Vikings 42, Lions 30: Game # 6 ( 2019 )

[D6]

www.mlive.com/lions/2019/10/observations-lions-shredded-by-vikings-for-third-straight-loss.html

Thoughts in ****

Observations: Lions shredded by Vikings for third straight loss

Detroit hosted Minnesota in a game that featured frequent boos for the officials.



Observations: Lions shredded by Vikings for third straight loss

Updated Oct 20, 2019; Posted Oct 20, 2019

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings - October 20, 2019

By Kyle Meinke | [e-mail]

DETROIT -- The Lions have looked pretty good most of the season. But pretty good just hasn’t been good enough against Kansas City, against Green Bay, and now Minnesota too. Just like that, they’re below .500 for the first time this season and buried deeper than ever into the cellar of the competitive NFC North.

Marvin Jones caught four touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford, but the short-handed defense crumbled in a 42-30 loss on Sunday against the Vikings (5-2) at Ford Field.After opening the game with a punt, former Michigan State star Kirk Cousins threaded the needle to Adam Thielen for a 25-yard touchdown. And Cousins never let up after that, taking advantage of injuries to players like Darius Slay, Snacks Harrison and Jarrad Davis to stuff four straight touchdowns down Detroit’s throat.

Cousins connected with Olabisi Johnson and C.J. Ham for scores in that stretch, and finished 24 of 34 passing for 337 yards and four scores overall. Running back Dalvin Cook added 25 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns, absolutely having his way with a Lions (2-3-1) defense that was so good last year against the run, but has been so bad in 2019. Only three teams were allowing more yards per carry headed into the weekend.

Detroit allowed more than 430 yards of offense for the third straight game, the first time that’s happened since -- drum roll please -- 2008

The Lions still made a game of it, thanks to a fabulous day from Jones. He caught three touchdown passes in the first half alone, tying Herman Moore’s franchise record from 1995, and then tacked on a fourth from 2 yards out with 3:10 to play. That trimmed the deficit to 35-30, and tied a franchise record.But the Lions still needed a stop.

Once again, they didn’t get it.

Just two plays later, Stefon Diggs got behind Justin Coleman and Cousins found him with a 66-yard pass that gave Minnesota possession inside Detroit’s 5-yard line. Two plays after that, Cook shook off Snacks Harrison in the backfield and ran back into the end zone for the dagger. And just like that, a Lions team that has often looked pretty good slipped even further into last place.

The good news, if there is any, is the schedule begins to lighten up next week with a game against the New York Giants. The bad news is they need a win more than ever after losing three straight games, and the margin for error has about zeroed out before this season slips away entirely.


**** Even factoring in the injuries to key players, the Lions Defense was horrible in this game. Missed tackles, losing contain on running plays, a subpar pass rush, and pass coverage that was worse than I could have envisioned were the themes of the day for the Lions Defensive unit. The game vs. the Giants next Sunday easily could be a shootout, with the team having the ball last winning the game.

Matthew Stafford was off target on a couple of first half throws. Overall though, I thought he had an A- minus performance. This game is a reminder that the Liens have never had a complete team in the Stafford era. Imagine if he had the Vikings supporting cast! ****

Here are some more instant observations from the game:

-- Marvin Jones has been obviously interfered with on critical downfield passes late in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s last two games. Of course, he didn’t draw either flag, and the Lions lost both games. On Sunday, he took his frustrations out on the poor Vikings. He scorched Minnesota for six catches, three of which scored touchdowns -- and that was just in the first half. Jones becomes just the second player in franchise history to catch three touchdowns before halftime, joining only Herman Moore, who did it against Green Bay in 1995. Yeah, not even Calvin Johnson did it. Jones tacked on a fourth score late in the game to help Detroit hang around, and finished with 10 catches for 93 yards overall.-- Jones, by they way, has now caught 23 touchdown passes from Matthew Stafford. That’s second only to Calvin Johnson, who caught 56 before retiring after the 2015 season. Jones passed Golden Tate, who caught 22 TD passes from Stafford during his time in Detroit.

