Lions News

[whatever_gong82]

All 32 NFL owners from worst to first: The good, the bad and a few surprises



By Mike Sando
Dec 8, 2023



This Athletic article was posted the other day.

I'm thinking of posting the entire article despite the length, but I'll probably do it later this week after the results of today's Lions at Bears game.

Anyway, here's what the article thought of our current Owner and where she ranked in the list of 32 NFL Owners:

Sheila Ford Hamp as of 12-8-2023.jpg


23. Sheila Ford Hamp, Detroit Lions: 26-35-1 (.427)


Owner since: 2020

Playoff record: N/A

Coach inherited: Matt Patricia

Coaches hired: Dan Campbell (21-24-1)


The Lions are 17-5 in their past 22 games and on pace to have top-10 scoring offenses in consecutive seasons for the first time since Barry Sanders and Herman Moore starred for the team under coach Wayne Fontes in the mid-1990s.

Ford Hamp became vice chairwoman of the Lions when her father, William Clay Ford Sr., died in 2014 and left the team to her mother, Martha Firestone Ford. She took over ownership from her mother in 2020 and started fresh by firing Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn during that season.

[whatever_gong82]

Lions can't contain Justin Fields, fall apart in loss to Bears


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Chicago — There would be no comeback this time around.

With the postseason on the not-so-distant horizon, the Detroit Lions are supposed to be playing their best football. Instead, they can't get out of their own way as they try to lock down their first division title in three decades. They turned the ball over, committed untimely penalties on both sides of the ball, and struggled to contain Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields to the pocket, falling to Bears, 28-13, Sunday at Solider Field.


Similar to the previous meeting between the teams, the Lions (9-4) struggled out the gate, but still managed to grab the lead at the half.

Abusing Detroit's defense on the ground, Chicago (5-8) took the opening kickoff and drove 69 yards on eight plays for a touchdown. The Bears had four runs of 10 or more yards during the possession, including two by quarterback Justin Fields, before wide receiver D.J. Moore took a direct snap, faked a handoff to Fields, and raced around the left end untouched for a 16-yard score.


After a Lions punt, the Bears expanded their early advantage to 10 with a 42-yard Cairo Santos field goal. Fields kickstarted the series with a 19-yard scramble to convert a third-down deep in his own territory, and the offense vaulted into the red zone after cornerback Cam Sutton missed a diving attempt to break up a short pass, resulting in a 28-yard gain, plus a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty against linebacker Alex Anzalone at the end of the play.

But Detroit was able to limit the damage when linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin shot through an interior gap on a blitz and sacked Fields on third down. It was the first sack for the defender since his rookie season in 2017.


Detroit's offense continued to sputter as a dropped pass on third down led into quarterback Jared Goff throwing his ninth interception of the season. But with Chicago driving again, fueled by a drive-opening 41-yard pass to tight end Cole Kmet, the Lions managed to tighten up and force turnover on downs on their side of the field as safety Ifeatu Melifonwu stuffed Moore behind in the line after the receiver took a pitch on fourth-and-1.

That play sparked a momentum swing that saw the Lions gain the lead.



Opening the ensuing series with three straight runs for David Montgomery, Goff delivered the key play with a tight-window, fourth-down completion to Donovan Peoples-Jones on fourth down to keep the drive alive. Three snaps later, running back Jahmyr Gibbs took a pitch heading right and scooted across the goal line behind key blocks from right tackle Penei Sewell and tight end James Mitchell, cutting the Bears lead, 10-6, after a missed extra point.

The defense stayed hot, too, forcing the Bears into a three-and-out behind an Aidan Hutchinson sack on second down another hit on Fields on third, forcing an drive-killing incompletion. It was just the second sack in the past eight games for Detroit's leading pass rusher.



Eating up nearly all of the remaining time in the first half, the Lions converted a trio of third downs before Goff found receiver Josh Reynolds for an 8-yard touchdown to cap a 53-yard drive, sending the Lions to the locker room with their first lead of the day, 13-10.

Coming out of the break, the third quarter continued to be a trouble spot for the Lions, particularly for the offense, which punted three times after going three-and-out each time to open the frame.



