Detroit Lions Grades Against Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Detroit Lions were fueled by the performance of new faces on defense in a statement win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With four starters in the secondary missing, the Lions relied on unfamiliar faces in a nationally televised showdown against an opponent entering with just one loss. By the end of Monday, the world learned several new names and the Lions handed Tampa Bay their second loss of the season.

Here are grades for each position group based on performance in Monday's win.

Quarterback: B-

Detroit's offense sputtered at times, but once again Goff was largely consistent. His totals were helped by big gains by Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, including a touchdown pass to St. Brown on the game's first series.

However, he was also uncharacteristically turnover prone. Goff lost a fumble in the first quarter, then threw an interception late in the half that led to Tampa Bay getting a late field goal. He also overthrew Isaac TeSlaa on fourth down resulting in a turnover on downs.

While it wasn't his best game, Goff was still good enough to keep the offense on schedule throughout the evening. It wasn't a flashy showing, but he still logged 241 yards and threw just nine incompletions on 29 attempts.

Running backs: A-

Jahmyr Gibbs continues to be one of the most explosive players in the league, and popped another big run early in Monday's game. After a show-stopping juke turned a short reception into a big gain on the opening drive, Gibbs burst through an opening for a 78-yard score in the second quarter.

Gibbs finished with 218 all-purpose yards, including 136 on the ground and 82 as a receiver. He scored a pair of touchdowns, adding another to his tally in the second half on a short gain.

David Montgomery, meanwhile, struggled to get going on the ground. He totaled just 21 yards on 13 carries.

Wide receivers: B

After a quiet game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Amon-Ra St. Brown delivered a bounceback game against the Buccaneers. He caught six passes for 86 yards and a touchdown, which was a 27-yard grab on the team's first drive of the game.

Kalif Raymond added 17 yards on three catches, but it was otherwise a quiet day for Detroit's receiving corps. Jameson Williams had his only catch negated by an offensive pass interference penalty he committed, while TeSlaa was unable to catch up to his only target.

Tight ends: B

Brock Wright was a pivotal part of the team's attack, catching three passes for 28 yards throughout Monday's game. After a strong stretch as of late, Sam LaPorta cooled off with three catches for 15 yards. Both players were steady in the run-blocking aspect of the game.

Offensive line: C

Detroit's offensive line faced a tough task in Tampa Bay's stout defensive line, and Todd Bowles also got creative with some blitzes. Goff was sacked four times, including once by defensive back Tykee Smith on a well-timed blitz.

Taylor Decker's return gave the group a bit of a boost, but it was an overall inconsistent performance throughout Monday's game. Penei Sewell had an uncharacteristic missed block downfield that would've allowed Gibbs to reach the end zone on a short pass.

Defensive line: A

It was clear that the Buccaneers weren't about to let Aidan Hutchinson dominate, and as a result more opportunities were made available for the rest of the group. Notably, Alim McNeill had a tackle and a pass defensed in his season debut.

Detroit also got a strong performance from Tyrus Wheat, who has bounced between being a healthy scratch and active throughout the first six weeks of the year. Wheat recorded 1.5 sacks amidst a three-tackle performance, though he may have gotten away with tripping on a fourth-quarter sack.

Wheat teamed up with Al-Quadin Muhammad for a sack in the second half. Hutchinson was quiet by his standards, as his five-game sack streak was broken, but he recovered a fumble and recorded a pass defensed.

Linebackers: A

Detroit got a superb all-around performance from its linebacking corps, as Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone and Derrick Barnes were all exceptional. Campbell stuffed the stat sheet with eight total tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a pass defensed.

Barnes also recorded a sack to go along with five total tackles and a pass defensed, while Anzalone had four tackles.

The group also got contributions from Trevor Nowaske and Grant Stuard, who each had two tackles. Zach Cunningham returned from injury and had a tackle.

Secondary: A-

The biggest story of Monday's game will be the emergence of several unsung heroes in Detroit's secondary. Without D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, the Lions had four new starters in their secondary and each played a big role in the win.

Nick Whiteside had a huge game with three passes defensed, including one to force a turnover on downs with Tampa Bay driving in the Lions' red zone in the fourth quarter. Amik Robertson forced a fumble, while Erick Hallett had a team-high eight total tackles.

Rock Ya-Sin was also in on the action, recording two passes defensed. Arthur Maulet, who was signed to the active roster Monday prior to the game, notched his first interception with the team in the second quarter with an exceptional downhill break.

Special teams: B

Jack Fox was a big catalyst in Detroit's defensive effort, as he averaged 51.2 yards on his five punt attempts. One of those was a 66-yard boot. Jake Bates missed from 54 yards out, but rebounded with a bank shot from 58 yards out that tied his career-long.

Jacob Saylors averaged 27 yards on his two kick return attempts, while Kalif Raymond did not have any punt returns.

Coaching: A-

Monday's game didn't look like one the Lions would be able to dominate with defense coming in, as they were missing essentially their entire starting secondary. However, players such as Hallett, Maulet, Whiteside and Thomas Harper rose to the occasion, and Kelvin Sheppard generated an excellent gameplan.

Fueled by these contributions from unsung heroes, the Lions were able to dominate defensively. Wheat's emergence was a nice surprise, and it was clear that McNeill's return to the defensive line was a welcome addition that boosted the group.

Offensively, the Lions sputtered at times and looked out of sync. There were plenty of explosive plays, mainly from Gibbs and St. Brown, but the group lacked its usual consistency and flow.

The impending bye week will do only good things for the Lions, as they could start to welcome back some of the defensive contributors that they've been without starting with a Week 9 showdown against the Minnesota Vikings.

Against one of the NFC's top teams, the Lions once again reminded the rest of the NFL why they are a force to be reckoned with.