Sam ​LaPorta's return a reminder of how much Lions missed him

Jared Goff's first throw in almost 10 months to Sam LaPorta was a pitch-and-catch over the middle for a first down on third and 5. His next was more backyard football, Goff scrambling to evade pressure while LaPorta improvised his route with his quarterback in trouble, allowing them to connect for 19 yards on second and long.

On the ensuing play, LaPorta went into motion to hold up an edge rusher, setting up a good gain through the middle for Jahmyr Gibbs. Then he lined up like an I-formation fullback and served as Gibbs' lead blocker, clearing out a defensive back on a 21-yard run around the right edge.

And after the Lions had worked the ball down to the goal line, LaPorta teamed up with Penei Sewell to move aside a defensive tackle, then quickly pivoted to a linebacker to open an easy lane to the end zone for Gibbs' first touchdown of the season.

That's the Pro Bowl tight end the Lions missed for the second half of last season, when everything fell apart.

"Felt great to be back," LaPorta said after the Lions averted disaster in a 31-30 overtime win over the Saints. "Feeling healthy."

That has to be music to everyone's ears. The Lions were not the same offense last year after LaPorta suffered a season-ending back injury in Week 10, especially on the ground. There was a real -- and justified -- sense of panic in the fanbase when he suffered a hip injury late this summer in camp and Dan Campbell cast doubt on his availability for Week 1. LaPorta wound up being fine.

And he looked like himself in the season opener.

The Lions' offense needed a spark coming out of halftime Sunday. Derrick Barnes helped provide with an interception on the first play of the third quarter. The Lions took over in Saints' territory and Gibbs quickly took them into the red zone. Then Goff hit LaPorta on a little sit-down route to set up third and short, and LaPorta pushed back a 310-pound defensive tackle on the next snap for another first down for Gibbs.

LaPorta's reward nearly came on the ensuing play, but Goff slightly overthrew him on a play-action lob to the back pylon. All's well that end well: Gibbs plowed into the end zone on the next snap to give the Lions a 14-0 lead.

Another takeaway on New Orleans' ensuing possession led to another touchdown for Detroit, this time on a 19-yard strike from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown on third and 4. LaPorta went into motion and drew the attention of multiple defenders near the line to gain, allowing St. Brown to win an easy one-on-one downfield.

At that point the game should have been over. But the Saints fought back and forced the Lions to the brink. LaPorta never wavered. Detroit's offense started to move again on the penultimate drive of regulation, starting at midfield. On the first play, LaPorta cleared out Chase Young in a one-on-one clash on the left edge to help spring Gibbs for 15 yards.

The drive should've ended in a kill-shot touchdown, but a holding call at the goal line on guard Ben Bartch forced the Lions to settle for a field goal. LaPorta was stout all day long in run-blocking matchups with Young and fellow edge Carl Granderson, proving to himself and to everyone watching that his back is just fine.

"It feels really good (to know that)," he said. "We get great looks against Hutch and our defense all camp and throughout the week, so we feel like we go up against the best in the league, and today was another scenario like that. Chase and Granderson are both really good players, so good matchups."

LaPorta is as complete a tight end as you'll find in the NFL. He was on pace for a career-high 923 receiving yards through nine games last season. On the first play of overtime Sunday, Goff hit him on a play-action bootleg for an easy nine yards. LaPorta finished with five catches for 48 yards and was pleased with the way he found holes in the Saints' zone-heavy defense.

"They weren’t a big man (coverage) team, so I wasn’t getting matched up with 1-on-1s a whole lot. But I felt like I found space well and Jared and I were on the same time, so we connected a couple times. That was just good to see early in the year like this, and we’ll only go up from here."

LaPorta upended edge Tyree Wilson on the second play of overtime to help Gibbs gain 11 yards, and erased Young again on the next two runs to help Gibbs pick up 17 more. The route-running and pass-catching has always been a strength for LaPorta, going back to his historic rookie season. The blocking keeps getting better.

Shortly before LaPorta's injury last season, Campbell was asked which players on either side of the ball had taken the biggest step from the year prior.

"The first one I think of is Sam LaPorta," he said. "The guy can do it all -- and I feel like that's where he's taken his biggest jump, is in the run game and pass protection, and he continues to be a threat in the pass game. I love where he's at right now."

Two games later, LaPorta was gone. And Detroit's rushing attack all but vanished with him. Injuries on the offensive line also played a factor here, but the Lions averaged about 135 rushing yards in the first nine games with LaPorta, barely 100 in the last eight without him. And the latter segment included Gibbs' 220-yard outburst against the Giants the week before Thanksgiving.

In a crucial five-game stretch starting on Thanksgiving, their playoff hopes on the line, the Lions averaged 76.2 rushing yards and 3.3 yards per carry. They went 1-4 and watched their season go up in smoke. Fellow tight end Brock Wright was injured at the same time, eliminating two key cogs to Detroit's ground game.

With both of them back Sunday, Gibbs ran for 154 yards and 5.4 yards per carry.

And the Lions outran disaster in Week 1.