**** " The poor Vikings" won the game and are 5-2 with a home game vs. the 1-6 Redskins next.

Other than the drop in the end zone late in tbe 2nd QTR, two plays before Marvin Jones caught his 3rd TD of the game, Marvin Jones was terrific. He also drew a pass interference penalty by CB Xavier Rhodes in the 1st QTR that led to the Lions / Jones' 1st TD of the game. ****

-- Everyone knows Matthew Stafford, who has now started 134 straight games at quarterback, is a tough son of a you-know-what. But in case you needed any more evidence, look no further than the end of the first half. The Vikings had gotten a stop on third down near their own goal line, and even got a Taylor Decker holding call for good measure. But Anthony Barr decided it was smart to tee off on Stafford anyway, hitting him late. He drew a flag for roughing the passer, giving Detroit one more opportunity with 6 seconds left. Stafford was hurt on the play, took a second to stand up, then did so fuming mad. And he used the extra play to thread another touchdown pass to Marvin Jones, his third of the day. Just like, it was 21-21 heading into intermission, a huge exchange in what proved to be a bit of a track meet.-

**** Great throw, catch, and route on the 3rd TD to Marvin Jones.****

- Of course, the game became a track meet because Detroit’s defense was shredded into itty-bitty pieces. The Lions suffered a bunch of injuries, from Darius Slay to Snacks Harrison and, briefly, Rashaan Melvin, Jarrad Davis and Tracy Walker. But the guys who were out there couldn’t tackle. They couldn’t cover anyone or rush anyone, certainly not Kirk Cousins. And nobody at all was stopping the run. So it should come as no surprise that after opening the game with a punt, Minnesota went TD-TD-TD-TD on its next four drives, converted 5 of its first 6 third downs and averaged 7.1 yards every time they hiked the ball. Awfully hard to win when you’re defending like that, and Detroit didn’t, despite a nice day from the offense.

**** When you score 30 points without a takeaway or big play on Special Teams against the Vikings, you deserve a better outcome than what the Lions Offense ended up with. ****

-- That said, give Kirk Cousins credit, because the former Michigan State star came out throwing dimes too. You’re not going to see many passes better than the one he hit Adam Thielen with for a 25-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and then he threw another that was almost as good for a 27-yard gain to Stefon Diggs. Cousins led four straight touchdown drives during one point, and finished with four TD throws himself in his return home to the mitten. You like that?-

**** Kirk Cousins benefitted greatly from an outstanding running game and the Lions playing poorly on Defense overall. That much more on 3rd Downs. To Cousins' credit, he delivered much more often than not. ****

- It has been years -- decades, really -- since the Lions really struck fear into anybody on the ground. That was supposed to change this year. But it really hasn’t. The Lions were near the bottom of the league heading into this one, then watched Ty Johnson lead them with (checks notes) (rechecks notes) (shakes head) 10 carries for a quiet 29 yards. The Lions are once again living and dying the by the right arm of Matthew Stafford, and with the defense getting holes poked in it like its Swiss cheese, it just hasn’t been enough.
-

**** The loss of Kerryon Johnson was huge, even with the Lions scoring 30 points. Never more on the 4th and 2 play that the Lions failed on with the play action pass call being ineffective ( broken up pass ). ****

- Stafford, for the record, finished with a valiant 30 of 45 passing for 364 yards, four touchdowns, and just one pick when Detroit was in desperation mode and the game all but already decided. When you consider just how good that defense is, just how much that defense has punished him over the years, that’s a hell of an effort.
-

****Agreed. It's unfortunate that Matthew Stafford may never be in a situation that he's with a team set up for a deep playoff run.****-

Marvin Hall might be the most productive receiver you’d never heard of coming into the season. Hall was signed off the practice squad earlier this season because of his speed, and that speed has become abundantly evident. He had just three catches in three games coming into this one, but they gained 105 yards. He had a 34-yarder late in that comeback attempt against Kansas City, then a 58-yarder against Green Bay, and then tacked on a 47-yarder Sunday against Minnesota. That led to a Matt Prater field goal. Give the Lions front office credit for scouring the garbage pile for a player who is coming up with big plays weekly.-

**** The question that comes to mind is why isn't Marvin Hall being used more on Offense?****

- Long snapper Don Muhlbach played in his 234th career game, which moved him into a tie for 88th on the all-time list with guys like John Elway, Cris Carter and Andre Reed. But he also was flagged for a false start before a 56-yard field-goal attempt by Matt Prater to open that game. That forced Detroit to settle for a punt instead, and while Sam Martin did pin Minnesota inside the 10-yard line, that’s three points that came off the board. Just one week after the field-goal coverage team was flagged for having too many men on the field, leading to a Green Bay touchdown -- a four-point swing. In a game where there’s such a fine line between winning and losing, these sorts of point-costing penalties are the difference.-

