Grading the Lions for Loss to Packers

Matt Prater

Getty Matt Prater celebrates his field goals in Green Bay.

The Detroit Lions nearly escaped Lambeau Field with a key road win that would have shifted the balance of power in the NFC North. Instead of that, they got more of the same in the form of business from the referees and lost a heartbreaker 23-22.

Detroit got off to another hot start but simply couldn’t maintain in the end thanks to their own ability not to move the ball and the struggles they had against the Green Bay defense. Still, in the end, they should have had a shot to win if not for two phantom hands to the face penalties which determined the outcome.

How did each position group grade out for the effort this week in primetime? Here’s a look at how the grades average out for Detroit this week.


Offense

C-

The Lions offense started hot and aggressive hitting two straight deep passes which sparked two scoring drives. Then, inexplicably, they couldn’t find a way to get anyone going deep for big plays. They ran the ball a bit too much on early downs and got conservative. One touchdown isn’t going to cut it on the road, especially being close in the red zone multiple times. The offensive line couldn’t do anything to protect up front. It was a below average game for Detroit’s offense. The Lions did enough to win, but if they had done more, the referees probably wouldn’t have come into play late. As a result, the offense gets docked this week.

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Defense

B+

Detroit’s defense battled all night against Aaron Rodgers and were winning the war with their scrappy effort. They had a brilliant takeaway courtesy of Justin Coleman and were tough against the run despite allowing some big plays. There’s a ton to like about Detroit’s defense, which seems to keep them in every single game they play. This game, they nearly had enough to win, but they simply ran out of bullets and ran out of time. The referees didn’t help, either. Detroit’s defense probably needed to get to Rodgers more, but how were they supposed to do that when Clete Blakeman’s crew was acting as his bodyguard. It was a gritty effort on the road that fans can be very proud of.


Special Teams

A+

Matt Prater was arguably the MVP of the game with his 5 field goals. The Lions punted the ball well with Sam Martin and also created a key turnover on special teams. Detroit did a great job on special teams to help the team, and they were arguably the only reason the Lions nearly escaped Lambeau Field with a huge win. A phenomenal game from this group and one which should spark the team moving forward.


Coaching

B

Off the bye week, the Lions offense should have been much more explosive and creative, but Darrell Bevell simply wasn’t able to stay aggressive and keep the foot on the gas. Defensively, Detroit’s plan saves the staff as they kept Rodgers in check minus one superhuman throw he made. Matt Patricia is classy to a fault, but it would have been nice to see him go after the officials a bit in the aftermath of a game which was quite literally stolen from him. Still, the staff did a decent job.

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