The Bears, meanwhile, managed to knot things up with a 12-play series that ended in a 26-yard Santos field goal. Fields was sharp to start that drive, completing 5-of-6 for 53 yards, but couldn't find an open man on second- or third-and-goal from the 7-yard line, leaving the Bears to settle for the chip-shot kick.

And Chicago was able to grab the lead at the end of the quarter when Fields got Hutchinson to jump offside with a hard count on fourth down, using the free play to throw a bomb to Moore, over the coverage of cornerback Jerry Jacobs, for a 38-yard touchdown. A failed two-point conversion left it, 19-13, with 1:36 to go in the third.



The Lions managed to dig their hole a little deeper before the end of the frame when Goff and center Graham Glasgow botched a snap exchange, which the Bears recovered at Detroit's 29-yard line.

Capitalizing on the gift, Fields found a lane around the right edge after Hutchinson looped inside on his rush, freeing the QB to scramble for an 11-yard touchdown on third-and-goal. Another failed two-point conversion left Detroit's deficit at 12 with a little more than 14 minutes remaining, 25-13.



Fields finished with 58 yards rushing and the touchdown on 12 carries. He added 223 yards on 19-of-33 passing.

Like the first halves of the two games, Chicago building a 12-point lead in the second half mirrored the first matchup. The similarities stopped there as the rally Detroit managed to orchestrate at Ford Field three weeks earlier never materialized in this one.



As the Lions' offensive misery persisted, the team provided more free points to the Bears by turning it over on downs in their own territory. Facing fourth-and-1 from their 34, the Lions handed the ball to Gibbs on a slow-developing run play, resulting in the rookie back getting stuffed short of the line to gain. That premium field position translated into another Santos field goal, extending the lead to 15 as the clock drained under 10 minutes.

Detroit would turn it over twice more, once on downs and a second Goff interception, failing to score a single point in the second half for the first time this season.



Goff finished 20 of 35 for 161 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions.

The Lions will try to get back on track when they return home to play the Denver Bronco next Saturday night.



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions beat themselves in worst outing of season, extending troubling trends


Shawn Windsor
Detroit Free Press



CHICAGO — The refs didn’t cost the Detroit Lions the game against the Bears. The Lions cost themselves.

They lost, 28-13 on Sunday, in their worst performance of the season. Against Baltimore, they got pushed around early and the avalanche started from there.



But against Chicago?

The Lions made a stink of their own doing. And that’s worrisome. Because it’s too late in the season to be this sloppy, and we’re not just talking about turnovers, though the Lions lost that battle once again, too. Beat yourself in December on the road and there isn’t a team in the NFL that won’t take advantage.



Thank you, said the Bears. You owed us one anyway.

Chicago came into the game looking for some payback. The Bears no doubt felt they blew the game three weeks ago at Ford Field. This time, they left no doubt … with a whole lot of help from the Lions.



False starts? Check. Holding? You got it? Pass interference? Personal fouls? Missed tackles from the savviest defensive player on the team? Of course.

Alex Anzalone gifted the Bears a touchdown with his mistakes on one drive. The linebacker struggled in his return from a broken thumb to say the least.



There was also the matter of quarterback protection in the third quarter, along with making room for the running backs. The Lions went three-and-out three straight times in the quarter. This after finding such a nice rhythm in the second quarter.

What is it about the third quarters this season? Trouble adjusting to the adjustments?



The Lions led, 13-10, at the half and got the ball to start the third, then did nothing but beat itself. This isn’t what playoff teams do.

But then they haven’t looked much like a playoff team lately, short of the early burst in New Orleans last week. That’s worrisome, obviously, and it’s not just the defense. Though let’s stay with that side of the ball for a moment.



It’s hard to point to the this side of the ball as the turning point when the offense didn’t manage a point in the second half, but the game swung on fourth-and-13 when Chicago lined up from the Lions’ 38-yard line. The Bears were trying to get the Lions to jump.

They did. Specifically, Aidan Hutchinson did. Again, on fourth-and-13.


That lack of focus gave Justin Fields a free shot down the field, where it turns out his defensive backfield mates weren’t much focused either. DJ Moore ran free and caught Fields’ pass for the score, putting the Bears up, 20-13.

