Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 31-30 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints.
An encouraging first look
Given the concentrated investments made this offseason, all eyes were understandably on Detroit’s rebuilt offensive line coming into the opener.
Predictably, there were hiccups with the group.
Quarterback Jared Goff got hit eight times — more than you’d ever like to see — including a critical sack in the red zone, when the Lions had a chance to put the game away. There were a few wonky snaps from backup center Juice Scruggs and the Saints made four additional stops in the backfield.
There were also a handful of penalties, including an unsightly hold by veteran guard Ben Bartch at the 1-yard line, directly preceding the aforementioned sack. Had the Saints converted their game-winning field goal try at the end of regulation, Bartch would have been a scapegoat.
Still, even with those blemishes, this was a highly encouraging debut for a unit that wasn’t at full strength and suffered another unexpected blow in the early stages of the contest when left guard Christian Mahogany went down.