Week 8 MNF Recap

Written by: William Petersen •

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Monday Night Football came to the Motor City for the first time since 2018 for a battle between the Las Vegas Raiders and the NFC North leading Detroit Lions. Dan Campbell’s squad came into this primetime matchup aiming to bounce back from their 38-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in week 7. The Lions stuck to a gameplan centered around running the football and getting rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs in open space. Gibbs had 26 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown to drive the Lions offense to a 26-14 win to push the Lions to 6-2 on the season. Detroit now goes into their bye week with momentum and a firm grip on a division that they have not won since 1993. Las Vegas struggled to move the chains as they are now the only team in the NFL to score 21 points or less in every game this season. Jimmy Garappalo returned as the Raiders starter, 10/21 for 126 yards and an interception, rounding out a frustrating night with only 186 total yards on offense. Garappalo was under pressure all night getting sacked six times and having no ability to move the ball down field. The Raiders now move to 3-5 and are tied with the Denver Broncos for third place in the AFC West.

Davante Adams was visibly upset on the sideline as well as in his postgame interview after the Raiders continued to be one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Adams, who only hauled in one catch for 11 yards on 7 targets, has a right to be frustrated after Josh McDaniels continues to show no progression in his offensive scheme. Each week the Raiders seem to try to change their identity with unstable quarterback play and a lack of ability to utilize the 2022 rushing leader in Josh Jacobs. The Raiders can be proud of how resilient their defense was tonight, the only reason why the Raiders were in the game for the majority of the second half. Marcus Peters made a miraculous play jumping a route which would result in a pick-six. The Raiders will continue going back to the drawing board as they welcome the struggling 2-6 New York Giants to town to hopefully find a way to score more than 21 points. Do not be shocked to see the Raiders as a top six draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft as their offensive blunders should continue.

The Detroit Lions were able to complete their “get right” game with two solid performances from their two rookies on offense. Gibbs had a breakout game while TE Sam LaPorta hauled in 8 catches for 57 yards and a touchdown. Jared Goff had a steady game going 26/37 for 272 yards, TD, and one interception. Goff continues to be the serviceable quarterback that the Lions need to grind out games. The Lions defense also took pressure off this offensive unit making big play after big play, bringing continuous pressure to Garappalo. Alex Anzalone had a standout game with 7 total tackles, 5 solo tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 tackles for loss. His effort rounded out a complete team win for the Detroit Lions, now taking a stranglehold on the NFC North and moving to 3-1 at home. The Lions now move into their bye week where stars like Amon-Ra St.Brown, 6 receptions for 108 yards while sick, can recover and the Lions can prepare for a second half run to hopefully secure a top two seed in the NFC.

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