The Lions had eight penalties that were accepted for 59 yards.



Jumping offsides on fourth-and-long is inexcusable, particularly in the second half of a tie game. And while Hutchinson sacked Fields and pressured him in the second quarter his blunder in containment on the next Bears’ possession hurt almost as much.

His job usually was to keep Fields from getting outside on the scramble. He pushed in. It cost him, and the Lions another touchdown.



How did they get the ball on that drive, you ask?

Jared Goff fumbled the snap by fill-in center Graham Glasgow. The Bears recovered the second of three Lions turnovers.



So, yes, the Lions beat themselves. This isn’t to take away all credit from the Bears. Fields is a load. On the first drive of the game he practically skipped down the field when pressured. At one point in the first quarter, he escaped the rush in the end zone and escaped what would’ve been a safety.

Instead, he ran for an easy 30 yards.



Chicago also rushed the passer well, and hurried Goff most of the game. Sacked him, too — four times.

Again, the Bears are not easy to play, particularly here at Soldier Field. And even if the Lions had made fewer mistakes, they weren’t guaranteed a win.



Still, you’ve got to give yourself a shot, right?

The Lions did not. Not from the moment the second half began. They overcame their own blunders in the first quarter and played well in the second. They showed some fight, as they have all season.



Then again, they might have led by more than three at the break if Jahmyr Gibbs hadn’t dropped what sure looked like a touchdown pass in the second quarter. Or Goff hadn’t missed a couple receivers.



Or if the line protected better and stayed onsides. Or if the defense didn’t blow contain. Again and again.

The Lions are 9-4 now, and still in control of the NFC North. Four games remain. None will be easy.



This is a new place for this team. They are viewed differently now. They’re getting everyone’s best shot. And have gotten everyone’s attention.

If they don’t clean themselves up soon, they’ll be getting attention for reasons they’d rather not.



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

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions do the impossible: Take a step back while falling flat on their face


Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press



CHICAGO — The Detroit Lions got what they deserved.

A big fat disappointing loss.



Against an inferior team.

The Lions couldn’t get out of their own way in a 28-13 embarrassment Sunday against the Chicago Bears.



It was a series of false starts and dropped passes and missed chances and an offense that disappeared and a frustrating series of three-and-outs — and ugh — please make this stop.

For the sake of the children.


The Lions couldn’t do little things like, say, snap the ball — I’m not sure if the blame was on Graham Glasgow or Jared Goff. But the Lions botched a snap and the Bears grabbed it. Five plays later, Bears QB Justin Fields ran into the end zone, giving Chicago a 25-13 lead.



The Lions didn’t have discipline at the worst possible time. Just a couple plays before that fumble, Aidan Hutchinson jumped offsides on a fourth-and-13. With the free play, Fields found a single-covered D.J. Moore for a 38-yard touchdown.

The Lions came out of halftime in a slumber, and they didn’t do squat in the third quarter — three-straight three-and outs.



The Lions couldn’t hold onto the ball at the worst possible time. Jahmyr Gibbs dropped a pass with all kinds of blockers in front of him. Shoot, it might have been a touchdown. But he dropped it.

Just let it slip through his fingers, which seemed to sum up this game.



At a time when you want to start playing your best ball, the Lions did the impossible: They fell on their faces, while taking a step backward.

This one is on coach Dan Campbell — this team did not look prepared and was certainly not sharp.



But I don’t mean to absolve the players: It’s on them, too.

This was an incredible wasted opportunity.



And it raises all kinds of concerns.

Think about the upcoming schedule.


If this team continues to play like this, beating Denver is not a certainty on Ssturday, a split against Minnesota is a best-case scenario, and there’s no way it’s winning at Dallas.

It makes you wonder: What is this team?



I know they don’t give up.

But it’s so strange.



These Lions are just so all over the place.

They're searching for consistency and only finding frustration and concerns.



It’s hard to pinpoint the issue after this game.

This wasn’t the defense falling apart.



This wasn’t a string of interceptions like Goff had in his first game against the Bears.

This wasn’t a string of fumbles, like against the Packers.



