Follow us:

Non-QB MVP: RB Jamaal Williams

Williams embodies the spirit of what the Lions are trying to build with grit and has been available in every game for the Lions this season. He is off to the best start of his six-year career with eight touchdowns, third most in the league behind only Cleveland's Chubb and Tennessee's Henry. He still isn't satisfied, however. "I've always been training myself to handle these types of workloads and these types of seasons," Williams told ESPN. "I've always had the mindset for it."

After the Lions tasted victory again for the first time in seven weeks, Dan Campbell just wanted to go home and have a beer. Amen, brother. But before he could enjoy some well-earned lager, the coach needed to deliver an emotional locker room speech following his team's 15-9 win over the Packers and longtime tormentor Aaron Rodgers. "I told you Wednesday, men, I could smell something!" Campbell said. "You could smell something in the air, and you guys rallied. ... That's not easy. That's a good win." With that, Campbell flipped the game ball to Aaron Glenn, his embattled defensive coordinator. Let's see if it's the start of a rebound in the Motor City.

They showed some real improvement on defense, which got them a victory over Aaron Rodgers. That's progress and a good sign for this team.

Replacing Hockenson won't be easy, but Detroit's tight end committee of James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra both caught TDs in the Week 9 upset of Green Bay.

Trade recall: Darius Slay for third-round pick Julian Blackmon and fifth-round pick Quintez Cephus (trade with Eagles, March 2020)

The Lions ended up using the Blackmon pick to move up for Jonah Jackson, who has been a Pro Bowl-caliber player, so they might not regret the deal entirely. But Slay is one of the best cornerbacks in the league and would pair with Jeff Okudah to boost the Lions' 25th-ranked defense by DVOA. Plus, no one would have enjoyed celebrating the upset win over Aaron Rodgers more than Slay.

Beating Green Bay at home on Sunday won't save this season for the Lions, but the win does bode well for head coach Dan Campbell's future in Detroit. Campbell was adamant that a "change needed to be made" last week when he fired DBs coach Aubrey Pleasant, and his team produced immediate results. The Lions allowed 24 or more points in every game before Week 9, and on Sunday played their best defense of the season—intercepting Aaron Rodgers three times and holding the Packers to just nine points.

Lost amid a nice win was the fact that D'Andre Swift was active but barely played. He had two of the Lions' 31 rushing attempts. He played just 10 snaps. If he's still hurt, sit him. If he's healthy, play him. Doing it halfway is confusing.

Kneecaps are easier to bite when they're made of room-temperature gouda.