Detroit Lions suffer a tough loss, should you panic?
The Detroit Lions suffered a tough loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon by a score of 20-16. A great many things went wrong during the game. The running game was not sharp, nor was the offensive line. Jared Goff had a below-average game, and there were no shining stars on offense other than Amon-Ra St. Brown. Even with all the negatives, there were still some positive things to take away from the game.
Those who didn’t watch the game on Sunday may not fully grasp how poorly the Lions played in certain aspects of the game. However, the score was only 20-16, not a blowout. The team struggled to play the brand of football the Detroit Lions have become accustomed to playing. The ground and pound with well-timed and strategic play action shots were ineffective compared to the Buccaneers this time. The Lions, however, have played Tampa Bay 3 times in the last two seasons and overall have been 2 and 1 in those three games.
If you only looked at the box score, you would have thought the Detroit Lions would have won the game by at least a touchdown or 2. Detroit passed for over 320 yards and 139 rushing yards, beating Tampa Bay in the time-of-possession battle 34 minutes to 26. So, what happened, and should fans be concerned?
A Detroit Lions Loss Worth Panicking Over
Many things went wrong for the team against Tampa Bay. The offense had no issue getting first downs, putting up 26 to Tampa’s 14 in the game. However, the area where Detroit struggled was in the red zone. The team shot themselves in the foot on offense. 2 costly turnovers and an inefficient red zone offense were the most significant reasons they lost the game. That said, there is no reason to panic about our Detroit Lions.
Among all the negatives were a few bright spots in the game. Week 1 against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams, Lions Wide Receiver was largely ineffective. Against Tampa Bay St. Brown had a great performance. Detroit’s star wideout finished with 11 catches and racked up 119 receiving yards. Although St. Brown was kept out of the endzone, he had his first 100-yard game of the year. He has proved in the past he will use it as fuel to build on for the next game.
Amon-Ra wasn’t the only bright spot for the team, either. Despite not having a 100-yard game, Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs had a rock-solid game. Detroit’s second-year back finished with 84 yards on 13 carries for a whopping 6.4 yards per carry. Unfortunately, Detroit was unable to run the ball effectively for four straight quarters, which is part of the reason this didn’t help translate to a win. The biggest and brightest star of the game was the defense.
The Lions Defense
Although the game resulted in a loss for Detroit, the biggest takeaway is that the Lion’s defense can be great. Not only did the Lions hold Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans in check, but they also held Tampa to 20 total points. They held the Tampa Bay offense to less than 250 total yards. The Buccaneers couldn’t run the ball, and they really couldn’t pass the ball either. Most of Tampa’s offensive scores came from either field goals or a short field due to a Lions turnover.
One player who leaped off the page was Aidan Hutchinson. This was a superstar performance from Hutchinson. He was an absolute menace on the defensive line, with 4.5 sacks himself in the game. He wrecks the ball on defense and is one of the best draft picks the Detroit Lions have ever made. Hutch proved yet again why he is surely a top-five pass rusher in this league. This loss was certainly not on him.
The Lions must clean up their mistakes if they expect to turn things around next week against the Arizona Cardinals. The offense has been the main problem. The Detroit offense has been virtually unchanged since last season, so I am confident they will turn things around next week. Detroit will face Arizona at State Farm Stadium with a 4:25 kickoff on Sunday.
3 Biggest Threats to a Lions Super Bowl
The Detroit Lions are a supremely talented NFL team in 2024. They were just named the favorite by Sports Illustrated to win the Super Bowl this year. As Lions fans we are in a unique situation for the first time in our franchise’s history. We now are looking at what could possibly prevent our Detroit Lions from making it to their first ever Super Bowl game. But what are the biggest threats to Detroit making the Super Bowl?
With the start of the NFL regular season right around the corner, there is a ton of hype surrounding our beloved Detroit Lions. The team is poised for great things. We are coming off a historic season where the team finished 12-5. Lions quarterback Jared Goff’s consistent play was a massive part of the team’s overall success.
Jared Goff finished the 2023 season with over 4500 Passing Yards, 30 Touchdowns to only 12 Interceptions, and a passer rating of 97.3, with the highest completion percentage of his NFL career. Not to mention his solid play in the playoffs, where it mattered most. Goff also had two solid games and a star-studded performance against the Los Angeles Rams. Anytime you finish a game with an 80% completion rate, you’ve played phenomenally at the Quarterback position. Jared Goff is our guy!
Detroit Has The Cast
While Jared Goff has been excellent in Detroit, he’s not the only star in the motor city. Lions Wide Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has solidified himself as a top 5 receiver in the National Football League. Finishing in the top 4 in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2023, St. Brown is poised to jump from star to superstar this season. Detroit is lucky to have such unbelievable talent and a superb work ethic like Amon-Ra. Not since Megatron has the franchise had a receiver this good.
With other deadly offensive weapons like Sam Laporta, Jahmyr Gibbs, and the rock-solid gritty David Mongomery, this team has everything going for them. Our offense will be a tough matchup for any defense this season. Of course, we cannot forget about the offensive line. With some slight adjustments after the loss of Jonah Jackson, the O line has been revamped and retooled. They’re poised to be a top 5 group yet again, which will be pivotal to match the offensive potency we saw all of last season.
Lastly, the defense has seen significant upgrades at all levels. Multiple players have been added to the secondary, which has been bolstered with reinforcements from two draft picks, a trade, and free-agent signings. The defensive line had two great additions: Marcus Davenport and D.J. Reader. The team has seen some major development from guys like Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, and even Derrick Barnes.
Lions Super Bowl
With James Houston healthy again and star edge Rusher Aidan Hutchinson doing his thing, this defense should be a much more fearsome unit this season. More pressure on the quarterback without having to blitz makes the job of the Lion’s secondary much easier. This will be key for Detroit as all these new additions must acclimate to playing alongside each other. With all of these fantastic things you’ve heard about our Detroit Lions, all signs point towards Detroit being a top 5 team again.
Finishing one game short of the Super Bowl this year means we aim bigger. Seemingly, everyone in the state of Michigan has been wanting a Lions Super Bowl for an eternity. What will stop the Detroit Lions? If they’re genuinely this good, nothing should stand in their way. Even still, only three things will prevent a Lions Super Bowl. Find out what those three things are below.
Major Injuries
It seems like an easy answer but one of the only things that could ruin the Lions chances of making it to their first Super Bowl in franchise history is injuries. Every team every season suffers injuries as it’s part of the game. However, if the Lions lost a few major pieces, I don’t see how they could overcome it. If Jared Goff went down as well as Aidan Hutchinson, it would completely derail the season. Which is honestly a compliment to the team if injuries is one of the team’s biggest threats.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 21: Sam LaPorta #87 of the Detroit Lions is pursued by Zyon McCollum #27 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Ford Field on January 21, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers quietly have become the second best team in the NFC North. It truly seems like the Packers franchise have found their Quarterback of the future yet again in Jordan Love. Green bay has a stacked defense and it looks like their offense is truly legit. I’m not saying Green Bay will be better than Detroit, but they can’t be overlooked anymore.
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – AUGUST 24: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers warms up before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field on August 24, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Detroit Lions
The biggest threat to the Detroit Lions’ chance at the Super Bowl is themselves. This team is 100% capable of achieving great things. With all of the improvements Brad Holmes made to this team, there’s no reason to think they won’t make it to their first Super Bowl. The only thing that can truly stop them, is themselves!
DETROIT,MICHIGAN-AUGUST 24: Detroit Lions linebacker James Houston (41) runs on the field during a play during a preseason game between the Detroit Lions and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Saturday, August 24, 2024 (Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
