In 2023, the Detroit Lions had a season that will go down in history.
Detroit won two playoff games for the first time and finished with 12 wins on the way to winning its first division title since 1993. After a disastrous second-half collapse, the Lions narrowly lost in their second-ever NFC Championship game.
Ben Johnson, a second-year coordinator, led the offense to set new records for total yards and touchdowns. The group produced two first-team All-Pro selections and several Pro Bowl selections.
These grades are based on the 2023 season’s performance for each position group.
Quarterbacks: A-Jared Goff gave the Lions exactly what they needed during the 2023 season. The seasoned quarterback led the franchise to its first-ever NFC North championship and ended among the best in the league in passing yards and touchdowns.
His intangible capacity to overcome adversity was what impressed me the most about Goff. Against Chicago in Week 11, he had one of his better games when, after throwing three interceptions earlier in the game, he led the team to two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Afterwards in the season, he went through a difficult phase in which he gave up eight goals in four games. He recovered with a five-touchdown performance in a crushing of Denver in Week 15, even if the Lions lost two of those games.
The Lions’ victory over Denver set off a run of three straight victories over their final four games. The only defeat came in the contentious match against Dallas.
In the Wild Card round, Goff also defeated his old team, the Rams, 24–23, in a thrilling match. With 287 passing yards and two touchdowns, he led the team to victory over Tampa Bay in the Divisional round. Before a crucial second-half meltdown, he had the Lions on the verge of the Super Bowl.
Though he fell two touchdowns short of his career high in passing touchdowns, he recorded his greatest passing yardage total since 2019. The quarterback, who has shown to be a fantastic match for the Lions’ offensive system, had a strong campaign.
