Feel better? You should. These Detroit Lions seem to shake the doldrums in dominating fashion

For a while it looked like a week ago, as the offense scuffled, and the quarterback struggled, and the punter got more work than anyone. Or at least more work than he wanted. 

Jack Fox punted three times in the first quarter of the Lions' primetime game against the Denver Broncos on Saturday night. And considering how the Lions had been playing for the better part of the month, it looked like a continuation of uneven and troubling play on offense. 

As for the defense? It made the plays to give the offense time.  

Finally, the second quarter hit. The quarterback, Jared Goff, found some confidence, caught a rhythm and started hitting the rookies. By halftime, the Lions were up by three touchdowns and the game was essentially done. 

Feel better now? Well, you should, these Lions can still get better.  

It’s been a while since this team won this comfortably — they beat the Broncos, 42-17, at Ford Field. It's been a lot longer since the Lions have won the division. They can clinch next week in Minneapolis.  

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The Vikings lost earlier in the day, giving the Lions the chance to play themselves into a three-game cushion for the NFC north ... with three games to play. And what looked like a dicey stretch run a week ago suddenly looks like a wrap, or at least about as close to one as you can get. 

The Broncos came into Ford Field having won six of their last seven. They’ve won by taking the ball away and the play-action efforts of Russell Wilson, who isn’t the quarterback he used to be but is still plenty good enough to find receivers when given time. 

Aaron Glenn wasn’t about to give Wilson time. So he sent extra defenders all night, usually from the backfield, whether corner blitzes or safety blitzes. At times he sent linebackers, too. 

Against Justin Fields a week ago, the Lions had to worry more about playing the lanes. But Wilson doesn’t run like Fields, and Glenn figured he could take more chances. It helped, too, that safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, a former cornerback, kept showing a sense of where to be.  

And when. 

He got to Wilson on a blitz. He knocked down a couple passes downfield. He played the game of his career. Sometimes a switch in position will do that. Along opportunity.  

Melfonwu started the season behind C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Kerby Joseph. Gardner-Johnson went down. Melifonwu is taking advantage. 

Just as Josh Paschal took the opportunity with Alim McNeil gone. The former second-round draft pick has shown moments of real burst and power but nothing like consistency. Saturday night, he ripped through the middle to sack Wilson, had another tackle for a loss on a run play, and generally bothered the Broncos’ pass game. 

They felt him. He was noticeable. He isn’t always. 

It’ll take this sort of effort — and improvement — up and down the roster for the Lions to make their final push as the playoffs loom. Fortunately for them, they are getting it from many places. 

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Sam LaPorta continues to set franchise rookie records, and notched another one when he caught a touchdown pass in the second quarter. Earlier on the drive, he caught seven yarder when the team needed five for a first on third down. He had a defender on his back. Didn’t matter. 

Meanwhile, his fellow rookie classmate, Jahmyr Gibbs, kept finding the edge and blowing past it, once for a touchdown. He ran for nearly 10 yards a pop on the night, and looks more comfortable by the carry.  

Where he was hesitant early in the season, sometimes too patient, sometimes unsure where he should follow his blockers, he is decisive now, and oh that ignition. It comes in hurry.  

And then he’s gone. 

This is what Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell envisioned when they drafted these rookies, when they imagined what they might look like on the same field with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jared Goff and the offensive line and Jameson Williams. 

Yes, Jameson Willams. 

He is coming, too. He caught a ball away from his body, showing that he is capable. He was covered, too. He also caught a sideline pass and juked a defender to get the first down, then barked at the defender after he was hit — he thought late — as he was headed out of bounds. 

He and Goff still haven’t been able to connect on deep balls, or any ball much beyond 20 yards. The timing isn’t quite there. But Williams is clearly part of the game plan these days.  

Not only where his three catches the most of his career, but he was targeted at least twice that many times, and from the jump. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson didn’t call for a single run during the Lions’ first series. 

Twice, he called for plays for Williams. It didn’t work immediately, but it shows what the Lions are beginning to think of him, and that they are starting to trust him. And if he is getting looks in the game, you can bet he is getting looks in practice, and doing something with them.  

Most critically, he is showing what this offense can be when he is a part of it, and what it might be if he gets to where he thinks he can go and where the Lions think he can go. That’s a tantalizing thought for all of them, no doubt.  

Some teams are going to shut down the Lions' run. And some are going to shut it down and make it hard for LaPorta and St. Brown, like what Chicago did Sunday.  

But no team can take everything. That’s the idea. That’s what Williams offers if this is the start. A potential game-breaker, yes, but also another player who can move the sticks.  

Progress. What Campbell has been itching to see for a month. He finally got it, from lots of places.  

Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him @shawnwindsor.