**** Between that penalty, the one on Dee Virgin for Holding on a Punt Return, and the kickoff return by former Lion Ameer Abdullah to the Vikings 39 yard Line, the Special Teams performance wasn't good enough. Especially, with the way the Lions Defense played. ****

- That being said, credit once again to Sam Martin, because the man continues to punt the air out of the football. He pinned the Vikings inside the 10 after the Muhlbach penalty, giving him 155 career punts inside the 20-yard line. That passes John Jett (154) for second most in franchise history. And Martin added a 62-yarder later in the game for good measure.-

**** Sam Martin is having a bounce back season as a Punter, after two disappointing seasons. He's been a huge asset through 6 games.****

- Ford Field made its feelings about the officials known early and often. They booed the stripes as they emerged from the tunnel nearly an hour before kickoff, again during what must have been the loudest coin toss in NFL history -- boos just thundering down from every corner of this joint -- and once again two plays into the game, when the officials threw their first flag. Ironically enough, for a defensive holding against Minnesota. But never was it louder than in the second quarter, when Justin Coleman was flagged for defensive pass interference even though the receiver also stepped out of bounds, making him ineligible. The play was automatically reviewed because Tracy Walker also picked off the ball, but the penalty still stood. One play later, Minnesota was back in the end zone. Al Riveron, the NFL’s head of officiating, is expected to answer questions about the review after the game.
-
**** The only explanation that would make sense to me is if Justin Coleman pushed the receiver out of the end zone with the ball in the air. ****

- Midway through the fourth quarter, the officials were bathed in boos once again when they blew a potential Lions free play dead after Minnesota lined up in the neutral zone. And rightfully so. What are you doing? Why are you blowing that dead? That’s not how this works. Not at all.-

**** Being that Matthew Stafford wasn't under duress, the play shouldn't have been blown dead. ****

- The Lions have now lost four straight games against Minnesota for the first time since those dark, dark years of 2008-10.


**** The current situation with the Lions is far from having light. ****


.......


This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:


Lions vs. Vikings preview: Game # 6 ( 2019 )


detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/434/lions-vikings-preview-game-2019

[D6]

NFL Week 7 PFF ReFocused: Minnesota Vikings 42, Detroit Lions 30

……………

It didn't feel like Everson Griffen got the best of Taylor Decker as a pass rusher to the extent the PFF article
mentioned.

There were other games I thought T.J. Hockenson performed worse as a run blocker than this game.

Kevin Strong didn't seem to make the impact that PFF is expressing.

Darius Slay's hamstring injury, which ended his day in the 2nd QTR, very likely had an adverse affect on his play.

[D6]

Detroit Lions grades: Defense a major failure at every position vs. Vikings

……………….

Like I mentioned previously, I thought Matthew Stafford had an A' performance.

The pass interference penalty by Logan Thomas wiped out a 1st Down reception to J.D. McKissic. Whether Anthony Barr, who was interfered with on the play, would have prevented a 1st Down ( it was a 2nd and 8 situation ) is impossible to determine. However, the penalty put the Lions in a 2nd and 18 situation. After failing to convert on 4tn and 2, the Lions never recovered from not getting a 1st Down on that series of downs.

Graham Glasgow doesn't have one of his better games. However, much like I express regularly, I'm strongly against Kenny Wiggins being rotated into the game at the Guard positions. Wiggins athletic limitations were on display vs tne pass and the run in tnis game.


A'Shawn Robinson played better in the 2nd half than tbe 1st Half. But his lack of self control could be a factor in the Lions moving on from him after this season.


Trey Flowers wasn't on tbe field much in the 2nd QTR when the Lions were struggling mightily on Defense. Why is tbe question? This was probably Flowers least impactful games from a positive standpoint this season.

Christian Jones was much more consistent last season than he was in this game. Jones is struggling in pass coverage. Jahvani Tavai is going through growing considerable growing pains.

The Special Teams Grade should be around a C

I didn't like the specific 4tb and 2 play call ( play action pass ). The reason being, J.D. McKissic wasn't likely going to get a rush carry in that formation. McKissic doesn't run with remotely enough power. If a play action play was to be the call, I rather Ty Johnson been the RB in tbe backfield on the play.

