Lions News

[Mainevent]

Holmes, after starting out looking like he couldn't miss, came back to earth a bit with some of his moves and that' is hurting the team right now. Sure, some of it was bad luck with CJGJ and Mosely injuries (though you sign guy that's always injured, you run that risk). But Levi, Paschal and Jamo are big whiffs that are hurting the team, and I know Froot will get after me for it, but they traded multiple picks for a guy that can't even get on the field in what's a pretty sad DT rotation without McNeil. Campbell looks ok, but when you take a LB at #18, you need better than ok (and maybe that is coming next year). The Harris/Okwaras play at DE came up snake eyes.

Ultimately, I think they got out over their skis, thought they were ready to win now and tried to make the jump up to contender rather than continuing to build the baseline talent. And it looked like a move that might pay off early in the year, but now I think they are settling back to their talent level a bit.

I thought before the season that they might end up with the same record give or take a game, and that's where they are likely to end up. But the trend line over the last 4 weeks is troubling to say the least.

[chemiclord]

I disagree. If anything, Holmes has NOT made the moves to win now, especially at the expense of future assets. All of his moves were short term rolls of the dice that wouldn't handcuff the team in future years... and that's honestly a part of the frustration with him.

[dsred]

Since the bye, Goff's QBR under pressure is 0.6. That's less than one out of 100. It's the worst mark in football.

[dsred]

Per Terry Foster, N. Suh contacted the Lions after McNeill's injury and told them he was interested and told Lions' brass he would be a good 20-25 snaps a game guy. The Lions declined, because culture.

[Cody_Russell]

IF that’s true, it’s just frustrating because you can trace the extreme of culture fit back to draft decisions.

Since the bye, Goff's QBR under pressure is 0.6. That's less than one out of 100. It's the worst mark in football.

Ouch. That’s the one big concern about extending Goff. If the OLine isn’t good, he craters.

[chemiclord]

Well, the issue is that "culture fit" can be front-office speak for "will cost more and/or for longer than we want to spend," which can be an entirely different problem.

[dsred]

IF that’s true, it’s just frustrating because you can trace the extreme of culture fit back to draft decisions.



Ouch. That’s the one big concern about extending Goff. If the OLine isn’t good, he craters.

Good Article with a lot more:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/insider/story/_/id/39086512/2023-nfl-playoff-standings-chiefs-eagles-lions-jags-panic-week-14-losses

[mason reese]

I disagree. If anything, Holmes has NOT made the moves to win now, especially at the expense of future assets. All of his moves were short term rolls of the dice that wouldn't handcuff the team in future years... and that's honestly a part of the frustration with him.

I think the big question with Holmes is he not going all in because he doesn’t think the time is right or will he always put future considerations above short term help?

[wcfwtf]

Not sure if Foster is a reliable source

[chemiclord]

I think the big question with Holmes is he not going all in because he doesn’t think the time is right or will he always put future considerations above short term help?

No idea. That's kinda the problem with a young team with relatively inexperienced coaches and front office staff. There's no way of knowing if they're ever going to take the next step until they do it.

I actually can accept the argument that the Lions were more than one pass rusher away from having a defense good enough to win in the playoffs, and that the return on pushing chips in right now wasn't going to be worth it. I felt one of Mayhew's biggest mistakes was blowing his wad too soon on a team that simply wasn't ready... and by the time it was ready, his reckless decisions made it impossible to keep the core of that team together.

Just like I agree this team wasn't ready. Even if Gardner-Johnson and Moseley and Houston and whoever else didn't get hurt, that defense would still be too thin to reliably make the stops they'd need to make. They really are one more solid offseason away. If by next trade deadline, Holmes is still sitting on his hands with answers available to him... then I'll start gnashing my teeth.

[whatever_gong82]

Three-and-out: Lions lacking grit and peeking ahead at long-term needs amidst recent rut


Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Chicago — Here are three observations after having a night to ponder the Detroit Lions' 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears.


Rediscovering identity


In recent weeks, as his team battles the December doldrums, Lions coach Dan Campbell has made it clear he's not panicking. That's undeniably for the best. No good leader, regardless of the industry, should be letting their emotions take the wheel and drive their decision-making. But if not panic, a departure from his recent reliance on coach-speak cliches following subpar performances, and a clearer acknowledgment that things aren't hunky dory, would be welcomed from the captain of the ship, as the hovering storm rattles a fan base that has been conditioned to expect the worst outcome.


