The Detroit Lions came into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with a chance to make a statement, but failed to do so.
Detroit struggled offensively and on defense most of the afternoon, and once again proved why they aren’t ready for primetime against a good team. The Lions have clawed back to relevancy in 2020, but it’s been based on a soft schedule and playing teams who were very poor in the last few weeks.
With a chance to prove they were here to belong in 2020 and could be on the move, the Lions fell apart miserably and couldn’t beat a good team that was 4-2 coming into the game. As a result, they will still be called fraudulent, and it’s a title that they have earned.
If the Lions want to be taken seriously, they need to start winning games that are big and pit competition that is their equal or better than equal. Until that time, they will remain stuck, and tangible signs of improvement will be few and far between for Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn.
When judging the 2020 Lions, this game and other big games against good teams will have to be taken into account by ownership. Unless the Lions improve, it will be a struggle to say they have truthfully turned a corner.
Here’s some more lessons from another failed hunt.
Tough Defending Matthew Stafford
Once again in a big game, Stafford struggled mightily and couldn’t muster the big plays in order to help the Lions win. Stafford also made a pair of critical errors with a fumble and a pick six. It’s not a stretch to say the game swung violently to the Colts with these mistakes. Stafford doesn’t have many big wins on his resume, and with errors like this plaguing his big games, it’s tough to take Stafford seriously as a big game quarterback. Until he manages to win one, it will be tough to defend Stafford anymore.
Kenny Golladay’s Injury Hurt Lions
When the game truthfully fell apart was when the Lions lost Golladay to his hip injury. After that point, Detroit’s offense couldn’t get anything done and it was a struggle in a big way for the team moving forward. Without Golladay, the Lions will be in a desperate place moving forward on offense so the hope is he can have a quick recovery. The Lions are 0-3 without Golladay playing which is a major red flag for the team. Detroit has to hope Golladay can come back, otherwise they will be in trouble on offense.
Lions’ MVP vs. Colts: Marvin Jones, WR
With a pair of scores, Jones showed again why he is important to the team and can be a player that makes things happen on the field. The good news? He scored a pair of touchdowns and looked good on the day. With Kenny Golladay perhaps fighting injury, Jones might be needed more than ever for the second half and the Lions probably cannot trade him whatsoever.
Lions’ Lamb vs. Colts: Justin Coleman, CB
It wasn’t a happy homecoming for Coleman, who struggled in a big way in his return to the field after injury. Were the Lions better without Justin Coleman? It’s very possible considering he struggled badly in the game and looked out of place. Detroit spent big on Coleman, but he is inconsistent at best and looked that way again this week.
Lions Stat of the Game: 2
That’s the number of turnovers the Lions had on the day, both of which were critical and backbreaking in the second half. To win big games, teams have to avoid turnovers and the Lions didn’t manage to get this done at all in this game, which was bad news.
Lions’ Quote To Note:
“There’s nothing for me to worry about or even ask.” -Marvin Jones. Jones was asked about the trade rumors and confirmed that he isn’t feeling any worry before the deadline. With the team’s new injury at wideout, it would be a major shock to see Jones on the block now.
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Hunt Report: Lions Still Not Good Enough for ‘Big Game’ Wins