The Lions Have Some BIG Winners And Losers After Week 1 OT Thriller...

The Detroit Lions opened the 2026 season with a win over the New Orleans Saints, but it wasn't exactly the cleanest performance from Dan Campbell's team. Mike Payton breaks down the biggest winners and losers from Detroit's Week 1 victory, including some players who made huge statements and others who left the Lions with questions heading into Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. Jahmyr Gibbs was one of the biggest winners after taking on a massive workload and rushing for 156 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions leaned heavily on Gibbs, who also contributed in the passing game, and his performance showed just how important he could be to Detroit's offense this season. Derrick Barnes also had a huge game, recording an interception, a sack and a pass breakup. Aidan Hutchinson continued to make his presence felt with two sacks and constant pressure. Tay Martin was another major winner, making an impact on special teams with multiple big plays and a tackle for loss on a punt return. But there were also some major concerns. Jameson Williams struggled badly with drops despite making a huge catch in overtime that helped set up Detroit's game-winning touchdown. Christian Mahogany suffered an injury after finally winning the Lions' starting left guard job, while Isaac TeSlaa struggled to make an impact with opportunities to get the ball his way. Mike also examines Kelvin Sheppard and the Lions defense. Detroit forced three turnovers and recorded five sacks, but the defense struggled when it needed to close the game out late, including allowing a fourth-and-12 conversion that could have completely changed the outcome. So who were the biggest winners and losers from the Lions' Week 1 win? And should Lions fans actually be concerned about some of these problems? Mike breaks it all down before Detroit heads to Buffalo for Week 2. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Detroit for Detroit Lions news, analysis, film breakdowns, predictions and daily coverage throughout the 2026 season. Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games For more LIONS coverage: https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LionsFans4Life Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportslions/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/AtoZSportsNFL TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atozsportsdetroitlions 0:00 Lions Week 1 Winners & Losers 0:42 Derrick Barnes 1:26 Jahmyr Gibbs 3:07 Tay Martin 4:52 Aidan Hutchinson & Rock Ya-Sin 5:47 Jameson Williams 7:54 Christian Mahogany 8:55 Isaac TeSlaa 9:56 Kelvin Sheppard & the Lions Defense 11:21 Don't Overreact to Week 1 #detroitlions #lionsnation #lionsfootball #detroitlionsnews