Lions' Week 5 Grades: Lions Wave White Flag Before Bye Week
A windy Sunday afternoon began with optimism for the Detroit Lions.
The Lions entered the game hoping to roll a New England Patriots team starting its third-string quarterback. However, defensive struggles and an ineffective offense made for a nightmarish day.
The Lions were shut out Sunday, 29-0, and fell to 1-4 entering their bye week. Here are the grades for each position group based on their performance in Sunday’s game.
Quarterback: F
For the first time this season, the Lions' offense was stagnant. Quarterback Jared Goff was uncomfortable and on the move for most of the afternoon, an area in which he struggled. He finished 19-for-35 for 229 yards, an interception and fumble lost.
His interception came in the red zone on a wheel route intended for tight end T.J. Hockenson. The pick was recorded by safety Jack Jones.
The back-breaking moment, however, was his second-quarter fumble. On fourth-and-9, Goff was sacked and stripped by New England defensive end Matthew Judon. Kyle Dugger recovered the fumble, and returned it 59 yards for the score.
Goff did a better job of moving the offense later in the game, but couldn’t get it to result in points. The Lions were unable to convert any of their six fourth-down attempts, and were just 1-for-3 passing for zero yards on those efforts.
Running backs: D-
Playing from behind for most of the game, the Lions rarely tried to run the ball in the second half. D’Andre Swift missed his second straight game, meaning Detroit had to lean on the trio of Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds and Justin Jackson.
Williams was kept in check to the tune of 56 yards on 15 carries, while Reynolds and Jackson combined for 38 on nine attempts. Reynolds was responsible for the biggest play of the game for the offense when he took a short pass up the sideline for a 36-yard gain.
Wide receivers: D
Josh Reynolds had his third consecutive game with at least 80 yards receiving and became the team leader in yards with a 92-yard performance Sunday.
Amon-Ra St. Brown returned to action after missing last week’s game but was a limited contributor. The Fox broadcast reported that he’d be on a limited snap count and he finished with just four catches for 18 yards.
Elsewhere, there wasn’t much production to speak of. Kalif Raymond had a solid day, catching five passes for 45 yards to round out the Lions’ receiving number. Tom Kennedy caught a touchdown that was called back because of offensive pass interference and finished without a catch.
Tight ends: F
T.J. Hockenson entered Sunday’s game coming off a career-best showing against Seattle. Yet, he was rendered ineffective by the Patriots’ coverage schemes in the loss.
Hockenson finished with just one catch for six yards, which he hauled in during the fourth quarter. He was also penalized for holding on a play that negated a first down. None of the Lions’ other active tight ends made an impact, showing that the Patriots were committed to stopping Hockenson and company from making impact plays.
Offensive line: F
Goff was on the move for most of Sunday’s game, an indication of the offensive line’s struggles. Second-year tackle Penei Sewell was beaten on the Lions’ key fourth-down fumble that resulted in a touchdown, a play that was one of Matthew Judon’s two sacks.
New England only recorded two sacks in its win, but Goff spent far more time scrambling away from pressure than normal. Because of the intense pressure, the quarterback struggled to get into a rhythm.
Jonah Jackson was active for the first time since Week 1, a positive indication as the offensive line works toward getting back to full health.
Defensive line: F
Detroit was unable to get much pressure on New England’s Bailey Zappe, who was making his first career start. The Lions didn’t record a sack, and the defensive line recorded just two tackles for loss.
Without Charles Harris, Detroit turned to Austin Bryant and Julian Okwara to work opposite rookie Aidan Hutchinson. Bryant had a tackle for loss, but Hutchinson notched just two tackles in another lackluster effort.
Alim McNeill had the only other tackle for loss on the defensive line. Isaiah Buggs finished with five tackles, but was penalized for illegal use of the hands. The unit struggled to limit the Patriots' run game, as Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 161 yards on 25 carries.
Linebackers: F
Malcolm Rodriguez had a tackle for loss and Alex Anzalone broke up a pass, but it was otherwise a day to forget for the linebackers. Tackling was an issue throughout, as Anzalone and company struggled to bring down Stevenson and Damien Harris.
Derrick Barnes was flagged for a hands-to-the-face penalty, which took away a sack from Buggs. Additionally, the Lions continued to defend opposing tight ends as Hunter Henry caught four passes for 54 yards.
Secondary: F
Detroit made waves in the early hours Sunday with its decision to make Amani Oruwariye a healthy scratch. Saivion Smith started at cornerback in his absence but was carted off the field just two plays into the game with a neck injury.
Jeff Okudah was penalized twice for pass interference, and, with injuries, the secondary became something of a revolving door throughout the game.
Bobby Price and Will Harris spent time at corner, while Detroit was forced to put Chase Lucas in the game at safety following injuries to DeShon Elliott and Ifeatu Melifonwu. Elliott had Detroit’s lone big play when he dove to intercept a tipped pass.
Zappe wasn’t asked to do much in the passing game but had a good day overall, throwing for 188 yards and a touchdown. Jakobi Meyers was the main beneficiary, catching seven passes for 11 yards and a score.
Bob Breidenbach, USA TODAY NETWORK
Special teams: C
Detroit elected to lean on its offense for most of the afternoon, so not much was asked of the special teams units. Jack Fox punted just twice, placing one inside the opposing 20-yard line.
The Lions did not attempt a field goal as coach Dan Campbell elected to go for it on six fourth downs.
In the return game, Maurice Alexander had a 47-yard kick return to set the Lions up with good field position and Raymond finished with 16 yards on two punt returns.
Coaching: F
Campbell and company will have major questions to answer during Detroit’s impending bye week. For one, the defense went seven quarters between two games before finally forcing a punt in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss.
Against Geno Smith and Zappe, Detroit’s defense struggled to piece together stops. The frustrations lie with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, whose schemes have been largely ineffective.
On the offensive side, coordinator Ben Johnson’s otherwise explosive offense was silenced by Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick on the opposing sideline. Detroit managed 312 yards of total offense, after entering the game averaging 437.
In key situations, Campbell was once again confident in his offense. The Lions became the first team in NFL history to finish with zero successful conversions on at least six fourth-down tries, going 0-for-6. Though the confidence in a unit that has been good is understandable, it seemed reckless in the context of Sunday’s game.
The bye week affords the coaching staff an opportunity to go back to the drawing board and try to salvage the season. However, time is running out for Campbell to plug the leaks that have infiltrated the optimistic start to the 2022 campaign.
