It finally happened. The Detroit Lions were unable to stop the Buffalo Bills.
In an offensive bloodbath of 90 points, the Bills held off the Lions’ attempted comeback.
The Lions started slowly with an unproductive first quarter but began to click offensively, scoring six touchdowns between five players. They earned themselves 521 yards and 30 first downs when they started to fire up.
Dan Campbell took the blame, saying, “It starts with me.”
The offense performed well and at a high level, but the defense struggled. This is partly due to injuries, including three in-game exits.
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What We Learned
Onside Kicks are Hard
Did they try two onside kicks in the 4th quarter? Yes. Did either work? Not exactly. Was one a bad call? Not exactly.
The Lions did not get the ball back on either onside kick, but the first failed attempt did not cost them the game. The Lions were only able to stop one drive. The chances were likely that Josh Allen and the Bills would drive down the field again and score. Had the attempt been successful, the Lions would have scored, and it would be a three-point game. Had they failed, the Bills would have gotten the ball with field position and could not drain the clock.
Onside kicks are difficult—only a maximum of three have been recovered each season since the rule change. The Lions were bold enough to attempt one, but they did so because Dan Campbell built this team with grit and determination, manifested through an onside kick.
Defense, Please Get Better
The Lions need some help on defense. As of Sunday afternoon, 16 defensive players are marked questionable, out, or IR. No team should lose after scoring 40 points. The Bills did it last week, and the Lions did it Sunday. There were many instances of confusion, befuddlement, and inability to take down Allen.
Ben’s still got it.
The Lions successfully executed several trick plays throughout the game. Ben Johnson drew up some clever plays, including what looked like a Goff reception for yardage, which turned into a long pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Other plays resulted from good play design, defensive movement, and a good eye.
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In this play, Goff’s pocket was about to collapse. When he moved forward, Tim Patrick was abandoned and ready to receive.
Grit takes the whole game.
The Lions fought until the very end. They had their largest point deficit this season of 17 points. Although they lost the game, the Lions kept trying. Goff threw for 59 attempts, his most since Jan. 11, 2020. The Lions did not stop trucking. They moved the ball down the field in 1:51 to keep themselves alive.
Looking forward.
The Lions are still sitting in first place in the NFC. They have the tie-breakers over the Vikings and Eagles. They will still play the Bears, 49ers, and Vikings. Next week, the Lions will head to Chicago to face the Bears. On Thanksgiving, the Lions had to hold off a Bears comeback. Their defense must step up their game to secure another Lions victory and keep them on track.
The Lions can secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The determining game will be against the Vikings. The Lions are in a tight race with the Vikings and Eagles. The simplest way to secure the No. 1 seed is to win out. Because the Lions and Vikings play each other, this leaves the door open a smidge for the Eagles to go under the radar past the NFC North.
The season is not over, and the fun is only just getting started.
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