NFL coaches usually like to break the season up into quarters, even though the 17-game schedule makes that a little quirky now.
Let's consider Detroit's 3-1 start the end of the first quarter as they head into their Week 5 bye, and take a look at five players who have impressed through the first month of the season.
1. Defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson
After earning his first Pro Bowl last season, Hutchinson is on his way to an All-Pro season in 2024. He leads the NFL in sacks (6.5) and quarterback hits (14) through the first four games and is also No. 1 in pass-rush win rate.
He is quickly becoming the most dominant edge rusher in the NFL, and the scary part for offensive linemen around the league is he's only scratching the surface of the player he can be.
2. Running backs David Montgomery & Jahmyr Gibbs
It didn't seem right to single out just one member of the best running back duo in the NFL right now.
Since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, they are the first running back duo to each top 350 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns through the first four games of a season.
3. Safety Kerby Joseph
Joseph led the Lions with nine tackles in the win over Seattle Monday and recorded his third interception of the season. All three of his interceptions have come in the Lions' end zone as huge plays to kill drives and take points off the board.
He's the first Lions safety to have three interceptions within the team's first four games of a season since safety Kurt Schulz in 2000. He and Brian Branch make a formidable duo in the back end of Detroit's defense.
4. Wide receiver Jameson Williams
Williams has impressed dating back to the offseason training program in the spring. He showed glimpses then of what this offense could be if he takes the next step in his third season, and we've seen that translate to the first four games to start the year.
Williams has 13 receptions for 289 yards with two touchdowns. He's averaging 22.2 yards per reception, which is second in the NFL to only Indianapolis' Alec Pierce (23.4). He's doing for this offense exactly what offensive coordinator Ben Johnson hoped he would, which is change the way opponents have to play Detroit when Williams is on the field. He opens up a lot for teammates and is a willing blocker too.
5. Safety Brian Branch
It's too bad we didn't get to see Branch vs. Seattle after the second-year safety developed an illness over the weekend and was out for the contest. There's no doubt he would have made an impact in a game with that much passing.
Branch led the Lions in tackles (22) and passes defended (7) after the first three games and also had an interception. His football instincts are off the charts, and the move to safety is going to have a huge impact on his numbers throughout the course of the season.
Honorable mention: Punter Jack Fox
What a weapon Fox has been for the Lions' special teams through four games. He's punted 14 times for an average of 48.9 yards per punt. The most impressive statistic is how Detroit's first four opponents have just one punt return yard against him. He's dropped eight punts inside the 20 and also completed a pass for a first down on a fake punt.