This was just an overall collapse.

This was an offense that suddenly dried up. Like all the magic went out of Ben Johnson’s offense.



Yes, early in the game, the problem was stopping Fields.

It was like one of those breaking-news, breathless weather reports, in which the TV weathercaster is full of concern: “Watch out. Take cover. This is serious. There is trouble on the horizon.”



You can plan for it.

You can expect it.



And then it hits.

And it’s pure devastation.



That’s what Fields was at the start against the Lions.

A force of nature that they couldn't stop.



He impacted everything.

And even though they knew it was coming, they were helpless.



Third-and-3? He dropped back to pass, then ran right up the gut and got 13 yards. That set up the Bears' first scoring drive.

He was the X-factor.



The Y-factor.

And the Z-factor.



But eventually, the Lions found a way to corral him.

Or maybe, he just decided to stop running and just throw it.



The first time the Lions played the Bears, on Nov. 19 in Detroit, they fell behind and then racked up 17 points in a 3-minute barrage that felt like a Disney movie come to life.

This time?



It was like a horror film that couldn’t end soon enough.

Instead of taking a step forward, this team took a major step backward.



Instead of imposing its will, it got embarrassed.

And I’m really starting to wonder: What is this team?



Contact Jeff Seidel at jseidel@freepress.com or follow him @seideljeff.

[ghandi]

"And I’m really starting to wonder: What is this team?"

Really how many teams in the NFL are very good? Teams that you can say will win just about every week? The league seems to be a hodgepodge of mediocrity.

[chemiclord]

"What is this team?"

They are a "good" team that can play with anybody, but with several flaws that once found can be exploited by anyone. They are in that "upper-middle" tier that the NFL kinda would like every team to be in.

The Lions are now facing the most difficult wall in the team building process, going from "good" to "great." It requires coaches smart enough to add layers to what opponents have already figured out. It takes depth of talent to be able to absorb some critical injuries. It requires a front office facing tough decisions and making all the right ones. And it also takes a bit of luck.

Right now, we have no idea if the Lions have those elements, nor are they guaranteed to get them going forward; and that is not necessarily an exciting place to be in, no matter how much the more optimistically-inclined love to tell you to "enjoy the ride."

[whatever_gong82]

After loss to Bears, Lions defense has officially 'lost our confidence and swagger'


Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News



Chicago — In three seasons under Dan Campbell, the Lions have become known for their hard-nosed, never-say-die mentality. But right now, it looks like half of their team is playing without it.

Much like at the beginning of last season, it feels as though the Lions have reached a breaking point with their defense. You can hear it from the locker room.



“I feel like we kind of lost our swagger and our confidence,” Lions defensive lineman John Cominsky said. “I feel like when we play with that swagger and that confidence, the guys are loose. I think that’s when we were playing our best ball.”



In the Lions’ 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field, they pushed an ugly stretch into another week. They’ve now allowed 26 or more points in five straight games and are averaging 30.4 in that stretch — a mark that tied the worst season-long average in the league (Washington Commanders) this season entering Sunday.

It is clear, now, that this is not a bump in the road. There is no waiting to see if they return to form as the same defense that was allowing just 18 points per game from Weeks 3-8. The players seem to recognize that they are no longer just a play, or an adjustment, or a communication error away from being an above-average defense.



The mentality requires a serious overhaul.

“It’s just a collective agreement amongst the defense that we’re going to loosen up. Everybody loosen up,” Cominsky said. “When we make mistakes, we’re going to bounce back and we’re going to take that one play at a time. It takes guys to remind everybody how you got here, why you’re here. We’re all great players in the National Football League.



“So just reminding ourselves of that and staying disciplined and trying to get that swag and our confidence back.”

Lions safety Kerby Joseph said it’s too late in the season for it to be acceptable that guys are getting coached on “stuff like discipline.”



“Holding each other accountable — like, when you see somebody doing something they’re not supposed to do — it starts at practice,” Joseph said. “You see somebody not doing what they’re supposed to do…call them out on it.”

