In the NFL, no games are sure-fire wins. Entering Sunday, the Detroit Lions had a clear edge over the Cleveland Browns in terms of talent and stats. A formidable defense can make any game competitive,
and there was the potential of Myles Garrett to be a game-wrecker.
So much for that.
The Lions handled business easily, dishing out a 34-10 stomping of the Browns. Though not playing to their usual standards, the Detroit offense delivered enough blows to keep this game out of reach. The defense made mince meat of the Browns’ offensive line, yielding little in terms of yardage or points—although some injuries loom large for the secondary.
Now 3-1 on the season, the Lions have wiped away many worries from their Week 1 loss. Who emerged as a winner against the Browns?
Winners
Aidan Hutchinson, DE
Hutchinson versus an immobile Joe Flacco and a backup offensive tackle? That is a recipe for success for Detroit.
The star defensive end looked the part on Sunday, wrecking havoc up front against a battered offensive line for the Browns. Officially, Hutchinson finished the day with two sacks, but his impact was felt on nearly every down. He was living in the backfield, registering multiple pressures and quarterback hits. He had two strip sacks, one of which was called back due to a penalty. Equally impressive, he managed to sniff out a screen play to force a Flacco throwaway.
The only true concern for Hutchison was a pair of minor injuries, twice getting up slowly after being chipped. Hutchinson has gotten battered this season as teams begin to commit two (or sometimes more) blockers to contain him.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
It almost feels moot calling St. Brown a winner given how stellar his weekly production is, but he deserves the hat tip for his game against Cleveland. On a day when the aerial attack was fairly limited, St. Brown led the way by a wide margin. He racked up seven catches on his seven targets for 70 yards and a pair of touchdowns. When the Lions needed a play, St. Brown was the man for the job. Calling him Goff’s safety net is a disservice to St. Brown’s ability to make space and do damage to opposing secondaries—give him an inch, he will take a mile.
Kalif Raymond, KR/PR
I criticized him last week, and I will praise him this week—such is the life of the NFL.
A week after a sub-par performance as punt returner against the Baltimore Ravens, Raymond answered the call in a big way. The Lions had forced Cleveland into a fourth-down punt, but a serious injury to a starting defender (more on that later) silenced the crowd despite the 10-point lead. Thanks to Raymond, that turned into a 17-point lead before long as the former All-Pro took a 65-yard punt to the house, a lead the Lions never relinquished. Raymond even chimed in on a kickoff return, netting himself 30 yards—though another return nearly turned bad after a miscommunication between him and Jacob Saylors.
This was a much-needed rebound for Raymond, whose speed remains elite. I am curious if he can get more involved on offense as well (two catches for 13 yards).
Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell, OT
Few players instill as much fear as Myles Garrett, yet the Lions did an outstanding job of limiting his damage. The Browns (specifically Garrett) had a fair number of pressures, but it never amounted to a splash play for Cleveland. Goff was never sacked, nobody on the Lions fumbled, and Goff’s lone interception was a result of a misread, not Garrett’s pass rush.
Sewell’s prowess is already well-illustrated, but how about the job done by Decker after missing yet another week of practice? Decker has now gone three games in a row without allowing a sack, showcasing that the veteran still has plenty left in the tank.
Jack Campbell, LB
Campbell has quietly been putting together an impressive 2025 campaign. Already one of the highest-rated Lions defenders, Campbell had arguably his best game of the season against Cleveland. He was all over the field, tallying himself 11 tackles—seven of which were solo—plus a tackle for loss. His pursuit speed is unparalleled and he has demonstrated a lot of growth with his reading and reacting. He is turning into one of the league’s best linebackers.
Losers
Jameson Williams, WR
You could argue that the loser here is the Goff-Williams connection and not Williams himself. Regardless, it was a rough outing for a player that was primed for a breakout in 2025. Williams had a 13-yard catch on the very first play of the game, but found no success after that.
The deep shots were out of sync all game long. Williams dropped a basket catch attempt along the sideline, resulting in a punt. Due to some pressure from the Browns defensive front, Goff just missed Williams on another play that would have been a sure-fire touchdown. Late in the second quarter, Goff and Williams again missed out on a long pass that would have set Detroit up deep in Browns territory. In the third quarter, Goff and Williams again had a miscommunication, this time resulting in an interception. On a crucial third down in the fourth quarter, Williams dropped a first down—the Lions wound up failing the convert on the subsequent fourth down attempt. On the day, Williams was targeted eight times, yet it only amounted to two catches for 40 yards.
I won’t pin the entirety of the blame on Williams since it takes two to complete a pass, but given how in sync Goff is with the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, there is clearly a chemistry issue with Williams. Williams’ impact extends beyond catching the ball, as he is a great run blocker and the mere threat of his speed opens up the intermediate field. However, we need to see more from him in the receiving game. If it weren’t for Williams’ 64-yard touchdown against the Chicago Bears, he would only have nine catches for 150 yards in four games—that is not good enough for a player just signed to a $83-million deal.
Brian Branch, S
From a per-play perspective, Branch is phenomenal and not deserving of a spot in the “Losers” section. However, Branch has had a glaring weakness through four games: penalties. On the year, Branch has been flagged six times, including twice against the Browns on Sunday. This is among the most in the NFL for defensive backs, up there with Marshon Lattimore and Tariq Woolen.
To boot, one of Branch’s fouls took a strip-sack from Aidan Hutchinson off the board—coupled with a penalty on a Terrion Arnold interception Week 2, that is two turnovers erased due to Branch. Branch is known for his physical play style, but it is a double-edged sword when flags are coming at inopportune moments. Hopefully he can find a balance between physicality and clean play.
David Montgomery, RB
After steamrolling the Ravens last week, it was a quiet outing for Montgomery. He totaled just 12 yards on nine carries as Jahmyr Gibbs instead took over the bulk of the rushing workload (15 carries, 91 yards, one touchdown). The Lions continued to prioritize Gibbs early on, and despite leading most of the entire game, they were rarely trying to grind out the clock. Coupled with a tough Browns interior, Montgomery was simply getting stonewalled. Even though Gibbs had a successful stat line, a bulk of his yardage came along the perimeter.
Cornerback room
The injury plague has returned. The Lions lost both starting cornerbacks on Sunday, casting doubt into the status of the secondary going forward. Terrion Arnold left the game with a shoulder injury after a short trip to the medical tent. D.J. Reed suffered a non-contact leg injury soon after, needing a cart to leave the field. That left the Lions shorthanded in the secondary for the rest of the game—and if both injuries are significant enough, potentially multiple weeks.
Amik Robertson slotted into the lineup, with Khalil Dorsey and Rock-Ya Sin rotating across from him. Robertson has been reliable with a track record of starting, but Dorsey has primarily been a special teamer—he has just three starts to his name, coupled with missing most of training camp. The only other cornerback on the roster is Avonte Maddox, who has predominantly played at safety in 2025. Elsewhere, the Lions have Erick Hallett on the practice squad.
The depth has been absolutely decimated. If one of Arnold or Reed are out long-term, the secondary is on the precipice. If both happen to miss multiple weeks, the Lions will require some serious shuffling to stay afloat in the secondary.
