Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard had a lot of excuses for his defense this past week.
Leading into their Week 16 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sheppard told reporters that outside of a few poor performances against the run, their run defense overall was one he liked.
“You can’t play this game of taking plays away, but nobody, and I can stand on the table behind this, nobody has just lined up and ran the ball down our throats or made us like the run game. They popped an explosive run here and there that’ll generate that big number, but that 24, 19 yarder, take that out alone, they’re standing at 4.0 a carry, which is—around this league in the NFL—that’ll sit you right around the top-10 and right where you want to be.”
Sheppard has to be feeling the heat right about now after the kind of offensive showing allowed to take place at the hands of the Steelers in this huge loss. Detroit is statistically out of the postseason after dropping their Week 16 game against the Steelers by a final score of 29-24, and much of this loss has to do with that same run defense Sheppard seems to like so much.
3 losers and 1 winner from Lions' postseason-eliminating loss to Steelers
Loser: Kelvin Sheppard
We need to start with Sheppard. No resistance was offered against one of the worst running back rooms in the NFL, and the Lions allowed them to rush for 230 yards by the end of it all. The lack of available starting safeties is obviously a huge detriment to Sheppard, who has to scheme for almost entirely new defensive units every week, it seems.
But, to get defensive about your run defense, knowing how poorly they've done over the last few weeks, just to give up just about anything to Pittsburgh in a must-win situation? That's just inexcusable. Sheppard has a ton of work to do ahead of the Lions' Christmas Day match, but it's just becoming too little, too late.
Loser: The Lions' offensive line
We knew heading into this contest that the Lions were going to be ridiculously shorthanded on their offensive line. Graham Glasgow sitting out in addition to not having Kayode Awosika meant the Lions would have to hope that Kingsley Eguakun and Michael Niese could step up and play a solid game with their pass blocking. That hope faded pretty quickly.
The line could not get much going for the Lions' run game, and Goff was hit nine times by Steelers defenders. He was also sacked three times in a game where T.J. Watt didn't even suit up. It was a disaster from the jump, and another notch on an injury-riddled season for Detroit.
You have to hope they get healthier by Thursday, but with a slim shot of making the postseason, it feels like they may begin to lax a bit on expectations for players to return in time for the Lions' final two contests.
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Loser: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Call it what you want: the refs are screwing the Lions again, or that the league has it out for this team. The frustration bubbling up from fans starting out from the phantom touchdown awarded to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15 and leading into the wild finish from this game is understandable. However, in a huge spot to potentially win on a game-sealing touchdown pass, Amon-Ra St. Brown simply cannot expect to get away with as blatant of a push off as he performed on his defender.
St. Brown can't be completely blamed for this loss. Obviously, a lack of a run game established in addition to a defense that couldn't stop a bloody nose, helped get this team a loss. But in as big of a moment as that, St. Brown has to be smarter. Jared Goff managed to score on that play, but it was wiped out due to that move.
Winner: Jared Goff
In big moments, Jared Goff is often expected to fold. It's the reputation that follows him from his days as the Rams' quarterback, and one he hasn't been able to shake with the Lions. So, on the potentially game-winning drive in this game, it felt like we were just waiting to see how he'd mess things up. Maybe an interception, or a fumble.
Instead, Goff (and, truthfully, the Steelers' follies) led the Lions all the way down the red zone, where he nearly had a touchdown pass to Isaac TeSlaa that he couldn't hold onto and a touchdown run on a lateral pass from St. Brown that was wiped off the board entirely because of St. Brown's antics. He finished up the game with 364 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero turnovers.
Goff did everything he needed to do, and still couldn't win this one for Detroit. His play as of late has been excellent, and it's been completely buried by just how poorly the rest of the Lions have done these last few weeks.