Few players in the Detroit Lions locker room wanted to cite rust as a reason for their 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Ford Field.
Be that as it may, the Lions were overwhelmed and overpowered in all three phases of football — a rare sight, even in a losing effort under Dan Campbell’s coaching.
Aside from the opening kickoff, where they got the ball on their own 28, and the late-game desperation, the Lions struggled to get into the red zone unless they had a short field to work with — a common issue this season. A significant reason for this was a poor showing in the trenches. Now 1-2 in the NFC North, the Lions have some questions to answer as they prepare for back-to-back road games against Washington and Philadelphia.
Quarterback: The only reason Jared Goff’s grade is not higher is that the Lions lost the game. That’s it. Due to the numerous issues that arose, quarterback play was not the primary concern. Goff completed a little shy of 70% of his throws, logged nearly 300 passing yards (284), two touchdowns, a 108.4 passer rating, and no turnovers. It was a rough day in the office for Goff, who took five sacks as Minnesota’s blitz made life difficult for him all afternoon. Grade: B+
Running backs: Week 9 marked one of the Lions’ worst rushing performances under Dan Campbell — not only was their rushing success rate among the lowest of his tenure, but it was also one of just three games in the past four seasons where Detroit failed to record a single explosive run. David Montgomery logged their only touchdown on the ground, but it was a distant memory as the game went on, as his third-quarter fumble set up a short field for Minnesota to take a 10-point lead. He and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for only 65 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Run blocking wasn’t great, but the performance is what it is. Grade: D
Wide receivers/Tight ends: Similar to Goff, it’s hard to fault the Lions’ pass catchers as they came to work. Sam LaPorta was responsible for 66 of the 72 yards on the opening drive, along with the game’s first score. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught nine of his 13 targets for 97 yards — three of which were clutch ones on their final scoring drive. Jameson Williams finally had his number called, catching four passes for 66 yards — one of which was a 37-yard touchdown that helped the Lions cut the deficit to three and set the stage for a potential comeback. Grade: B
Offensive line: Minnesota’s front seven dominated the trenches from start to finish. The Vikings generated a pressure rate of 47.6% and sacked Jared Goff five times — a season high for their unit — while 10 different defenders logged at least one pressure. Detroit struggled to identify and handle Minnesota’s disguised blitzes, something that hadn’t been a consistent issue under former offensive coordinator, now Bears coach, Ben Johnson. Grade: D–
Defensive line: Early struggles surfaced with their run defense as Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. gashed them on the ground for 78 yards off nine carries — 8.7 yards per rush. One did include a long of 31 yards, but even setting that aside, it still would have been nearly six yards per carry. Once he exited with an injury, the Lions were able to bottle up Jordan Mason. They also managed to sack McCarthy five times while dealing with his elusiveness in the pocket. Grade: B
Linebackers: For the most part, Shaun Dion Hamilton’s unit was sound despite a few miscues, such as Alex Anzalone losing McCarthy in an attempt to bring him down, allowing him to get into the end zone for a score. He also got caught slipping on a 25-yard swing pass to Jones. Campbell and Barnes both logged two of the Lions’ five sacks. They contributed to the run-stopping issues, but were not solely to blame. The flag on Campbell just before the two-minute warning was bogus. Grade: C
Secondary: Terrion Arnold finally logged his first career interception while playing mistake-free football in arguably one of his best games as a Lion. Amik Robertson played admirable coverage on Justin Jefferson as one could ask for, but he was still beaten for a touchdown. T.J. Hockenson was able to log a touchdown as well in his return to Detroit, as Thomas Harper was out of position. Arthur Maulet struggled on the play that helped set up Hockenson’s score. McCarthy completed only 56% of his passes, but he made the throws that counted, including a late one to Jalen Nailor that essentially ended the game. Grade: C
Special teams: Vikings returner Miles Price, taking their first kickoff 61 yards, set an ominous tone for this unit out of the gate. They also allowed a 99-yard return because of poor positioning and tackling, which, fortunately for them, was called back. Jake Bates had a low kick on his 45-yard field goal attempt that was blocked, and Jacob Saylors wasn’t effective at all in the return game, struggling to get past the 30-yard line until late in the game. Grade: F
Coaching: Whether it boiled down to lack of preparation or poor execution — take your pick — the Lions did not play to their standard against the Vikings, and that’s an understatement. The defense didn’t have its best showing early, and in several critical moments, but what sticks out like a sore thumb is the inefficiency of the offense. The Lions were 5-of-17 on third downs, and the tempo/pace did not pick up until they were desperate to move the ball to get back into the game. It feels like a sense of urgency has been lacking under John Morton this season. There are too many weapons on offense for them to look as anemic as they do after the scripted first drive. Grade: D
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