The Detroit Lions’ offense played against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. The Detroit Lions’ defense stood around and pointed fingers at each other for the entire first half, which basically ended the game.
If you can believe it, the special teams played even worse than the defense, but I will get into that quite heavily later on. After falling behind 31-3, the Lions went on to make the game look closer than it actually was. There is quite a bit to dissect from this beating, and no, none of it has to do with refereeing. If the defense gives up 31 points in one half, the refereeing is a moot point. To see what actually mattered, take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of Sunday’s loss to the Packers.
The Good
Dwayne Washington
Washington did not have gaudy stats on Sunday, but after Theo Riddick started the running game to the tune of 5 carries for -10 yards, a running back going forwards instead of backwards was a sight to behold. Washington finished the game with 38 yards on 10 attempts. Considering the Packers were allowing 1.6 yards per attempt on the ground prior to Sunday, Washington deserves accolades.
Marvin Jones
The Green Bay Packers must have forgot that A.J. Green was not on the opposite side of the field from Marvin Jones on Sunday. Jones was constantly open in the opposing secondary, finishing with six catches for 205 yards (a career high) and two touchdowns. Jones made tough grabs look easy all day, including a 73-yard catch and run for the first Lions touchdown of the game. While Jim Bob Cooter continues to use Golden Tate as a glorified gimmick, Marvin Jones is thriving as the number one option.
Kerry Hyder
#KerryHyder4MVP
I will continue to praise Kerry Hyder until he is no longer deserving of being praised. Hyder picked up yet another sack on Sunday, increasing his total to four on the year. He also drew a “key” holding penalty in the 2nd quarter on a 3rd down play where Aaron Rodgers ran for a first. Hyder is going to continue to receive starting snaps with Ansah sidelined for another week or two. He absolutely deserves to be starting on defense after his first few weeks. And yes, this tweet is correct.
Kerry Hyder just tied Von Miller for first in sacks in the NFL
— Mike Payton (@POD_Payton) September 25, 2016
The Bad
Kickoff returns
Rant time! This year, the NFL decided to change some kickoff rules for reasons unbeknownst to anyone with a functioning brain. Instead of touchbacks being brought out to the 20, the new rule increased the yardage to the 25. Even last year, attempting to return kickoffs five or six yards deep in the endzone was a fool’s errand. Special teams units are faster than ever, kickers are able to drive kicks high in the air, and the coverage team starts five yards closer than in the past.
With the new rule bringing touchbacks out to the 25 yard line, it is even more dumbfounding to see return men try to run kicks back from five or six yards deep. Memo to Andre Roberts: STOP TRYING THIS. Memo to Joe Marciano: STOP SENDING ROBERTS OUT THERE. Last year, Minnesota had the best return yards average in the NFL at 28.3. The NFL average was 24.1 in 2015. Stats via ESPN.
So, to make a positive play whilst returning a kick five yards deep, one must make 30 yards happen. Or, in more infuriating terms, one must out-gain the best average in the NFL last year by two yards to have any positive impact. If your name is INSERT ANY LIONS RETURNER NOT NAMED AMEER ABDULLAH SINCE EDDIE DRUMMOND, you are not going to pick up 30 yards. Stop trying. If the ball is even two yards deep, DOWN IT. There is nothing wrong with that anymore. Every attempt this year to return the ball has ended in utter failure, and has actively damaged the team’s hopes of winning. The Lions were averaging 19 yards per return this year before this game. That average somehow took a hit on Sunday. Bad returns not only hurt the offense, but the defense as well.
While I’m at it, why is Andre Roberts still returning kicks? Better yet, why is Andre Roberts still on this team? What does he offer? I have yet to see him make a single man miss a tackle. Yet to see him break a tackle, to see him even attempt to try to make a man miss. I refuse to believe T.J. Jones is a worse option. I refuse to believe that Jace Billingsley is a worse option. There is no need for Roberts to be stealing, er, collecting paychecks from the Lions anymore. None.
Eric Ebron’s fumbleception
Ebron had himself a nice day for the most part against a depleted Packer’s secondary, tying his career high in catches on Sunday. However, he also solely contributed to the lone “interception” that Matthew Stafford threw on the day. Ebron caught a pass and immediately had it ripped from his grasp by Damarious Randall and taken the other way. Little did we know this was just the beginning of an even worse half of football.
The Ugly
Teryl Austin’s defense
Where to start with this? I suppose I could begin with Thurston Armbrister covering Jordy Nelson one-on-one late in the first quarter.
"Thurston Armbrister" covering Jordy man to man is not a recipe for success
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) September 25, 2016
Maybe I’ll start with dropping Haloti Ngata into coverage in the red zone early in the second quarter. I think, actually, I’ll begin with Devin Taylor being asked to cover Richard Rodgers in the red zone. Obviously, it is difficult to stop Aaron Rodgers in the first place, especially without the team’s two best defensive players. But Teryl Austin was trying to be cute with the defense the whole first half to disastrous results. While the second half was better, the Packers offense seemed to coast, and the game was basically over anyway. Austin needs to fix this fast if he wants to avoid the axe.
Laken Tomlinson
It might be time to see if Joe Dahl can play left guard. Dahl might be more suited to play right guard, but Larry Warford has solidified that spot by now. Laken Tomlinson, on the other hand, has to be on the thinnest ice imaginable. Every game this year, Tomlinson has been the weak link on the line.
Even today, with rookie left tackle Taylor Decker having his toughest game so far, Tomlinson looked worse. (Side note: it amazes me that Decker is even having good games at all considering his rookie status and who is lining up next to him) As Jeff Risdon pointed out in the post-game video, the Lions ran to the left on the first drive of the game five times. They literally went backwards on every one of those runs for -10 yards. Tomlinson completed the unholy lineman trifecta today of committing a penalty, giving up a sack, and getting beat on every other run play.
Obscure, idiotic NFL rule bites the Lions in the butt part 47
This apparently means that the Packers get the ball at the 40-yard line.
Yes, a kickoff that stayed in bounds, stopped at the two yard line, and garnished no penalty flags, eventually ended with the receiving team getting the ball at the 40. If this makes any sense to you, please, comment. I have no other words to describe how idiotic this rule is, and I would put a $50 bill on the league changing the wording or the rule itself this offseason. Lather, rinse, repeat. There is no defense for rules such as this.
South Park?
Late in the 4th quarter, Fox decided that it was the right time to run a story about Aaron Rodgers meeting Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park. This was relevant because, uh, well, Fox thought it helped him prepare for the upcoming game better? That was the narrative. What exactly was the point of that? Especially deep into the 4th quarter when the game started to become closer? Kudos, Fox.
The Lions’ depleted team happily travels to Soldier Field to play the Chicago Bears next week. If this team lays another egg on defense against Brian Hoyer and the Bears, it might be time to say goodbye to the season. I suppose we will cross that shaky bridge when we come to it.