Lions Fumble Opportunity to Build Momentum
An unusual week of practice, defined by a wave of illness that ravaged the Lions' roster, ended with an all-too-familiar result for Dan Campbell and company on Sunday: A loss.
Running back Jamaal Williams, defensive backs Tracy Walker, Bobby Price, Mark Gilbert and Ifeatu Melifonwu, as well as center Evan Brown all missed Detroit's Week 14 loss in Denver due to being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
That was on top of tight end T.J. Hockenson, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, outside linebacker Julian Okwara and running back D'Andre Swift all being ruled out of the contest as the result of a variety of injuries.
It left the already talent-barren Lions with a depleted roster for their matchup with the Broncos, destroying virtually any chance Campbell & Co. had to build some positive momentum after capturing their first victory of the season a week ago against the Minnesota Vikings.
Additionally, the multitude of inactives put Detroit signal-caller Jared Goff in the unenviable state of being without his top offensive weapons, specifically Hockenson and Swift. And boy, did he miss the two of them, as the Lions struggled to move the football through the air all afternoon long.
© Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Ron Chenoy, USA TODAY Sports
Goff averaged just 4.8 yards per pass attempt, and he and the entire Detroit offense struggled to execute on third down. In fact, Goff & Co. suceeded on just five of their 14 third-down conversion attempts, bringing an early end to many of their nine offensive possessions on the day.
Despite the depleted nature of the roster, Goff failed to use it as an excuse for the team's offensive woes Sunday.
“It doesn’t matter. No one feels bad for us. No one feels sorry for us, including ourselves,” Goff said after the game. “We went out here intending to win and came up short. Don’t care who was on the field. We had the guys that we believe in to win, and made too many mistakes.”
Goff finished the contest 24-of-39 for 215 yards, to go along with a touchdown and an interception.
From a defensive standpoint, the Lions' roster was further ravaged by injury after the game started.
Linebacker Alex Anzalone and cornerback Jerry Jacobs each were lost to injury in the first half.
Jacobs, for one, suffered a left knee injury on the opening possession of the contest for the Broncos.
Both he and Anzalone, who departed prematurely with an ankle injury, failed to log another snap prior to the end of the game.
And to no surprise, Aaron Glenn's defense suffered the repercussions of being without several of its key playmakers.
After allowing under 30 points for four straight weeks, the shorthanded Detroit defensive unit permitted 38 points to Teddy Bridgewater and the Broncos Sunday.
A major reason why: The defense's failure to get stops in the red zone. Bridgewater & Co., in fact, converted on each of their five tries inside the Lions' 20-yard line.
And key to the Broncos' offensive success was their ground attack.
Glenn & Co. failed to stop Denver's run game all afternoon long, allowing the Broncos' backs to rush 39 times for 184 yards and three touchdowns.
Veteran back Melvin Gordon accounted for 111 of those yards and two of those TDs, while rookie runner Javonte Williams was responsible for the remaining 73 yards and a score himself.
In totality, Denver's ground game gashed the Lions to the tune of 4.7 yards per carry.
Detroit also found its fair share of success on the ground. Craig Reynolds, one of seven Lions practice-squad players elevated to the active roster prior to the Week 14 contest, rushed for 83 yards on 11 carries (7.5 yards per carry). A promising stat for Detroit's Swift-less and Williams-less run game on Sunday.
However, it doesn't paint the entire picture.
Godwin Igwebuike, the one-time safety, also garnered eight carries on the day, rushing for 25 yards. And, on one of those eight carries, he coughed up the football.
It came on the second play of the second half, with the Lions down just one score at the time, 17-10.
No pun intended, Igwebuike fumbled away any remaining chance Campbell's squad had to build upon its Week 13 victory.
After that, the Broncos proceeded to score 21 unanswered points, putting away Detroit in dominant fashion, 38-10.
Similar to Goff, Campbell didn't deploy Detroit's shorthanded roster as a reason for the team's poor performance in the Mile High City.
"What we had to do was not ideal. But, we were prepared to come in to this game with the guys that we had, and we had a gameplan ready to go. And, we knew what we needed to do, and didn’t do it,” Campbell said. “It was too many mistakes, or we’re right there to make a play, and we don’t make the play. So, we just weren’t good enough.”
As Goff and Campbell echoed, this isn't the time for excuses to be made. The Lions got beaten soundly by a better Broncos team, which more than likely would have still won even if Detroit was at full health.
Another week. Another loss. And yet again, it's back to the drawing board for Campbell and his coaching staff.
