Getty Will Harris looks on after a Lions loss to the Ravens.
The Detroit Lions have done a decent job in 2021 trying to figure out their roster for the future, and that should have continued during a messy Week 4 performance against the Chicago Bears.
During Detroit’s 24-14 loss, one player stood out in a negative way, and it was none other than safety Will Harris. Harris was typically around the football in a negative way for the Detroit defense, and looked routinely out of position early on a pair of key Chicago scoring drives.
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This season, the Lions have already purged players like Jahlani Tavai and Jamie Collins from the team for not fitting the defense. While Harris might fit what Detroit wants to do, his mental errors have simply been too much for the team to overcome early in the season and have led to some losses. Bob Quinn’s tenure was rankled by players playing out of position and struggling on the field, and it’s possible that Harris is the last link to this.
By playing someone like Darryl Worley, the Lions wouldn’t lose much at safety, and may actually unearth a player they could use both now and in the future on defense. In an exploratory season, that should be the goal.
The Lions are trying to figure out who they can count on in the future, and through the early part of the season, it’s becoming clear that Harris is not one such player. If he cannot get on the same page with his teammates, why do the Lions bother trying to run him on the field hoping for better results? It’s time for yet another tough decision with Harris.
What else was learned in this game? Here’s a look.
Detroit’s Mindset Was Very ‘Same Old Lions’
Changing a culture is going to take time for Dan Campbell, and that’s especially true given the trouble the team has on their roster in terms of depth at certain spots. Still, coming off a game in which the Lions had their hearts ripped out, the team had a slow start and showed pathetic execution. This is why it might not be as simple as some folks think to flip the culture. The Lions badly needed a stronger effort from the get-go and they came out flat and undisciplined. That’s about as “same old” as it gets, even for these “new” Lions.
Not Everything Is Jared Goff’s Fault
Naturally, Goff is going to get his share of the blame after some fumbles and an ugly turnover. Still, fans should probably refrain from putting too much blame on the shoulders of the quarterback. Goff battled back in the second half and had the team in a good position to be back in the game. He’s dealing with a dinged-up offensive line and a wideout group that feels like a patchwork quilt. Additionally, Goff’s defense is inconsistent at best. Perhaps Lions fans should take a step back before blaming Goff for everything that plays out on the field given what is happening this year.
Dan Campbell Shouldn’t Go for Every Fourth Down
Though fans will continue to beat the drum that Campbell did the right thing late in Detroit’s loss, going for it on fourth down deep in Bears territory with points in the back pocket seems to be the coach’s most glaring mistake of his young career in Detroit. It’s one thing not to coach scared, but the Lions had all the momentum late and should have tried to keep pressure on the Bears by putting points on the board. Putting it bluntly, it was a mistake to go for the fourth down late in the game.
Lion? Kalif Raymond, Wide Receiver
It was a big game on the scoreboard and the stat sheet for Raymond considering he was able to pick up 2 touchdowns on the day and 46 yards. The last few weeks of the season, Raymond has managed to step up and do a great job to cement himself as a key combatant in a wideout group that needs someone to step up in a major way.
Lamb? Detroit’s Offense
The Lions struggled to put the ball in the end zone consistently. Given all the trips on the day to the red zone, the team should have been able to pound the ball in more. 14 points isn’t going to cut it whatsoever, so the Lions flunk this test by showing up far too little, too late in this game when it counted offensively.
Lions’ Stat of the Game: 188
That’s the number of rushing yards the Lions allowed on the afternoon. A week after snuffing out the Baltimore rushing attack, the Lions allowed far too much from David Montgomery on the ground and were not able to overcome his early touchdowns. Detroit’s defense has been inconsistent, and this stat only proves once and for all how the team needs to find a way to get more balanced defensive production in the trenches.
Johnson’s Career Statistics
Lions’ Quote to Note: “The same mistakes are showing up now a little bit. We got to find a way or we got to find somebody else to do them. It’s not from lack of effort, it’s not from want-to. It’s just, they’re hurting us a little bit right now.” -Dan Campbell. Speaking about the secondary, Campbell seemed to hint that he isn’t happy with what the team is doing on the field. Whether that includes Harris or not remains anyone’s guess.
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Hunt Report: Lions’ Roster Purge Must Continue With Will Harris