And after a dreary December day in Chicago, there are just four more games to find the confidence and swagger that’s supposed to lead Detroit to its best season in nearly six decades.



nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi

[whatever_gong82]

Lions make changes to defensive personnel vs. Bears, but unclear if any have staying power


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Chicago — The Detroit Lions defense has been shaky most of the second half of the season, and as part of an effort to get things turned around, the team began experimenting with some personnel changes in what ended up a 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Some of those changes were a necessity, particularly the way the team addressed the absence of defensive tackle Alim McNeill, with Isaiah Buggs returning to the starting lineup after being scratched from action four of the past five games. Another move, the development of defensive packages for linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, also was expected after he thrived a week earlier in New Orleans as the team dealt with a one-game absence of starter Alex Anzalone.



Then there were the unexpected personnel changes, including two in the secondary. First, the Lions inserted Ifeatu Melifonwu into the starting lineup, replacing veteran Tracy Walker. And on the outside, cornerback Jerry Jacobs, who typically logs 95% or more of the team's defensive snaps, conceded multiple series to newcomer Kindle Vildor following his promotion from the practice squad earlier in the week.


Finally, the Lions also shifted defensive captain Charles Harris to the bench in favor of Julian Okwara. Harris getting the hook wasn't entirely unexpected, given he saw just three defensive snaps the previous game, but Bruce Irvin seemed destined for that spot. He wasn't an option this week as the Lions opted not to elevate the veteran off the practice squad while he was battling an ankle injury through the week.



Whether any of the adjustments will have staying power remains to be seen. Melifonwu came up with one of the game's best defensive plays, a read-and-react stop on fourth down to force a turnover, while Okwara delivered a QB hit on third down that should have ended a drive, if not for a fourth-down offside penalty that gave Chicago a free play. That bonus snap also could come into play in the evaluation of possible changes since the free play turned into a long touchdown pass after Jacobs was beat in coverage, potentially loosening his grip on the starting job further.

In terms of players helping themselves, Reeves-Maybin fits into that column, coming up with a sack and batted pass on a pair of third-down snaps. Regardless, coach Dan Campbell was reluctant to offer an extensive evaluation immediately after the loss.



"Look, I need to see the tape," Campbell said. "I felt like there were some good by all of those guys that played, but I won't know enough until I watch everything for myself. Our guys know, we're always looking. Guys are always competing here."

Overall, the Lions allowed the Bears to score 28 points, in part because turnovers provided them excellent field position. They amassed just 336 yards on the day, just a few yards more than their season average, while going 7-of-15 on third and fourth down. None of Chicago's scoring drives were longer than 69 yards and only two were longer than 50.



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[Lionsfan123]

"And I’m really starting to wonder: What is this team?"

Really how many teams in the NFL are very good? Teams that you can say will win just about every week? The league seems to be a hodgepodge of mediocrity.

Tom Brady said this a few weeks ago that today’s NFL is very mediocre.

[whatever_gong82]

'Disgusted': Lions' Aidan Hutchinson takes blame for crucial mistake in loss to Bears


Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News



Chicago — In the first quarter of Sunday’s game at Soldier Field, the Chicago Bears ripped Aidan Hutchinson’s sleeves.

Later, after getting Hutchinson to jump offsides on fourth-and-13 for a free-play touchdown to wide receiver D.J. Moore, the Bears ripped his heart in two. Hutchinson bit on a hard count as Fields threw it up to Moore in single coverage to take a 19-13 lead that the Bears would not relinquish.


“It’s just a momentary lapse in judgment. I’m disgusted with it, that play. That play just changed the momentum of the game and that’s on me,” Hutchinson said.



Hutchinson, who had a sack and two quarterback hits in the game, was visibly shaken in the locker room following a 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears.

“I was just so surprised that I did what I did,” he said. “I just expect more of myself, obviously.”


Lions defensive lineman John Cominsky said no one defender should get the blame for the loss.

“Sometimes it slips your mind, you know? You’re just thinking about getting off the rock, getting off the rock,” Cominsky said. “Hutch has been such a good rusher for us. All 11 of us are going to take that.



“Hutch is beating himself up so we got to keep him up and take it as a unit.”

There are a lot of things that contributed to Sunday’s loss in Chicago, but as the Lions begin to separate the rubble, they’ll be kicking themselves thinking back to this one third-quarter sequence.



