Did the Detroit Lions Lose All Hope After Week 1?

The Lions had a rough start to the season. Panic is rampant in the Lions community: How much of it is valid?

Is it already time for the Lions to tank the season so they can focus on the draft? There are plenty of overreactions like that online right now.

Losing as badly as they did to a division rival is never going to feel good, but the problems can at least be pinned down to the trenches.

The Offensive Line

Nearly every snap, the offensive line collapsed. Goff was under a lot of pressure on every throw. However, he dealt with it handily, completing 31 out of his 39 pass attemps, his most completions since Weeks 14 and 15 last season.

Sewell kept Parsons out of the way, but that could not stop guys like Rashan Gary from getting into the mix. Standout performances from Packers players like Gary, paired with miscommunications and simple mistakes, all stacked up.

The Lions’ O-line couldn’t seem to hold their ground — this group needs to figure out how to work together. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery could not get through their running lanes, each averaging only two yards a carry.

Over and over it appeared they were just getting out-fought. At a pivotal part of the field, near Detroit’s own endzone, Goff’s body rolls just right on a sack to avoid a safety.

https://twitter.com/packers/status/1964818836676317266

If the Lions want their offense to put more points on the board, it starts in the trenches.

The Pass Rush

The Lions’ defensive line dominated the Packers’ run game. They set up a nearly unbreakable wall, at least until the end of the game when Josh Jacobs sealed the victory for Green Bay with a touchdown.

The problem for Detroit came when Jordan Love had time to step back and throw. Love had 16 completions, several for big yardage, and two for touchdowns. The secondary was there for every play, stopping the receivers from running away, but they could not contain the Packers’ receivers for long enough.

Hutchinson nearly brought his pressures home, but the rest of the defensive line was still a few yards in front of Love. They need just a bit more fire behind them to get in the QB’s face.

https://twitter.com/packers/status/1964789933928747418

The Lions might need more personnel, but a bit more time to get Hutchinson back into his DPOY form from last year should help out.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the Lions got outplayed when they had the ball. A few good plays can’t go unrecognized, including Isaac Teslaa scoring the first touchdown of the Lions’ season and his career. Hope for the Lions this season has not vanished, but it is behind the curtain labelled “the line of scrimmage.”