuries the Lions have dealt with since the first game of the season:
- Seattle: Taylor Decker was out with injury, and Vaitai left the game early.
- Atlanta: Decker and Montgomery were out with injury.
- Green Bay: Vaitai was out with injury.
- Carolina: Jahmyr Gibbs was out with injury.
- Tampa Bay: Jackson and Gibbs were out with Injury, and Montgomery left the game early.
- Baltimore: Jackson and Montgomery were out with injury.
- Las Vegas: Jackson, Ragnow, and Montgomery were out with injury.
Technically, Vaitai was was inactive on Sunday, but he’s no longer a starter, and the Lions didn’t need to go beyond their starting five. So this is about as close to fully healthy as it gets 10 weeks into an NFL season.
The result was Detroit running wild all over the Chargers. Montgomery and Gibbs combined for 193 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Montgomery returned to the field for the first time in nearly a month and averaged 9.7 yards per carry. He looked perfectly healthy when he ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of a second-quarter drive.
Gibbs wasn’t to be forgotten, either. He actually led the team in touches, gaining 77 yards on 14 carries. He also caught three passes for 35 yards.
Both Gibbs and Montgomery deserve the ball because they each bring something different to the offense, but their roles were actually reversed on Sunday. It was Montgomery who ripped off a huge touchdown run, and Gibbs who pounded the ball into the end zone twice.
The Lions’ offensive line was dominant, and that paved the way for a 41-point explosion. The Lions needed every single one of those points to escape Los Angeles with a victory.
There will be more injuries down the line, and the Lions will have to adjust. But now we know what it looks like when the offense is at full strength. And it’s a force to be reckoned with.