The touchdown play followed an apparent mistake from the officiating crew one play earlier, when Fields avoided an intentional grounding call while getting hit by Lions linebacker Julian Okwara.

Okwara jumped on the back of Fields, who tried to get rid of the ball while going to the earth and barely did. The ball landed a few feet away from where he attempted the pass without a receiver in the area.



Officials said Fields’ throw was affected by being hit, therefore it was not intentional grounding — although video replay shows he did not attempt to throw the ball until he was already going to the ground because of Okwara.

Even so, the mistakes of both the officials and Hutchinson did not have to be a death sentence. An incompletion on the throw would have brought up fourth-and-eight. But Moore had Lions cornerback Jerry Jacobs beat by multiple steps and the near-side safety help from Ifeatu Melifonwu never came.



"My eyes were kinda down, I was in a weird position. I thought I brought him down, looked up and saw somebody running with the ball, so I really thought I had a sack. Those calls are obviously are up to the refs," Okwara said.

"... Gotta line up the next play. Sometimes refs miss calls, sometimes they make them, you can’t blame games on the refs. There’s stuff you got to clean up yourselves. We had chance to win that game."



But Detroit was toast.

“You got fourth-down alerts where they try to get you to jump offsides, and then when you jump offsides, they get a free play, so we kind of always expect that,” said Lions safety Kerby Joseph, who made a bee-line for the intended Bears target — moments too late — when he realized what was happening.



The Lions have been living on the edge in recent weeks with close wins over Chicago and New Orleans, plus a sloppy loss to Green Bay on Thanksgiving Day.

Sunday, the team got a reminder of just how close its margin of error is.



nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions report card: Plenty of blame to go around in dismal loss to Bears


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Chicago — Justin Rogers grades the Detroit Lions' performance in their 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears.


Quarterbacks


There were some drops and protection breakdowns, but Lions quarterback Jared Goff had his own issues in the loss, particularly with some misfires in the second half, when a comeback was still on the table. The end product was the first time this season the QB finished under 200 yards passing.

Goff's best work came in the first half, when he delivered an unbelievable ball into a tight window to Donovan Peoples-Jones on fourth down to extend a touchdown drive, and an 8-yard dart to Josh Reynolds for a second score late in the first half. But Detroit's other nine possessions in the game ended in a punt and turnover, which falls on the QB first and foremost. Grade: D



Running backs

The backfield tandem of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were impactful, averaging 6.3 yards per carry, including a 12-yard score for the rookie. They also combined to catch six of their seven targets in the pass game, but the lone drop was killer. Gibbs was open with blocking set up on a third-down flare, but couldn't handle it, costing the Lions a first down and possibility a touchdown if he gets through the lane cleanly. Grade: B+


Wide receivers/tight ends

Detroit's pass-catchers made some tough grabs in contested situations, but there was a noticeable lack of anyone gaining consistent separation. That includes Goff's top targets, Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown, who combined for five catches for 44 yards on 15 targets. That's staggering inefficiency.

St. Brown and Goff just couldn't get on the same page in the second half, with multiple balls slightly off target and the receiver unable to make lemonade with the lemons like he usually does. Grade: D+


Offensive line

It was an up-and-down day for the offensive line. Coach Dan Campbell was complimentary of the unit's protection, but the Bears' pass rush was effective, getting home for four sacks and five additional hits on Goff. Obviously the run blocking was working when allowed to situationally operate, but four penalties on the group, including three false starts, to go with a botched snap by center Graham Glasgow, hindered the offense's ability to function most of the afternoon. Grade: D


Defensive line

Aidan Hutchinson finally found his way to the quarterback, as did John Cominsky, but the integrity of Detroit's rush lanes broke down far too often against the lethal mobility of Justin Fields, who racked up 58 yards and a touchdown on the ground, with much of the damage coming on scrambles, compared to designed runs

Hutchinson also deserves some heat for jumping offside when it was clear the Bears were trying to bate the Lions into the infraction. That gave Fields a free play to uncork a deep touchdown to D.J. Moore on fourth-and-long. Grade: D+