It's possible Campbell is as baffled as the rest of us by the recent results. Even recalibrating for the quality of opponents at the start of the season, the Lions were dominant early in the year. Now, they're the ones getting bullied, by the likes of the Packers and Bears. That's not intended to be disrespectful to those division rivals, who have plenty of talented pieces on both sides of the ball, but there's a reason the Lions came into Sunday so far ahead in the division standings.

When we dig deeper into Campbell's postgame comments, there are additional concerns. First, there was his highlighting of penalties as the primary reason for the defeat.



That's not to say penalties weren't an issue, but it's not like the Lions were flagged 16 times by a rogue officiating crew. They were assessed eight for 59 yards, a little more than the 6.2 flags road teams have averaged this season. Of those eight, five came on offense and four directly contributed to killing drives. That's understandable when you have a 15-yard infraction, like Graham Glasgow's tripping penalty in the first quarter. But the other three were false starts. Is it really OK that Detroit's offense consistently struggled to overcome that type of small setback?

It also glosses over the multitude of execution errors by the offense, the unit we have come to expect to carry this Lions team when all else is going wrong. Which leads into the second Campbell quote that's been rattled around in my brain since he said it.



"We didn't do enough to win today," Campbell said. "The idea was to have one more point than this opponent today and we couldn't do that. Look, I know everybody is trying to grab straws, like, what are we? What is this? I'm not worried. I know exactly what we are. We're a team that will fight and we've got to do things right, because any little mistake, it throws us off now. That's just the type of team we are."

Well, that's not good.



What made this team feel special when it got off to its hot start was its ability to seemingly shake off self-inflicted errors with ease. It was the clearest sign of departure from the "Same Old Lions" moniker. It was the Lions of old that felt like they needed everything to be perfect to escape with wins. Now their coach is saying any little mistake derails the current roster.

Where's the confidence? Where's the swagger that Campbell has tried to instill from day one, that it doesn't matter the circumstances, this team will continue to get back and up fight? It's arguable the grit, which is the primary ingredient of the foundation this rebuild is built upon, is lacking. Until the Lions find it again, we're in for more disappointing football down the stretch.


Making a list

Normally, when it comes to the Lions, draft talk is dominating the conversation come December. That's refreshingly been on the backburner this year, with the focus on a postseason path that's been clear since October. But, as the season has progressed, some of the roster holes have become increasingly glaring. And while I'm not equipped to talk about specific prospects from the upcoming draft class, because I've admittedly been paying less attention this year, we can discuss what are shaping up to be Detroit's biggest needs.

Not surprisingly, most are on the defensive side of the ball, and outside of linebacker, where the Lions like their talent and depth, you can take your pick. Defensive tackle and cornerback have both been long known and further highlighted in the loss to the Chicago Bears.



With Aim McNeill out, Detroit's interior rush-lane integrity had multiple breakdowns, allowing Justin Fields to turn a collapsing pocket into a big gain on a scramble. And for as good of a story as he's been during the Campbell era, it's becoming increasingly clear Jerry Jacobs' time in Detroit is nearing an end.

No matter how it was framed, the Lions tried to replace Jacobs this past offseason, when they signed Emmanuel Mosely. That didn't work out due to injury, but Jacobs' inconsistency now has the Lions rotating him with practice-squad promotion Kindle Vildor, who saw 24% of the defensive-snap load in his debut.



Jacobs, a physical, man-to-man cornerback, has struggled to adapt as the Lions have matched the league-wide trend of playing more and varied zone coverages this season. He'll be a restricted free agent, and it seems unlikely the Lions will make an earnest push to retain him.

Beyond cornerback and defense tackle, a guard to replace Jonah Jackson appears to be a likely outcome. And if you needed Tracy Walker's benching to convince you, safety also figures to be on the agenda. That said, a steady veteran in free agency could offer better plug-and-play potential than the draft.


QB debate rekindled


I don't think the Lions' faith in quarterback Jared Goff has changed, and I still believe they're committed to him as the franchise's long-term answer at the position. Admittedly, that won't be confirmed until an extension is signed, but I'd lean that it's more likely to get done next offseason than not.

But for the anti-Goffers, his performance this season, particularly in the last seven games, has strengthened the argument for considering alternatives. Starting with that blowout loss to Baltimore, which was the first real sign of trouble this season, Goff has completed 64.9% of his passes with as many turnovers (seven interceptions and three lost fumbles) as touchdowns.



