After Sunday’s ugly 27-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers , the Detroit Lions have their work cut out for them before the team takes on the Chicago Bears . Next Sunday’s game is another critical division battle. In the tightly contested NFC North, Detroit can’t afford to be two games down.
With Chicago Up Next, Detroit Lions Have Multiple Issues to Address
After the game, coach Dan Campbell admitted, “I thought we would be cleaner than we were.” Stressing the mistakes made were a learning experience, he vowed, “Like I told the team, these are so correctable. Everything that showed up is so correctable, and we’ll hit head-on.”
But with the Lions facing one of the toughest schedules in the NFL’s most challenging division, they must find a way to beat the improved Packers and Bears as well as the Minnesota Vikings . The team made glaring errors on both offense and defense that must be addressed ahead of next week’s game against the Chicago Bears.
Lions’ Talented Offense Stuck In Neutral
Although the Lions were the NFL’s highest scoring offense a year ago, averaging more than 33 points per game, the unit struggled to find the end zone against the Packers.
Jared Goff
completed 31 of 39 passes for 225 yards, with one touchdown and one interception for an 88.6 passer rating. These are lackluster numbers for the former MVP candidate, but Goff didn’t get much help from the Lions’ offensive line. He was under heavy pressure throughout the game from a re-energized Green Bay defense and was sacked four times.
Offensive Line Had No Answers
Before the game, pundits focused on Micah Parsons’ impact , but it was EDGE Rashan Gary who wreaked the most havoc. Gary had seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits, and a tackle for loss. The newly reconfigured offensive line, featuring veteran Graham Glasgow at center, and guards Christian Mahogany and rookie Tate Ratledge, couldn’t contain the pass rush.
The Packers’ defense also managed to severely disrupt the Lions’ ground game. The NFL’s top running back duo stalled with Jahmyr Gibbs limited to 19 carries for 50 yards, and David Montgomery 11 carries for 25 yards.
The loss of Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow was glaringly obvious as the line’s subpar performance bore little resemblance to 2024’s top NFL unit. There simply is no way to replace a player of his caliber. Nonetheless, the Lions’ offense has too much talent to be limited by a lack of protection. Short of convincing Ragnow to come out of retirement, the coaching staff must find a way to address this problem.
Lions’ Defense Was M.I.A.
Despite the return of a healthy Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, the Lions’ defense on Sunday was largely missing in action. Jack Campbell led the team with nine tackles, and Derrick Barnes had six tackles and a tackle for a loss. However, with Hutchinson double-teamed all afternoon, the defense didn’t record a single interception, forced fumble, or sack.
The Packers’ offense was dominant and scored at will. Jordan Love looked impressive, completing 16/22 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Lions’ defense was slightly better at limiting the ground game. Running back Josh Jacobs, who averaged almost 80 yards per game in 2024, had 19 carries for 66 yards with one touchdown.
Did Holmes Make A Mistake?
Brad Holmes rarely makes mistakes, but he may have gambled and lost in failing to re-sign Pro Bowl EDGE Za’Darius Smith. Despite Campbell’s confidence in the Lions’ current pass rush, there was no evidence of it in action on Sunday. Last week, Campbell said on 97.1 The Ticket , “I mean, we’re pretty good here. We got (Marcus) Davenport, we got good depth, I like what we got on the interior, too, we got a lot of flexibility, and we’re sitting pretty good right now. So we’re ready to go, man.”
Davenport recorded three tackles on Sunday. With the Packers double-teaming Hutchinson all afternoon, having an elite veteran opposite him could potentially have made a huge difference. Teams would have to cover both players, leading to the increased likelihood of someone getting open.
Holmes felt that re-signing Smith was too expensive. However, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Smith signed a one-year deal with the Eagles worth up to $9 million , including performance-based incentives. In retrospect, perhaps the Lions might have structured a similar deal and remained within their salary cap objectives.
Penalties and Other Errors Proved Costly
The most exciting play of the game didn’t count after Brian Branch’s pick-six was nullified by two different penalties. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and Hutchinson committed the costly penalties, which may have cost them the game. Had Branch’s pick-six stood, we might have been looking at a completely different outcome. But Branch also committed a costly penalty himself when he ripped off Tucker Kraft’s helmet earlier in the game. The resulting penalty led to a 15-yard Kraft touchdown.
Instead, the best play of the game was Goff’s 13-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa. His one-handed grab on the edge of the end zone was a stunning display of athleticism and precision-footing as he managed to keep both feet in bounds.
Penalties on Detroit’s special teams negated solid coverage on returns that limited Green Bay to only 71 yards on five returns. However, on two returns, the Packers benefitted from Detroit penalties that resulted in better field position.
Finally, although kicker Jake Bates had a solid outing, making both field goals and an extra point, he missed the onside kick. Cleaning up the team’s penalties and improving the execution comes down to coaching and discipline. These are areas where the team can and must improve. Campbell said it best, “We’ve got to get our fundamentals back.”
Here Come the Bears
Sunday’s loss was only one game, and the Lions are tied for second place in the division. Former OC Ben Johnson smells blood in the water and is looking to score a win against his former team. Chicago made some big moves in the offseason. Consequently, this team is stronger than in the past. There’s no question that the Lions must improve on Sunday’s performance, but trust that Campbell and his staff will make that happen.
Main Photo: Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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