Linebackers

Derrick Barnes and Jack Campbell made some nice plays bottling up Fields on the edge, while Jalen Reeves-Maybin delivered a third-down sack on a blitz and a batted pass on another third down in his situational role. But Alex Anzalone had an uncharacteristically rough day with missed tackle opportunities and an unnecessary roughness infraction that keyed a Chicago scoring drive. Grade: C-


Secondary

Assigning blame on every breakdown is difficult, but some of the errors were obvious, including Cam Sutton whiffing on an attempt to break up a pass, leading to an explosive gain, and Jerry Jacobs losing a one-on-one battle against Moore, resulting in a long touchdown.

Jacobs is inching closer to losing his job, conceding a few series to Kindle Vildor, who the Lions promoted off the practice squad earlier in the week. Safety Tracy Walker did lose his, at least for the week, with Ifeatu Melifonwu getting the start. He had a relatively quiet day on the stat sheet, but came up with a momentum-swinging stop on fourth down in the first half. Grade: D+


Special teams

Things started promising for the groups with Jack Fox booming a 55-yard punt and Khalil Dorsey immediately dropping the return man for no gain. But after that, the special teams were as subpar as the rest of the Lions' roster. Riley Patterson missed an extra point and Detroit's punt coverage wasn't up to snuff, allowing the Bears rack up 56 yards on their final three returns. Grade: D


Coaching

Broadly speaking, things haven't been good enough for the past month, but this might be the bottoming out during that stretch.

The Lions defense let the Bears move the ball from the jump, establishing and early, two-score lead. Meanwhile, the offense had discipline and execution errors. Finally, what more can be said about Detroit's third-quarter woes on both sides of the ball? It couldn't get much worse in this one, with the offense going three-and-out three straight times before losing a botched snap as Chicago went from three down to taking the lead.

Detroit's fourth-down play calls were downright bad, particularly a clunk run called for Gibbs on fourth-and-1 and Campbell lost his challenge, leaving him without an overturned call on the season. Grade: F



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Dan Campbell: 'No answer' why refs didn't flag Justin Fields for intentional grounding


Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



CHICAGO - Dan Campbell was animated on the sideline after officials did not call an intentional grounding penalty on Justin Fields late in the third quarter of Sunday's 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears, but the Detroit Lions coach declined to talk about that crucial non-call after the game.

"I’m not - I don’t want to answer that," Campbell said. "I don’t. I have no answer to that."



With the game tied at 13 and just under 2 minutes to play in the third quarter, Fields threw incomplete on a third-and-13 pass from his own 38-yard line.

Lions linebacker Julian Okwara hit Fields as he threw from 10 yards deep in the pocket - replays showed Fields started his throwing motion after Okwara made contact from behind - and the ball bounced off of right tackle Darnell Wright's leg, with no intended receiver nearby.



Referee Tra Blake announced there was, "No foul for intentional grounding as a hit on the quarterback affected the pass."

Intentional grounding is not a penalty when a quarterback is hit during his throwing motion and the hit affects the throw.



"I mean, I thought it was (intentional grounding) but it’s up to the refs to make those calls so we just got to keep playing, move on to the next play," Okwara said.

The Bears lined up to try and draw the Lions offsides on the next snap, fourth-and-13 from the 38. When Aidan Hutchinson jumped across the line of scrimmage, Bears center Lucas Patrick snapped the ball and Fields threw the go-ahead 38-yard touchdown pass to D.J. Moore.


Had a penalty been assessed, the Bears would have faced a fourth-and-23 from the Lions' 48-yard line and likely would have sent their punt team on the field.



"You can’t rely on the refs to win the game," Lions safety Kerby Joseph said. "You can’t rely on the refs to make calls. If you put your trust in the refs, you’re going to lose. No matter what happened, we just got to do our job."

Asked about the sequence of events a second time in his postgame news conference, Campbell said, "I’m not upset with you, I’m just frustrated about some of that stuff, but it’s ultimately, we didn’t do enough today."


The Lions (9-4) lost three turnovers, were penalized eight times for 59 yards and had just 61 yards of offense in the second half. The Bears did not lose a turnover, had only four enforced penalties and outscored the Lions 18-0 in the third and fourth quarters.