Goff's passer rating in those seven games is 86.9, equal to Tennessee rookie Will Levis through his first six starts, and would be tied for 21st among QBs with at least that many appearances. At one point, Goff was the No. 1-ranked QB by Pro Football Focus this season. He's dropped to 11th and is 19th during the seventh-game stretch we're highlighting here.

It's just not good enough production from the most important player on the roster. But it doesn't mean anything will change. General manager Brad Holmes has always been one of Goff's biggest advocates. And the GM made the pointed comment last offseason that it's easier to get worse at quarterback than better.



But what happens if the Lions do collapse and lose the division, and the offense is as big a reason as it was Sunday? Would that sample size be enough for Holmes to hold off on any extension talks, especially before he can really get a sense for what he's got in Hendon Hooker next offseason and during the preseason?

It's an interesting conversation. Goff has spent the last three years having to prove himself over and over, and right when we thought he'd played well enough to answer the question, he's hit enough of a rut to open the debate's door once again. He has four more games, plus the postseason to slam it shut.



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Lions hope to get defensive reinforcements back in ‘late December, January’


Nolan Bianchi
The Detroit News



Allen Park — For as much as they have missed C.J. Gardner-Johnson at the safety position, the Detroit Lions could use him just as much for his mentality.

The day following a 28-13 loss to the Chicago Bears, after which defensive lineman John Cominsky said the defense has lost its “confidence and swagger,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he still doesn’t expect reinforcement either Gardner-Johnson (pec) or pass rusher James Houston (ankle) to come until “late December, January.”


“Lazarus has a chance” to return this year, Campbell said about Gardner-Johnson. “He’s improved. … CJ, man, he’s kicked it into overdrive. He’s healed quick … and most of it’s gonna be about, just, is his body ready for that?”

Houston, who suffered a broken ankle in Week 2 that required surgery, said last week he hoped to get “some games in” (read: plural) before playoffs, putting some hope behind the idea he might be able to return to practice in the immediate future, and even as early as this week.



But asked whether Houston had a shot to return to practice before the team’s Saturday primetime matchup against the Broncos, Campbell said, “I think it’ll be a while before that. Look, I do think there’s a chance (he’ll come back this season), but we’re looking late December, January, possibly.”

Gardner-Johnson, who suffered a torn pec in the Week 2 loss to Seattle, has seemingly hinted on social media that he plans to return to practice Dec. 20.



Once the Lions designate those players for return and open their acclimation windows, they have a maximum of three weeks to get them on the active roster. When a player is returning from a serious injury the likes of Houston or Gardner-Johnson, it can probably be assumed they’ll use most (if not all) of that three-week window. Players have to get used to football speed again.

For the sake of argument, let’s assume the Lions are planning to use the entire re-acclimation window for Houston and Gardner-Johnson. If they don’t return to practice this week, it seems as if it would be tough to give either player a return to action before playoffs.


In the meantime…


It was a bit of a mixed bag for the two players who the Lions are hoping to get back in the immediate future.



It’s yet to be determined whether center Frank Ragnow (knee/toe/back), who missed Sunday’s loss to Chicago after departing early from the team’s win over the New Orleans Saints, will be healthy enough to play Saturday. Graham Glasgow took over his role at center, and Kayode Awosika slotted in at Glasgow's usual spot of right guard.

“(Ragnow is) improving, but there again, I won’t know for a little bit here,” Campbell said.



The one transaction (or lack thereof) over the weekend that caught people by surprise was the Lions not elevating Bruce Irvin from the practice squad to the active roster.

The 36-year-old Irvin was signed by the Lions in mid-November and made his debut at New Orleans, where he played 11 snaps and sacked Saints quarterback Derek Carr before later knocking him out of the game with a vicious hit.



Irvin was dealing with an ankle injury last week, which was not listed on the team’s injury report because of his practice-squad assignment. Campbell confirmed the lingering ankle injury kept him out of Sunday’s game at Soldier Field in Chicago.

“He’s improving too,” Campbell said.



nbianchi@detroitnews.com

@nolanbianchi

[whatever_gong82]

As Lions WR Jameson Williams' workload increases, utilization remains low



Justin Rogers
The Detroit News



Allen Park — As his second season has progressed, Detroit Lions receiver Jameson Williams has seen his role steadily grow as he's earned the trust of the coaching staff. In each of the past five games, he's played at least 50% of the team's offensive snaps.

But the 2022 first-round pick's production hasn't increased with his playing time. He's averaged two targets per game those five weeks, resulting in seven grabs for 124 yards. That's been anchored by the past two games, where he's tallied one catch for 11 yards.


Despite his rare speed, Williams' route tree appears to be highly limited on tape. On most passing plays, he's running vertically, but less as a target for quarterback Jared Goff and more as a decoy, designed to draw defenders and create space for his teammates, which he does well.



Beyond that, Williams' most common route are quick outs, designed to get the ball in his hands in space with blockers in front, simulating the success he had as a kickoff returner in college. The Lions also have started using him more as a runner, handing it off to him on an end-around and a reverse in the past two games, resulting in a 19-yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints.

But when the offense goes stagnant, like it did against Chicago on Sunday, Williams' lack of usage feels glaring. On Monday, coach Dan Campbell was asked if the team needs to look at expanding the young receiver's route tree to find more ways to put his game-breaking speed to use.


"Yeah, we'll keep working with him," Campbell said. "He's improving. We'll keep working to find some different ways to get him more involved. Because he is, he's putting the work in and he's improving. He's really no different than Saint (Amon-Ra St. Brown). We keep finding ways to get Saint more involved. (Josh) Reynolds did some good things, (we're) finding ways to get him involved.

"Look, we're going to do what's best for us, and ask our guys to do things they do well," Campbell said. "So yeah, absolutely, he's earned that. We're going to keep working on it."



Ultimately, it's a generic answer that could apply to any of the team's receivers, including newcomer Donovan Peoples-Jones, who had the same number of targets and one more reception against the Bears on Sunday, despite playing fewer than a quarter of the snaps.

Selected 12th overall, Williams' development has been stunted by rehabbing an ACL injury as a rookie, followed by a four-game suspension for violating the league's gambling to start this year. In 15 career appearances, he's caught 14 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns.



jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

The Detroit Lions need to find themselves in a hurry. The Packers and Vikings are coming.


Shawn Windsor
Detroit Free Press



CHICAGO — This was never going to be easy, this business of winning the NFC North. It was never a forgone conclusion, even when the Detroit Lions were rolling, and the Minnesota Vikings began running out of magic.

Minnesota isn’t out of the race yet for the North. The math is the math, and Minnesota's 3-0 (yes, really) victory Sunday moved them within two games of the Lions. But the team with momentum? Passing the eye test? That would be the Green Bay Packers, who play the woeful Giants tonight with the chance to also move to 7-6.



That would also put them two games behind the Lions with four to go and the easiest schedule left among the teams in the division. In other words, the Packers have a real shot at running the table and finishing at 11-6.


If the Lions don’t go 2-2 to finish, Green Bay wins the North. Even if the Lions finish 2-2, the Packers can tie for the division and win on tiebreakers, depending on how the Lions fare against Minnesota.

This is almost too cruel to contemplate, but after watching the Lions slop around the field Sunday in Chicago — and considering how they’ve generally looked the last month or so — a 2-2 finish isn’t a ridiculous bet. Nor, for that matter, is a 1-3 close.



Too negative? Nah, just realistic.

As Dan Campbell said after his Lions lost, 28-13 at Soldier Field, “there's not going to be anything easy about (these games). That's not the league. The point is we’ve got to win … just win.”



Next up come the Denver Broncos on Saturday night at Ford Field. They've won six of seven and knocked off good teams during the stretch, including the L.A. Chargers on Sunday. They’re not out of their division race, just two games behind Kansas City in the AFC West.

They’ll be charged up and looking to take the ball away from an offense that has been turnover-prone — the Broncos lead the league in creating fumbles and rank high in turnover differential, too. This won’t be the cakewalk it looked to be when we looked at the schedule six weeks ago.



Just like Chicago wasn’t Sunday. Or Green Bay wasn’t on Thanksgiving.

The Lions don’t play either again, but they are both young teams with talent and quarterbacks starting to find themselves. The Bears are too far back to worry about in the race for the division. The Packers are not.



Yes, it’s hard to win eight in a row, even when a team starts feeling it, and that's what the Packers would have to do to get to 11-6; they have three straight wins entering their game against the Giants on Monday night.

Still, it’s possible.



After the Giants, Green Bay hosts Tampa Bay, travels to Carolina, travels to Minnesota, and hosts Chicago. This would’ve seemed ridiculous six weeks ago, but the Bears will be the Packers’ stiffest test.

Which means the Lions really need to beat Denver. Lose to the Broncos and it gets dicey — quick.



Next up will be Minnesota, and though the Vikings may not be the story they were a few weeks ago when Kirk Cousins replacement Josh Dobbs was making miracle plays — he was benched against Las Vegas on Sunday — the Vikings get one of the two games against the Lions at home.

And the chance to play them two weeks later at Ford Field.



Beating any team twice in three weeks in tough, even offensively challenged teams. It would behoove the Lions to make it happen, though.

For one, the Lions best chance at victory will come against Minnesota and beating them twice guarantees at least a tie in the NFC North if Green Bay runs the table. For another, it would keep the Lions' divisional record on pace with what the Packers would be if they finish 5-0, and divisional record is the second tiebreaker, after head-to-head record.



Perhaps we’re getting too far ahead. Maybe no one should be thinking about tiebreakers a month from now. But the weeks whiz by at this time of year — Week 18 gets here in a hurry.

The Lions understand this, and know they have to reset and refocus to navigate a tricky schedule. They don’t want to put themselves in a spot where they have to win at Dallas on a Saturday night — New Year’s Eve eve. The Cowboys are rolling. The Lions need to make progress elsewhere.



That starts, as Jared Goff said, by looking in the mirror. Sunday’s loss to the Bears, he said, “was a reality check.”

And?

“A little adversity isn’t the worst thing in the world at this point in the year,” he said.



No, it’s not. Not for a team trying to regain its footing, and its swagger, as John Cominksy called it.



"I feel like we kind of lost our swagger and our confidence," said the defensive lineman, who had a sack and two QB hits Sunday. "When we play with confidence, guys are loose. That's when we were playing our best ball. (We’ve got to) get that swagger and confidence back.”

Truthfully, it has been a while since these Lions have played with the kind of swagger Cominsky describes, especially on defense. And while Justin Fields gouged their defense at times Sunday, the Lions discovered a touch of their swagger to slow him.



This may sound silly or impertinent, but the defense had moments against Chicago. A few of them, actually. It was the offense that didn’t hold up its end.

Campbell called it a lack of discipline and focus and pointed to more turnovers. It’s been a recent pattern.



“I’m not in panic mode,” he said. “I’m not losing confidence. “We've got four to go here. All we’ve got to do is get our discipline back and continue to fight like we fight.”

They’ll need every bit of that fight to get through Denver and give themselves the chance to clinch the division without having to knock off a red-hot Cowboys team in Dallas. They’ll need that fight — and focus — to keep from getting shut out again in the second half.



What’s left of the schedule isn’t overwhelming, but it isn’t the butter cake finish it looked like earlier this fall. Life changes fast in the NFL. A team that appears finished before the leaves turn can get on a roll after they fall.

And vice versa.



After their second loss in three games, the Lions are trying to keep that from happening to them. They still believe. And they should. They’ve been one of the best stories in the game for a while, and for good reason.

They just don’t have the margin for error. They can’t survive false starts even occasionally, because the entire system is based on a delicate balance.



That balance is a testament to the coaching staff and the players getting the most out of themselves. On Sunday, they did not, and it leads to questions.

“I know that everybody’s trying to grasp straws like, What are we? What is this?' ” Campbell said.



But?

“I know exactly what we are,” he said. “We're a team that’ll fight, and we’ve got to do things right. Any little mistake, it throws us off. That's just the type of team we are. But we got plenty here. (If) we do things right, we’re pretty damn good.”



They’ve done things right for most of the season. One more push and they’ll do something no Lions team has done in 30 years — win their division. It won’t be easy.

Would you have it any other way?



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

[whatever_gong82]

Were Detroit Lions a mirage? Or are they now the team we thought before season began?


Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press


CHICAGO — Dan Campbell looked like every Detroit Lions fan felt.

He was angry at himself because the Lions didn’t look prepared or focused on Sunday; and he was frustrated with his team that couldn’t get out of its own way; and he looked surprised — nobody expects their team to play like this.



“Of course, it's frustrating,” he said after the Lions fell on their faces in a 28-13 loss against the Chicago Bears. “I need to push it a little bit more. I'm just going to be a little bit more irritable, which I can do that.”



Yes, we have seen Gamblin’ Dan — the fourth-down risk machine.

Now, get ready for Cranky Campbell, which is exactly what this team needs, a swift, hard kick in the — “I'm not going to change who I am,” Campbell said. “Sometimes I need to apply pressure in different areas. That's fine. I can do that.”


It's time to bring out the butt-kickin' boots, Mr. Campbell.



The Lions lost focus and discipline on Sunday, committing twice as many penalties as the Bears. Obviously, this was unacceptable.

“Those are 100 percent avoidable — 100 percent on us,” offensive tackle Taylor Decker said.



But it wasn’t just the offense. Perhaps the worst moment — and there so many it’s hard to pick — happened in the third quarter. The Bears had fourth-and-13 from the Lions’ 38. Chicago lined up in fake play and tried to get the Lions to jump. A typical play you see every week.

“Did a dummy protection adjustment to make it feel like a real play,” Chicago quarterback Justin Fields said.



Right on cue, Aidan Hutchinson jumped offsides. So the Bears had a free play and Fields hit DJ Moore for a 38-yard TD.

“We practice that each and every week, so it was great execution by everyone,” Fields said.



That gave the Bears a 19-13 lead, and in this game, when the Lions offense was so bad, that felt like they were up 100.

“I thought we did some really good things at times, but honestly it was the discipline,” Campbell said. “The penalties cost us today. That's really the story of the game. That's the story of the game.



Is the world ending for Lions?


So now the Lions are 9-4, and it feels like the world is ending.

But maybe this team is exactly who we thought they were way back in August.


What was the goal way back then?



Win the NFC North and get a home playoff game.

That should still be the goal. And it's still likely.



So was the 8-2 start a mirage?

No.


Five of those wins were by double digits. And that string of wins was a reflection of what this team can look like when everything is humming. And they can run the ball. And the play-action pass is working. And everybody is on the same page. And they aren’t trying to come from behind. And they aren’t turning the ball over.

But when things aren't running smoothly?



Man, it gets ugly.

Because this team isn’t good enough to get out of its own way — it’s still a work in progress.



“I know exactly what we are,” Campbell said. “We're a team that will fight. We got to do things right because any little mistake, man, it throws us off now. That's just the type of team we are. But we got plenty here. We got plenty. We do things right. We're pretty damn good, so. ... We'll get it cleaned up, man. We'll move on.”

Much has been made about how the Lions have looked over the last month or so.



But I believe that’s skewed by circumstance.

Fumble the ball three times? Yeah, you are not gonna look good.


Throw three interceptions? Yeah, you are gonna struggle.

And if you have a series of mental missteps, lose focus and commit twice as many penalties as the opposition on the road, you are gonna get beat.


The season is far from lost


Losing has a way of focusing this team.

Maybe it has a way of focusing Campbell and the coaching staff. Since Oct. 30, 2022, the Lions have followed every loss with a win. Which is not surprising. Bring out Cranky Campbell and the Lions usually win the next week.



“Yeah, a ton of confidence that we're going to clean it up,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “A little adversity isn't the worst thing in the world at this point in the year. This is sure it.”

I don’t buy that.



This team would much rather be playing its best ball, winning comfortably and hitting its stride.

But obviously, the Lions aren't doing that.



But they still can before the playoffs start.

If the Lions clean up their mistakes and get their offense humming again, I wouldn’t be surprised if they won three of their next four games.


They are good enough to win a home playoff game. If Goff plays great, obviously.

But if he, and they, don’t?



They could lose all four of them. That’s the nature of the NFL.

At this point, there is no reason to panic, but this should remind us: this team is good enough to beat nearly everybody. But it’s not good enough to beat anybody when they lack discipline or make mistakes.



“I'm not in panic mode,” Campbell said. “I'm not losing confidence. Man, we're good. We got four to go here. All we got to do is get our discipline back and continue to fight like we fight. Look, it wasn't our day today, man. We didn't handle it. When you do that to yourself against a good team, that's what happens. This is a good team, so. ... We'll clean it up and move on. That's what competitors do. That's what good teams do.”

The Lions have a chance to grow from this adversity, find some focus and resolve and clean up the mistakes, using Sunday's disappointing loss as a springboard.



Or they will just muddle along, winning a few, losing a few, falling apart in the playoffs against a true contender

At this moment, coming off this loss, for an organization at this stage of the rebuilding phase, that seems far more likely.



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