5 takeaways from the Detroit Lions' win over the Tennessee Titans

At one point the scoreboard read 14-14, and this game looked like a possible shootout. But when the final whistle blew, only one team had blown up the scoreboard.

The Detroit Lions concluded their Week 8 matchup against the Tennessee Titans with a stunning 52-14 win. Despite the score, it was a different kind of loss compared to their win over the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks ago. While the offense picked apart the Cowboys' defense in that game, this time it was special teams and defense that made life difficult for the Titans.

The Lions are proving they can win in many ways. Let’s look at some insights.

Special teams, special players

The special teams battle wasn't covered in this week's On Paper, but we may have to make a case for Jeremy to include them in future games. The Lions beat the Titans on the scoreboard, but that doesn't happen without an outstanding performance from Detroit's special teams.

Sione Vaki forced a fumble that unfortunately couldn't be recovered after the Lions' first punt. Jack Fox had a 67-yard punt to turn the field over. Khalil Dorsey gained 72 yards on a perfectly blocked kickoff return. Not to be outdone, Kalif Raymond nailed a 64-yard punt return that would have been a showstopper if his blockers could run as fast as he did. This all happened in the first half alone! In the second half, Raymond finally got his act together when he had a 90-yard punt return for the sixth score. Jake Bates would make a 51-yard kick late to continue his near-perfect season and join the special teams party.

The Titans were at the bottom of the DVOA rankings and ranked 32nd in the league in special teams. The Lions, on the other hand, finished eighth. After this game, the Titans could be in 33rd place behind the Toronto Argonauts. It was a near-perfect day for Dave Fipp's team, and he helped lift an offense that wasn't performing at its best despite the score. With so many short fields, the Lions were on their way to success.

Take-away clinic

The Titans' two glaring weaknesses were special teams and turnovers, and both played a role in destroying them today. Trevor Nowaske and Kerby Joseph combined for two interceptions, while Amik Robertson had two peanut punchouts that Detroit was able to make up for. The defense also recorded a turnover on downs at the end of the first half, seven points, which could have been a positive moment for the Titans and kept them in this game heading to the locker room.

With the offense remaining turnover-free, the Lions will quickly climb up the turnover differential rankings after starting this game at plus-six. These turnovers, coupled with great special teams play, made life easy for the Lions' offense as they rarely had to march down the field to score.

The defense is still looking for an interception from its cornerbacks, but with Joseph and Brian Branch leading the way with a total of nine picks, it might be hard to complain. Joseph and Branch are quickly becoming the best safety tandem in the NFL, if they aren't already. Winning the turnover battle is extremely important, and the Lions are making sure they're on the safe side on offense and winning it back on defense.

Concerns about Decker are growing

Taylor Decker has been a staple on the Lions' offensive line for nearly a decade, and after signing a three-year, $60 million contract extension, he is expected to remain a member of the Lions for years to come. Despite being a rock for the Lions for so long, Decker's play has been a concern of late.

His PFF rating of 44.6 last week against the Minnesota Vikings was the worst of his long career, and his score this week could be similarly low. Titans pass rusher Arden Key had a big day at Decker's expense, securing two sacks and multiple pressures. Decker's agility has decreased in recent games and he has struggled against fast and elusive fullbacks like Key, Jonathan Greenard and Jared Verse.

The positive is that Decker's run blocking continues to be solid and the Lions' running game hasn't suffered at all recently. However, given Jared Goff's lack of mobility, he needs to rebound to keep the passing attack going.

Down-to-earth passing attack

It's strange to say that the passing attack was subpar in a game where the team combined for four touchdown passes and just four incompletions, but despite the lopsided result, the Lions performed below their normal standards. Goff took a hard hit throughout the game as he was sacked four times and even injured his ankle once. He finished the game with just 85 passing yards and 55 net when including sacks. His longest pass of the day was a 24-yard rumble from Sam LaPorta, most of which came after the catch.

It's a strange situation because even though the passing attack was largely an afterthought, they did exactly what was needed. Because of the excellent field position, the Lions didn't have to attack downfield, and thanks to the more brilliant machinations of Ben Johnson, the Lions had open receivers the entire game. It's hard to call the four-touchdown performance bad, but can you look past this game and say 85 yards is good? The truth lies somewhere in the middle, but I don't know where.

All in all, there are some concerns going forward. The pressure has been a problem for the offense, and while it didn't affect this game (aside from a lingering ankle injury for Goff – he says he's fine), it needs to be corrected before next week's tough test against the Green Bay Packers . Based on the game script, we don't yet know how Jameson Williams' absence will impact the passing attack.

A truly special running back room

Fantasy football has distorted the way we view running back rooms in the NFL. Bell Cows are coveted by fantasy players because they don't have to split touches and have a greater chance of scoring the majority of fantasy points. Running back committees are a curse that condemns players to limited carries and opportunities.

The Lions don't care, nor do Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Gibbs and Montgomery are a rare running back duo that not only produces on a weekly basis, but also actively makes each other more effective.

Gibbs' speed is special, as evidenced by his career-best 70-yard dash to outrun the entire Titans defense. Even if you consider that run an outlier, he still averaged 5.7 yards per attempt on his other 10 carries. The Lions haven't seen what he can do behind this offensive line since the days of Barry Sanders.

Montgomery now has two straight games with rushing yards around the 30-yard mark, but that doesn't diminish his role on this team. His ability to run is vital for this team, even in games like these where the Lions are coasting. Montgomery even added a passing touchdown, a tribute to his high school quarterback.

The Lions have had instances in the past where a running back clearly deserved more touches – 2020 comes to mind when the aging Adrian Peterson faced off against the rookie D'Andre Swift. There is no such situation with the Lions. You can make a case for every player touching the ball on almost every down, and every player is just as likely to make the play.