Secondary shakeup: Roger McCreary got the start opposite D.J. Reed at one outside cornerback spot, replacing Rock Ya-Sin, who started the first two games opposite Reed. In nickel packages, McCreary moved into the slot and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. played outside. Ya-Sin also worked into the game some. Christian Izien made his first start at safety alongside Chuck Clark.
Clark had the biggest play of the game for the defense with a strip sack of Jets quarterback Geno Smith to seal Detroit's 31-24 win late in the fourth quarter. Izien had 11 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a pass defended. Rakestraw defended a pass and played tight coverage most of the game. It wasn't perfect as Smith threw for 321 yards passing and three touchdowns, but it was better than Week 2 and the second half of Week 1. That's a step in the right direction.
Gibbs' hot start: Running Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns and caught seven passes for 65 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, netting him 164 total scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. He joins Billy Sims (1981, 1980) as the only players in franchise history to produce 100-plus scrimmage yards and a touchdown in each of the first three games of a season. Gibbs is certainly making an early case for Offensive Player of the Year consideration.
Taking advantage of opportunities: Lions associate head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery said this week second-year wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa had to take advantage of limited targets by making plays in the red zone and on late downs.
TeSlaa made the most of his opportunities Sunday after getting just two targets total the first two games. He had a critical fourth-down catch and his 49-yard reception late in the fourth quarter set the Lions up in the Jets' red zone for the game-winning 11-yard touchdown catch by Gibbs.
SGH on offense: Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing had defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard report as eligible on a 2nd & goal play from the one-yard line to start the fourth quarter. Gill-Howard motioned pre-snap to block the edge defender helping free the way for Gibbs to get into the end zone. It's a fun little wrinkle for the athletic Gill-Howard, who has been one of the good storylines for Detroit to begin the season.
Gill-Howard also chipped in one tackle, a half sack and a quarterback hit on defense.
O-line play: It was good getting right tackle Blake Miller and left guard Christian Mahogany back in action after both missed Week 2 in Buffalo due to injury. The Jets came in as the No. 1 total defense, No. 1 rushing defense and No. 2 passing defense. They hadn't allowed either of their first two opponents to reach 200 total yards of offense.
Detroit had 381 yards of offense and 131 on the ground for a 4.4-yard average per rush. The Lions' offensive line wasn't credited with allowing a sack and only gave up five pressures all contest, per Pro Football Focus statistics available after the game. That unit played well.
Change of strategy: It's amazing how a couple long kickoff returns can quickly change an opponent's kickoff strategy. Jacob Saylors had kickoff returns of 44- and 37-yards, giving Detroit's offense terrific starting field position.
After the second nice return, Jets special teams coordinator Chris Banjo had enough. After both Jets touchdowns in the fourth quarter, they booted it into the end zone for touchbacks, which gave the Lions' offense the ball at the 35-yard line.
Nowaske steps up: Count me as someone who didn't realize fourth-year linebacker Trevor Nowaske had the wheels he showed off Sunday. Nowaske has been a great special teams player over his time in Detroit, but Sunday he ran down a couple of Jets ball carriers trying to gain the edge on him in critical defensive plays.
Nowaske finished with four tackles including two on special teams. His speed brings a nice element to the SAM linebacker position along with Derrick Barnes.
Dynamic duo: Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Gibbs accounted for all four of Detroit's touchdowns vs. the Jets. St. Brown had a four-yard touchdown reception to go with Gibbs' trio of scores Sunday. Gibbs now has six touchdowns in three games and St. Brown has five. The last time an NFL team had two players score at least five touchdowns apiece through the first three games of a season was the 1962 Dallas Texans, with Abner Haynes and Chris Burford.
St. Brown and Gibbs have now both produced touchdowns in the same game on 23 occasions, tying Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas for the third-most games in which both members of any receiver/running back duo have scored touchdowns since the merger.