I thought declining tbe holding penalty was the right decision. With the problems the Lions had on Defense, it was too risky giving the Vikings an extra down to work with. The Lions failure on the 3rd Down and 11 completion to Stefan Diggs that resulted in a 1st Down summed up much of the struggles the Lions had on Defense in this game.

[D6]

Inside the locker room: Lions struggle to stop Minnesota’s run, play-action game in loss to Vikings

…………….

As problematic as the pass rush and pass coverage were in this game, the # 1 reason the Lions lost the game, giving up 42 points, was the horrific run Defense performance.

[D6]

As officiating gets blasted at Ford Field, Al Riveron explains pass interference that nixed pick

………….

Based on the standard the NFL has been using this season to overturn Pass Interference, it was very likely that the end result was the play not being overturned.

From the TV angles, it was inclusive to me whether pass interference should have been called on Justin Coleman. But from what I did see, it seemed like both WR and CB were interfering.

Compared to the horrific officiating calls against the Lions in the 2 previous games, the officiating in this game wasn't unsettling to me. The Lions deserved to lose this game.

[D6]

3 things we learned: Lions could be in the market for a running back

………………..


Even if the Lions trade for a RB, how much the RB will be able to contribute to the Lions ( vs. the Giants ) with only 3 days of practice with the team, is a major question mark?

My reference to T.J. Hockenson's blocking in this game, compared to other games, was regarding his run blocking. The sack that he and Jesse James gave up was a combination of pass coverage, the two TE's not being able to hold off DE Danielle Hunter any longer, and interior pressure around the same time.

With the current state the Lions are in, beating the Giants is far from a given. This game has the feel of a toss up.

[D6]

Snap counts: Lions’ Quandre Diggs returns, Darius Slay limited to 18 plays in loss to Vikings

……………..


The 14 snaps Marvin Hall had on Offense is more than I thought he had in this game.

John Atkins probably will be released if the Lions get relatively healthy in tbe Defensive interior. Needing to turn to Atkins for 41 snaps is one of the reasons the Lions Defense struggled as much as it did.

In addition to Trey Flowers only getting 34 snaps, I have no idea why the Lions don't rotate Defensive Lineman more on long drives than has been the case. The fatigue factor likely caught up to the Defensive Line on the 97 yard Vikings drive in the 2nd QTR. I don't recall seeing Flowers on any of the plays on that drive. The numbers are difficult to identify on the Lions blue jerseys. Yet, for the most part, with the aid of a TIVO device ( DVR would provide the same ), players on the Defensive Line can be identified.

This seemed like Rashaan Melvin's worst performance with the Lions.

I would be surprised if Christian Jones is on the Lions roster in the 2020 regular season. The Lions need an upgrade.

[D6]

Detroit Lions stock watch: Matt Patricia's reputation as defensive genius takes a hit

……………


Devon Kennard didn't have a standout positive game. Yet, he probably had the best performance of any of the Lions Defensive players in what was a nightmarish afternoon for the Lions Defensive Unit. Kevin Strong, among others, had his positive moments.

The 2 takeaways by the Lions Defense against the Chiefs and Packers in consecutive games, combined with a forced fumble takeaway on Special Teams in both of those games, helped cover up some of the problems the Lions are having on Defense. Without any takeaways vs. the Vikings, the Lions gave up 6 TDs. The Lions Defense got off the field after Stefon Diggs didn't catch a ball in the end zone that someone with his skills will make at least 75 % of the time. The end result was a missed FG by Dan Bailey. The Lions forced only 2 punts in the game. The Lions Offense, though far from perfect, did a very good job keeping the Lions in this game.

[D6]

Vikings' Laquon Treadwell to Detroit Lions: No disrespect on 'easy' comment

………….

Laquon Treadwell's comments after tbe game yesterday indicate that he either learned from what he said the week before or that he truly never meant any disrespect for the Lions. IMHO, it's time to move on.

[D6]

Detroit Lions have too many flaws — and now injuries — to be a contender

……………….

The NFL Trade Deadline is 8 days from today. If the Lions lose at home to the Giants, it wouldn't surprise me if the Lions make one or more trades looking to the future. The Lions were 3-4, only 1 game out of 1st place, when Golden Tate was traded to the Eagles last October. The Lions will be further out of 1st place and 2nd place 8 days from now regardless of what transpires.