Getty Matt Patricia reacts to a play against Tampa Bay.
The Detroit Lions came into their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with little to play for but pride. By the time the game had ended, they didn’t even have much of that to show.
Detroit fell behind early behind what was a pathetic offense, then fought back behind an outburst of competent play, but wilted late with more frustrating mistakes. In the end, the 38-17 final was probably a little more distant than it should have been, but the Lions earned their fate with a bad afternoon.
What else was learned from this game, Detroit’s seventh defeat in a row this season? Here’s a look.
Detroit Looked Unprepared Again
The Lions started the game in a trance, falling behind 21-0 in a flash and not putting up much of a fight. Their offense was putrid, and their defense couldn’t get a single stop early on in order to make things feel more respectable. As the game wore on, the Lions did better to settle in and play hard. Why did it take so long with nothing but pride to play for? The Lions haven’t looked prepared to start games in recent weeks, and this was another ugly example of that. For a coach who is trying to make a case to stay, Matt Patricia hasn’t seen his squads get off to the best of starts or play complete games in recent weeks. That’s the bad news.
Hold the David Blough Hype Train
Blough has looked serviceable in spurts which is amazing considering he was a third string undrafted free agent rookie, but it’s not likely Blough is going to be as special as some people felt when he came into the league with a bang on Thanksgiving Day. Blough can still be a serviceable backup, and that’s all the team should hope for him at this point. He still makes too many tough mistakes as his interceptions showed on the day.
Matt Patricia Should be on Shaky Ground
It’s hard to pull the plug on a coach who’s only had two seasons on the job, especially considering the injuries the team has dealt with. In spite of this, how have the Lions improved under Patricia? Their defense was a disaster even early in the season when the team was healthy, and that’s a direct reflection on the head coach. The more the Lions lose down the stretch, the worse Patricia’s case to stay should become. The Lions might need a veteran head coach to get some untapped potential out of this roster. The team’s weak starts only help intensify the fact that Detroit is playing poorly and may have checked out.
The Lions Have Tons of Roster Holes
What is Detroit’s biggest need? Is it pass rush? Offensive line? Secondary help? Linebacker help? Another running back? A compelling case could be made for needs at all of these spots given what’s happened so far this season. There seems to be so many questions and so many holes that the Lions have a ton of work to do, no matter whether Bob Quinn returns as general manager or not. More depth and better depth is needed for the Lions everywhere. They have a lot of work to do to pull out of this hole.
Lion? Wes Hills, RB. Nobody expected anything from Hills on this day given he was just promoted to the team, and yet he delivered with 2 touchdowns and several nice runs. Hills looks like he could be a solid player for the Lions to get a look at into the offseason given how solid and tough he runs in between the tackles. Hills, Danny Amendola and Devon Kennard were some players who didn’t give up on the afternoon. Credit to them.
Lamb? Defensive backfield. Everyone in this group deserves a negative nod this week. Detroit was burnt to a crisp defensively by Jameis Winston and they had no answers for the passing game. Just another awful week for every single defensive back on the roster given how they played.
Stat to Note: 3, the number of turnovers the Lions had on the day. Detroit wasn’t able to win the turnover battle which is a big reason the team lost. With one of those going for a score, there was simply no way the Lions would recover. Detroit has been inconsistent this season, and didn’t force enough turnovers or prevent enough to win what became a close game.
He Said It: “The one thing that is consistent is the team fights. They work hard.” -Matt Patricia. Afterward, Patricia said that he still thinks the team is fighting hard. That may be the case, but it’s hard for many to be encouraged when the Lions continue to lose games.
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