After losing to the Packers on Thanksgiving, the Detroit Lions want to resume their season strong.
The Lions were relieved that things didn’t become worse on Friday. After defeating the Bears 31–26 with 17 points in the last three minutes, Detroit was unable to mount another comeback in a 29–22 Thanksgiving Day loss to the Packers.
Lions coach Dan Campbell remarked, “I know what it looks like we haven’t been good enough out there, but I’m not panicked.” No matter who we play against, things like this will happen if we don’t play our best game and the opposing team is flawless. We are the kind of squad that will have to struggle and claw their way to victory. We cannot operate on autopilot.”
Although the Lions have had difficulties on both sides of the field, quarterback Jared Goff has caused the most harm to the team. He lost three fumbles against the Packers after tossing three interceptions against the Bears. “There have certainly been some plays where I need to take better care of the ball,” Goff stated. “There’s no rhyme or reason I’m going to look at all of them individually and figure out what I can fix.”
The Lions’ next game comes on December 3 at home against the New Orleans Saints, and Campbell intends to use that time to regroup. “We’re going to clean up some things and then we’ve got six games to go,” he stated. “If we turn the ball over three times against everyone we play, the odds of winning are going to be pretty slim, but I don’t see that happening.”
WHAT’S WORKING: Brian Branch, a rookie safety, has emerged as the defense’s most important creator. He led the team with eight tackles against Green Bay, following up his three tackles for loss against the Bears. In Detroit’s victory over Kansas City, he opened the season with a pick-6 against Patrick Mahomes. He has also been a very successful run stopper in the box.
WHAT NEEDS HELP: The pass rush had only produced two sacks in the previous three games and failed to get one against Jordan Love. Detroit has racked up 23 sacks so far this season, but eighteen of those were earned in victories over Atlanta, Green Bay, and Las Vegas. In seven games, the Lions have received one or no sacks.
STOCK UP: After Amon-Ra St. Brown, rookie tight end Sam LaPorta has emerged as Goff’s second most valuable weapon. Against Green Bay, he has caught 55 passes for 539 yards and five touchdowns, including a 7-yard score in the first quarter.
STOCK DOWN: In the last three games, Detroit has given up 760 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns. Justin Fields of Chicago was also able to gallop for 104 yards thanks to the Lions. Late in the game on Thursday, Love broke off a 37-yard run on a third-and-1 play.
INJURIES: With the exception of guard Jonah Jackson, the Lions were healthy going into the game and didn’t suffer any serious injuries.
KEY NUMBER: Six If a quarterback in the NFL hands the ball over six times in two games, no team can win consistently. Goff needs to quickly get back to his previous level of play with the ball since, up until Thursday, he hadn’t lost a fumble all season.
NEXT STEPS: The Lions have a few days off before preparing for their December 3 game at New Orleans. A victory on the road would greatly reduce the likelihood of a late-season collapse.