In the locker room: David Montgomery impresses Lions with his arm on trick-play TD

DETROIT – They don’t play scared.

Fourth down? The Detroit Lions will go for it more than anyone in the league. When do they line up for a punt? They’ll fake it more than anyone in the league. And when do they drive for the score? They may have the best menu of trick plays in the league.

They scored again in their 52-14 romp against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Ford Field, with David Montgomery throwing a touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta for a 7-yard touchdown. That’s four touchdowns in five games without trick plays.

Jared Goff, your thoughts?

“That was a dart,” said the league’s hottest quarterback. “That was an absolute dart, and his dancing was good afterwards too.”

Montgomery has been dancing a lot lately, opening the season by extending his streak to eight games with a rushing touchdown. There may not be a better way to run back to the goal line these days.

Ben Johnson knew that too. He is one of the most brilliant playcallers in the league and has attracted significant interest in head coaching vacancies over the past two seasons. He decided to return for another try in Detroit, and his talent for knowing how to exploit opposing defenses continues to boil.

He used Montgomery as a decoy twice in the second quarter against Tennessee, first using him for a play-action look from the 1-yard line. Amon-Ra St. Brown also sold his run block, then let loose in the end zone and had no one in his zip code as the defense sold out against Montgomery. Easy scoring.

Later in the frame, the Lions drove back to the Tennessee 7-yard line. This time, Johnson turned a throw for Montgomery that worked to his right, then the running back dropped a dime over safety Amani Hooker for the score for LaPorta.

“We’ve been cooking these for maybe a few years now,” Goff said. “And a good time for it.”

But still? The Lions didn’t actually get the defensive look they preferred, but decided to continue playing anyway. LaPorta ended up being well covered in the end zone. But Montgomery, a former high school quarterback during his days at Mount Healthy in Ohio, dropped the ball right into LaPorta’s hands in the back of the end zone.

“It was a nice throw,” St. Brown said. “I don’t think that was exactly the defense we wanted before that. We thought Sam would be more open than that. But he threw a dart. I don’t know if you guys know, but D-Mo used to play quarterback in high school. He can throw. But he turned on a dime.”

The Lions have one of the best offenses in the league, as they are among the league leaders both on the ground and in the air. That kind of balance is difficult to defend. But this season too, the tricks have become deadly. Jahmyr Gibbs scored on a hook-and-ladder in Arizona, then Goff caught a touchdown pass from St. Brown against Seattle the following week, before Sam LaPorta caught a 31-yard touchdown off a flea flicker in Dallas.

They also kept their foot on the gas in Dallas, throwing a pass to left tackle Taylor Decker in the end zone and then running a hook-and-ladder to right tackle Penei Sewell. This last action would also have scored if there had not been a penalty from Frank Ragnow.

There was some question as to whether the Lions should have drained the clip in a blowout win against the Cowboys.

“I don’t worry about putting things on tape,” Johnson said the following week. “If there’s anything different, it’ll only help set up the next thing down the road.” And yes, the well is deep when it comes to thoughts.”

No kidding, Ben.

More quotes from the locker rooms after the big win against Tennessee.

Lions HC Dan Campbell, on breaking all these franchise records: “Yeah, I mean, I think it’s really just about the one in front of us. I don’t feel like we’re going for the next record, we’re just playing ball. We try to play as clean as we can and we try to be as productive as we can. The players are urgently working on it, they are accountable for it and they want more. And they know when it’s good and when it’s not, so that’s a credit to them, and we still have room for improvement, which is great. “We’ve improved a lot, but those guys take the game plan, execute it and it’s on to the next one.”

Campbell, on Khalil Dorsey and Kalif Raymond’s attempts to return the ball: “Of course. I told the team, you know, Leaf (Raymond) obviously had a game ball in there, and I was really just telling the story of Brad (Holmes) coming into my office in 2021. the job, and he said, “Hey, look at this guy from Tennessee. He really is a returner, a gadget of sorts. Do you think there is room for him in the attack?’ And I watched about ten plays and I was like, ‘Yeah. Absolutely, there is, you know. Take this guy in a heartbeat,” and getting Leaf here has been a blessing ever since. What a professional he is. Guys love him – coaches, players. Man, you talk about reliable, and he’s consistent, and the way he prepares, the way he works, and he does everything for us, man. He can play all positions on offense, he is a dynamic returner.

“That was good to see. It’s been a while since we got some big ones. He’s just, man, he’s the best. So that was great, the team was on fire for him, and I thought those guys blocked their backline, and the rest was up to him, you know. He just turned it on and found it.

Titans HC Brian Callahan, on special teams struggles: “Yes, I won’t go into that. Obviously we didn’t play well enough on special teams, but that’s a bit too much for after a game. But look, I think (Titans Special Teams Coordinator) Colt (Anderson) is “a good football coach, we didn’t play well enough, we didn’t coach well enough, so there’s really nothing else to say about that.”

Callahan, on the approach of Lions DC Aaron Glenn: “I mean, we moved the ball pretty well, we just turned it over, you know. We turn over a ball during an interception in plus area and fumble twice more in plus area. I wouldn’t say anything they did was beyond expectations. They’re doing well, it’s a good defense. (Lions Defensive Coordinator) Aaron (Glenn) is a good coach, but I thought we were hitting the points, moving the ball well enough, and then it got out of hand again, and we didn’t get on third down. So pretty much the same list of problems.

Callahan on his team’s struggles in the red zone: “Yes, very frustrating. It’s, again, I thought we did some good things early in the game, we came out strong, we started fast, just as we hoped, and in the end we didn’t have much to show for it. Yes, that is really frustrating.”

Titans QB Mason Rudolph, on all yards gained, but lack of points scored: “Yes, unfortunately it’s the same story, where we just give them some easy things. Again, we put our defense on a short field a few times there in the first quarter, first half. I have to protect the ball better, put our defense in a better situation. But I think we did some good things in the first half. We moved the ball, kept possession of the ball, but none of that matters when you’re getting your ass kicked, so it’s all good.”

Lions QB Jared Goff, on whether he’s ever been part of a game where six different players scored like this: “No, I don’t think so. Yeah, no, that’s a different statistic. I don’t think so.”

Lions WR Kalif Raymond, on the big day: “It was just… it was a really cool game. The last two we played, I told some guys, Minnesota is one of the five (most fun) games of all time, and then to follow that up – just to play a team game like that is so much fun. Special teams, defensive insights, offensive plays – it’s just a lot of fun to be part of such a football team. So really cool.”

Lions CB Amik Robertson, on wanting to combine more interceptions with his punchouts: ‘But it’s all good. It just keeps the group competitive, man. It keeps us on our toes and on our toes. This game is all about the ball. This game is all about the ball… We know what kind of offense we have. If we make it easier for them, the game will run smoothly. Of course we started slowly. But it’s not about how you start, it’s always about how you finish.”

Robertson, on the foul: ‘I have never been involved in an offense like this. We as a defense just try to match the energy and we try to go out there and give them a spark. They already give us a spark, so we try to go out there and give them the same spark that they give us.

Lions S Kerby Joseph, on defense continues to take action: “Honestly, I feel like it’s part of watching film and reading your keys. But I feel like the coaching, they’re just doing a great job… They’re putting us all in position to make plays. As a defense, especially as DBs, we depend on each other. We all work together. I never lose my self-confidence. I’ll always keep my faith, every time, you know? I want a punch, man. Interceptions are cool. But I’m trying to get one of these hits, some fumbles. I really try to focus on finding different ways to get to the ball. I know I’m going to get an interception. But it’s time for fumbles.”

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