Detroit Lions Week 3 report card: Self-inflicted wounds lead to fourth quarter collapse

Coaching Staff: 1/5 stars

As mentioned earlier, there were some very questionable coaching decisions down the stretch of this game. Even beyond the fourth down decisions, the play calling was also very questionable down the stretch. There was severe over-reliance on play-action on fourth downs. There were multiple instances where a third-and-short call would involve throws deep down the field. And even though D’Andre Swift didn’t play all that much, there were a lot of runs outside the tackles in short-yardage situations when the Vikings were stacking the line of scrimmage.

It was very puzzling to watch these decisions unfold, and they look even worse in hindsight. The coaching staff undoubtedly was the primary culprit in the Lions’ loss on Sunday.

Play of the game: Amon-Ra St. Brown’s 30-yard catch 

On the Lions’ second drive of the game, having come off a drive which ended with a failed field goal, Detroit came out on fourth down and went for it. On the play, St. Brown came across on a short crossing route and caught the ball just short of the sticks. After that, he showcased what he can do with the ball in his hands.

Hopefully, the right ankle injury he picked up in this game is nothing serious. St. Brown is the most important piece to this offense, and losing him would be a catastrophe.

Final thoughts

To rehash the point, it’s not the fact that the Lions lost–it’s how they lost. Self-inflicted wounds always make defeat sting a little more. Now Detroit heads home to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4. Given the events of this game against Minnesota, you can be sure there will be a lot of anger looking to be unleashed next week.