Grades: Lions Dominated by Packers in Trenches
The Detroit Lions suffered their first divisional defeat in over a calendar year Thursday, losing, 29-22, to the Green Bay Packers.
It was the team's seventh-straight loss on Thanksgiving, a losing streak that dates back to 2016.
Here are the grades for each position group, based on the performance of each group in Thursday's loss.
Quarterback: D
Jared Goff committed three turnovers for the second straight game, including two deep in Lions territory. One was returned for a touchdown, while the defense forced a turnover on downs after the second.
There were breakdowns in pass protection all over the place Thursday, as Goff was sacked three times and hit 12 times. His lack of mobility became an issue, as he was unable to extend plays upon being rushed.
He looked to be in disarray for much of Thursday's game. He missed an open Sam LaPorta on a third-down crossing route, and wasn't on the same page as Jahmyr Gibbs on an option route.
Goff also was whistled for an untimely intentional grounding in the first half that stalled one of the Lions' drives.
Running backs: B
The Lions' run game started slowly, but the consistent effort by David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs wound up giving the Lions' offense a bit of life in the second half.
Montgomery was quiet in the first half, but accounted for both a touchdown and the ensuing two-point conversion on the first series of the third quarter. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry, while Gibbs was good for 4.9.
Gibbs also contributed four receptions, but notched just 19 yards through the air. While consistent in the second half, neither was able to generate a big, breakaway run that they've been able to secure the last two weeks.
Elsewhere, linebacker-turned-fullback Malcolm Rodriguez converted a third down, with his first career catch.
Wide receivers: C+
Amon-Ra St. Brown had another big day despite just two catches in the first half. He hauled in a total of nine passes for 95 yards, bringing his season total to 993.
St. Brown displayed his strength on one particular third quarter reception, where he wrestled the ball away from cornerback Carrington Valentine after making a contested catch.
Kalif Raymond posted a season-high 90 yards receiving on five catches. He was whistled for holding in the end zone that negated a Montgomery score, though the call was questionable given that he was thrown by the Packers defender.
Jameson Williams, meanwhile, hauled in two passes and showed off his speed with 51 yards. The second-year wideout continues to prove himself worthy of a bigger workload.
Josh Reynolds caught a touchdown from Goff with less than a minute left in the game. Donovan Peoples-Jones, meanwhile, remains without a catch since coming to Detroit at the trade deadline. He was flagged for lining up offsides, though, one play prior to Goff's first fumble.
Tight ends: B-
Sam LaPorta had an excellent first series, totaling 38 yards and a touchdown on two catches. However, his impact was quieter the rest of the way, as he finished with just five catches for 47 yards.
Goff missed him on a third-down in the first half, and another pass glanced off his hands despite a diving attempt. Brock Wright had a nine-yard catch, while James Mitchell played snaps in the red zone but did not get a target.
Offensive line: F
Without Jonah Jackson for a second straight week, the Lions' offensive line was beaten around by a relentless Packers pass rush. Rashan Gary produced all sorts of problems, finishing with three sacks working mostly against Taylor Decker.
Green Bay caused plenty of trouble against Detroit's left side of the line, as stunts targeted at rookie left guard Colby Sorsdal made life difficult up front. Sorsdal was benched in favor of Kayode Awosika in the second half.
Penei Sewell nearly allowed a sack when he was beaten by Preston Smith on a fourth-down attempt. In total, the Packers collected 12 quarterback hits.
Defensive line: F
For the second time in three games, the Lions failed to get as much as a single sack. Aidan Hutchinson got close on a couple of occasions, but he was clearly a point of emphasis as the Packers often chipped and kept multiple bodies on him.
Hutchinson was able to get a tackle for loss amongst his two tackles. Alim McNeill left briefly with injury but returned in the second quarter. As a cohesive unit, the Lions managed just four quarterback hits against Jordan Love.
The Packers limited the impact of the Lions' pass-rush, dominating the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Linebackers: D
Much of Love's success through the air came in the middle of the field, where he diced up the Lions at the second and third level. The linebackers, particularly Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes, struggled to defend their coverage zones.
Anzalone missed an open field tackle, while Campbell was flat-footed on Love's touchdown pass to Jayden Reed to open the scoring. Both players were burned on a run fake that resulted directly in Green Bay's second touchdown.
Secondary: D
Green Bay set the tone from the opening snap Thursday, as Christian Watson beat Cam Sutton for a 53-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage. Love, who through two interceptions against the Lions in their first meeting, shined Thursday by throwing three scores and not turning the ball over.
Malik Heath, who had just one career catch coming into the game, finished with four catches for 46 yards working primarily against Jerry Jacobs.
Brian Branch did finish with a team-best eight tackles, but was beat on Reed's touchdown after lining up head-up in the slot.
Special teams: C-
The Lions elected to gamble with a fake punt in the third quarter, and it was a rare instance where Dan Campbell's riskiness didn't pay off. Those instances are exciting when the work, but often backfire when they don't.
In Thursday's case, the decision came too deep in Detroit's own territory and led directly to Green Bay's only touchdown of the second half. Campbell directly took the blame for the call following the game.
Riley Patterson's only kick attempt was the first extra point, which he missed wide right.
Elsewhere, Jack Fox averaged just 41.5 yards per punt, while Khalil Dorsey returned four kicks for a total of 98 yards. Kalif Raymond also returned a missed field goal at the end of the first half for 50 yards.
Coaching: D
Thursday took on a feel similar to Sunday's game for the Lions, as the team looked sluggish for most of the afternoon. Unlike the win over Chicago just four days prior, the Lions were unable to pull off a miraculous rally.
Turnovers put both the offense and defense in tough spots. Back-to-back possessions ending in fumbles made it difficult for the Lions to get in a rhythm. Meanwhile, the defense was forced to start backed up, after already allowing two touchdowns to open the game.
Concerns are continuing to mount about Aaron Glenn's defense. The lack of synchronous effort between the team's coverage and pass-rush continues to hurt the unit.
Jordan Love entered the game completing under 60 percent of his passes, but he diced the secondary. This is an area the Lions must fix if they want to contend in the postseason.
The offense was also spotty at best. The flow was interrupted by turnovers, but it seemed as though the Lions were a touch too attached to the run game despite their early struggles in that area.
Detroit has room to grow despite its 8-3 start. That's a luxury not afforded to every team. Though the potential remains for the Lions to make a run come playoff time, there are legitimate issues, namely in the secondary and pass-rush, that will have to be corrected soon.