Campbell said a lack of discipline cost the Lions both on Fields' fourth-and-13 touchdown and in the game as a whole.

"We’ve been a disciplined team and we just weren’t enough today and they were," Campbell said. "And ultimately, look, we played their game. We never really got to play our game. End of the second quarter we did a little bit, and so when ... they’re allowed to do what they want to do as a team, that serves them well. That’s how they need to be able to play and they’re very good at it and we never took them out of it."



Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions fans worried about team after 28-13 loss to Chicago Bears: 'On fraud alert'


Jared Ramsey
Detroit Free Press



Concern is starting to build that the Detroit Lions are quickly trending in the wrong direction after delivering one of their worst performances of the season in the 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears.

The Lions were outscored 18-0 in the second half after taking a 13-10 lead into halftime. The offense only managed to gain 71 total yards of offense in the second half while the defense struggled to contain Justin Fields and D.J. Moore. Detroit started the half with three straight three-and-outs, and the Bears scored a field goal and a long touchdown to Moore on fourth down in that same span to take the lead for good.



The Lions still couldn't do anything on offense after falling behind. Jared Goff fumbled a snap on the next drive, leading to a Fields rushing touchdown, then turned it over on downs deep in their own territory leading to a field goal and the 28-13 deficit.


Fields had another great game against Detroit to lead Chicago to its first back-to-back wins under head coach Matt Eberflus. He completed 19 of 33 passes for 223 yards and added 58 yards rushing on 12 carries, his first game with less than 100 yards rushing against the Lions since 2021. Fields had run for 383 yards in his previous three games against the Lions.

Jared Goff had yet another underwhelming performance under center. He threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, his second straight game against the Bears with three turnovers, and struggled with the Bears' pass rush, which got home consistently against Detroit's banged-up offensive line. Goff finished 20-of-35 for 161 yards, with one touchdown and three giveaways. This is the third time in the last four weeks the Lions have lost in the turnover margin, and Goff has turned it over nine times in that span.


The overall concern amongst fans online is the Lions are moving in the wrong direction at the worst possible time of the season. This is the fourth straight week the Lions have had struggles, whether it is turnovers, a lack of defensive stops or a once-potent offense now struggling. The Lions are 2-2 in that stretch with narrow wins over the Bears and New Orleans Saints but struggled to hang with the Packers and Bears in the losses.

The Lions now hold a two-game lead in the NFC North over the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings and sit at 9-4. In addition to showing disappointment with the team falling flat on its face Sunday, fans are now also worried about the Lions' validity as the team that can win the franchise's first playoff game since the 1991 season.

[dsred]

They are a "good" team that can play with anybody, but with several flaws that once found can be exploited by anyone. They are in that "upper-middle" tier that the NFL kinda would like every team to be in.

The Lions are now facing the most difficult wall in the team building process, going from "good" to "great." It requires coaches smart enough to add layers to what opponents have already figured out. It takes depth of talent to be able to absorb some critical injuries. It requires a front office facing tough decisions and making all the right ones. And it also takes a bit of luck.

Right now, we have no idea if the Lions have those elements, nor are they guaranteed to get them going forward; and that is not necessarily an exciting place to be in, no matter how much the more optimistically-inclined love to tell you to "enjoy the ride."

Disagree with one thing. No amount of coaching will get you there with Goff as your QB and Brad and Dan's love for their try hard Jags. Culture for culture's sake is great, but the best culture to establish is a winning culture. And in order to win you might have to have a few so called "malcontents" with actual talent.

[whatever_gong82]

Disagree with one thing. No amount of coaching will get you there with Goff as your QB and Brad and Dan's love for their try hard Jags. Culture for culture's sake is great, but the best culture to establish is a winning culture. And in order to win you might have to have a few so called "malcontents" with actual talent.

Man, I'd love to have Suh in his prime with this team right now, even with his baggage.

Him and Hutch would help out the D-Line big time, if that was ever possible.

Heck, I'd settle for 36 year old Suh right now over the crap that this team has put on the field for the D-Line besides Hutchinson.