Detroit Lions Week 11 Report Card: Another close loss

Special Teams-4/5 Stars

Overall it was another good day for the special teams. Jack Fox was very good as always, and the punt coverage was superb.

New kicker Aldrick Rosas was also good, hitting both kicks he attempted–one extra point and a 43-yard field goal.

The only negative was the kick return game. Godwin Igwebuike averaged just 19 yards per return, with a long of 23.

Nonetheless, another game where the special teams did their jobs and did them well.

Coaching Staff-3/5 Stars

I am running out of ways to praise Aaron Glenn. His defense has been really good in most games this season, considering expectations.

Aubrey Pleasant also deserves an abundance of credit for his work with the secondary. The pair has done great work this year and every Lions fan should be hoping he and Glenn are here a long time.

On the flip side, I’m not a fan of Dan Campbell calling offensive plays. His ultra-conservative calls on third-and-longs are infuriating.

The most egregious example comes from the Lions’ final drive of the game. Down by three with just over three minutes left in the game, the Lions ran the ball on third-and-14, before punting the ball away.

Anthony Lynn was easy to criticize when he was calling plays, and Campbell deserves the same treatment here. The effectiveness of the offense has not changed much since the switch in play-callers, and Campbell’s conservative tilt has not been surprising.

Final Thoughts:

Another very frustrating game to watch. The defense made plays, and the offense couldn’t capitalize. It’s a story that has been told all season long, and it was retold once more against the Browns.

Now the Lions will head back home to prepare for their Thanksgiving clash against the Chicago Bears. Hopefully, it goes better than last year, a 41-25 loss to the Houston Texans. The Lions also lost to the Bears on Thanksgiving Day in 2018 and 2019, so there’s a streak going there.

Week 11 Final grade: 3/5 stars