Post by D6 on Oct 31, 2021 21:05:07 GMT -5
Instant observations: Jared Goff benched in Detroit Lions’ embarrassing 44-6 loss against Eagles
...........
Thoughts in ****
Instant observations: Jared Goff benched in Detroit Lions’ embarrassing 44-6 loss against Eagles
Updated: Oct. 31, 2021, 7:02 p.m. | Published: Oct. 31, 2021, 4:01 p.m.
DETROIT -- Jared Goff threw away the football on fourth down the last time he played at Ford Field. That’s a bizarre mistake, and considering no one was guarding D’Andre Swift on the other side of the field, an unconscionable one. He admitted to as much after the game, saying he saw a flag for holding against Penei Sewell and thought it was a free play, forgetting that Cincinnati could, um, decline the penalty.
“I saw the holding call (against Sewell) and had a complete lapse of judgment of, ‘OK, they’re gonna bring this ball back, we were going to punt it anyways,’” Goff said. “Obviously we need a positive gain for that to happen.”
That’s bad.
Then in his return to Ford Field, he did it again. He was soaked in the loudest boos of the day for it. And considering the day featured a 44-6 bloodletting against an awful Philadelphia Eagles team, that is saying something.
Because they were booed. They were booed often and loudly and lustfully, and deserved every decibel.
They were booed when Goff took sacks on back-to-back drives in the first quarter, one of which set up a third-and-long that killed a drive, the other on third down that killed another. Next series, same trash. Goff took a third straight sack when he spun into a pressure allowed by Sewell, while Philadelphia came back the other way for a third straight score to build a 17-0 lead.
Goff finished the first half by taking a sack on fourth-and-1, ensuring Detroit would be shut out in the first half for the fourth time in six weeks. Then after Philadelphia tacked on another touchdown to open the second half, Goff, well, did whatever it is Goff does on fourth down. Which apparently includes throwing away the football for the second time in as many games in this building.
Just dumb, inexcusable, unconscionable stuff that led to some of the most blood-thirsty boos of an already ugly day. Then Darius Slay scooped up a D’Andre Swift fumble, and returned it to the house for a 38-0 lead in his old house.
Then Jared Goff said hold my beer, and fumbled on the following series as the chants grew louder.
“WE WANT BLOUGH! WE WANT BLOUGH! WE WANT BLOUGH”
With 1:44 left in the game, they got their wish. Goff was benched in a 44-6 game for David Blough. And on his second play of the season, