Bad, Bad, Ugly - If You HAVE to Shit the Bed, Against the Bills is the Best Time

[chemiclord]

Meanwhile, McNeil is done for the season with a torn ACL. Davis is likely done for the season with a broken jaw.

And the Lions as a team are likely done at this point as well. Too many losses on defense to be able to sustain a long playoff run.

[froot loops]

Need to get the one seed.

[Marko69]

Meanwhile, McNeil is done for the season with a torn ACL. Davis is likely done for the season with a broken jaw.

And the Lions as a team are likely done at this point as well. Too many losses on defense to be able to sustain a long playoff run.

Even though you are possibly very correct…….. this is the most depressing thing I’ve read for ages.

Been visualising Goff with Lombardi in his grasp giving the winning QB speech so much over the past month. 🤦♂️

Fkn injuries. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️

[froot loops]

The team just isn't very good right now and they might have to give up on the "bully ball' scheme they want to play. They ain't bullying anyone ATM.

They have to re-establish the running game to have a chance. It's been shit the last two games, but you have to give the depleted defense breaks and dominate TOP like they did versus the Packers.

[froot loops]

Basically, Levi take's McNeill's spot and you have Jonah Williams and/or Myles Adams.

[GALion68]

Need to get the one seed.

Somehow win the last 3 games and see what happens from there. Getting Anzalone back would be a real help.

[DanO]

Just heard on Karsh and Anderson Monty may be out for the remainder of the year.

[whatever_gong82]

Three and out: Lions' ability to calibrate faces latest test, replacing latest injuries and fresh eyes on onside try


Justin Rogers
Dec 16




Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Silver lining calibration


In each of the four years under coach Dan Campbell, the Lions have delivered a dud that's trumped the season’s other defeats in scale.



In 2021, at the beginning of the rebuild and in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were several ugly outings, particularly when quarterback Jared Goff was sidelined for a few late in the year. But none were as embarrassing as a 44-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Halloween, which resulted in first-year defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn symbolically burying the game tape before the team’s bye.

The following year, the Lions got shut out by the New England Patriots, 29-0. What made that loss so much worse was former Lions coach and local pariah Matt Patricia miscast as the Patriots' offensive coordinator, and he was leaning on a fourth-round rookie QB making his second start.



And in 2023, the Baltimore Ravens jumped out to a 35-0 lead and cruised to a 38-6 victory. That result also had Lions fans questioning whether their team was more pretender than contender, despite coming into the matchup with a 5-1 record.

The history lesson isn’t designed to be a magic elixir for your Monday morning hangover, but sets up a reminder of how the Lions responded to each of those shortcomings.



In 2021, after the Eagles debacle, the Lions allowed just 43 points the next three games, before finally breaking through for their first win of that trying season a month later. In 2022, it took a couple more weeks to stop the season-starting slide, but after falling to 1-6, they finished 9-7, barely missing the postseason. And after getting throttled by the Ravens, the Lions steadied the ship with three consecutive wins en route to the franchise’s first division title in three decades.

It would be disingenuous to suggest the Lions haven’t faced adversity this season. To the contrary, they’ve been living in it. But despite a slew of injuries and some games where they’ve had their backs against the wall, they managed to claw their way to win after win, establishing a new franchise record for consecutive victories.



And, for what it’s worth, the springboard for that run came off another disappointing effort, a loss to Tampa Bay where Detroit experienced dreadful red zone woes, turning just one of seven trips into a touchdown.

On Sunday, the Lions dug a hole too big to climb out. The defense was brutalized, like it was against Baltimore a year ago, lacking answers for the superstar, dual-threat quarterback.



But maybe the Lions needed this. Maybe it was a required reminder that marries nicely with their 2024 mantra, “It takes more," which was birthed from last season’s second-half collapse in the NFC Championship. There’s no question the Lions have taken the message to heart, from their offseason approach to their attention to detail in practice each week. Still, they came out of this game believing they hadn’t matched the opposition’s energy.

That’s uncharacteristic of what we’ve come to expect from this team. But, remember, the Bills’ raging fire on Sunday was seemingly lit by an uncharacteristically poor performance a week earlier. What if the Lions needed a similar kick in the ass?



“Yeah, maybe it’s a good wake-up call for us and a nice little recalibration for us,” Goff said after the game.

Honestly, the timing couldn’t be better. With the mounting injuries, the Lions could use a fresh injection of emotional energy. And if falling on their face in one of the most highly anticipated, nationally televised regular season games in recent years was what was needed to provide that, so be it.



Because this game didn’t matter. It didn’t matter to the standings, it didn’t matter to the team’s goals of winning the division, earning the No. 1 seed, or getting to the franchise’s first Super Bowl.

History tells us the Lions, under Campbell, will respond. That’s bad news for the reeling Bears, and the banged-up 49ers after them, who are due a dose of vengeance similar to the one the Lions doled out to the Cowboys earlier this year.



Plugging the latest holes in the boat


Let’s transition to the elephant in the room; a fresh batch of injuries that will further test Detroit’s ability to keep its season on track.

The good vibes stemming from getting five players back in the fold ahead of Sunday were reversed before the game's final whistle with the likely season-ending losses of defensive tackle Alim McNeill, cornerback Carlton Davis III, and ace special teamer Khalil Dorsey.


It's like a kick in the teeth the day after getting a root canal.

Here's a recap of the situation, assuming McNeill and Davis are done. It would mean six of the team’s projected Week 1 starters are shelved, with only linebacker Alex Anzalone likely to return this season from that group.



But, like the others who have fallen along the way, there’s nothing the Lions can do about it. The season doesn’t stop and their opponents don’t care. The defense has to regroup and push forward.

Here are how the replacement plans might shape up at defensive tackle and cornerback.


Let's start with McNeill, a workhorse who regularly plays at least 70% of the team’s defensive snaps weekly. Early speculation is Levi Onwuzurike will slide over to backfill most of those 3-tech reps beside nose tackle DJ Reader. But Onwuzurike was already seeing between 40-50 snaps each week, often as a big end.

That means more work for Jonah Williams, the 290-pound lineman poached off the Rams practice squad late last month. He was limited to 11 reps against Buffalo, but is in line for a bump in playing time.


It also means more consistent reps for Al-Quadin Muhammad, Pat O’Connor and Myles Adams, who was a healthy scratch in his second game with the Lions.

The cornerback situation is the larger conundrum because the Lions can take it in so many different directions.



The easiest solution is plugging Kindle Vildor into Davis’ starting spot. Alternatively, the Lions could turn to Emmanuel Moseley, who has been a healthy scratch the past couple of weeks. He has experience playing both the outside and in the slot. He could start at either spot if the Lions wanted to shift nickelback Amik Robertson into Davis’ role.

The Lions could also move Robertson and make safety Brian Branch more of a hybrid defensive back based on down and distance, with backup safety Brandon Joseph entering the game on nickel packages.



Finally, there are potential reinforcements on the way with rookie Ennis Rakestraw and veteran safety Ifeatu Melifonwu both eligible to return off injured reserve as soon as this week. Still, it’s difficult to imagine either would be immediately thrust into large defensive roles.

I’d lean toward the Lions choosing the simplest solution and turning to Vildor. But I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge my interest in seeing what Moseley can offer after two injury-plagued years. He was brought back this season for a reason. Now is the time to see if the team can get anything out of him.



Over-the-top criticism

I didn’t have a problem with Campbell opting for an onside kick attempt with 12 minutes remaining in the game.

At that point in the contest, Buffalo had already put up nearly 500 yards of offense, had scored on seven of eight drives (not including the end of the first half), and Detroit was coming off a quick-strike, five-play series that used just two minutes off the game clock, giving a beat down and beaten up defense little time to catch its breath.



Yes, onside kicks are a low-percentage play, but so was getting a defensive stop in this one, especially a three-and-out. Unintentionally proving the point with their next possession, the Bills netted three first downs and managed to kill six minutes off the clock.

On top of the decision, I thought Jake Bates’ kick was excellent, a high-bouncer that challenged the receiving team the way it was designed. Mack Hollins, a top-tier special teams player, simply made a great play. The receiver leaped, fully extended and got a hand on the bounding ball, tipping it to himself before his long return. The fact that he wasn’t able to snatch the ball cleanly shows the play worked as intended, the Lions' coverage group just wasn't able to finish.



Email: jrogers@detroitfootball.net

X: Justin_Rogers

Bluesky: Justin-Rogers

[whatever_gong82]

Just heard on Karsh and Anderson Monty may be out for the remainder of the year.

Damn.

[CGVT]

A little perspective.

[froot loops]

I wonder if we see our old friend Jerry Jacobs back.

[Meano.Culpa]

Just heard on Karsh and Anderson Monty may be out for the remainder of the year.

MCL

[Mainevent]

This team is resilient as hell, but this is probably just too much.

[Cody_Russell]

When it rains, it pours… the injury bug this season… Not good. It really sucks.

Just pray they can hold on during these last 3 weeks and get that #1 seed. Otherwise, this season could be the famous Charlie Brown football gif.

- at Bears. Given how the Bears have played the Lions in the last 3 matchups, this seems more like a toss up than what being favored by 7 points would suggest.
- at 49ers. Who knows what you get from the 49ers.
- vs Vikings. Spooky.

[froot loops]

The Black Knight didn't give up so neither should Lions fans. Just a mere flesh wound. Every redundancy and contingency of their depth is being tested. I'm kind of surprised the running back tandem has been as healthy as they've been.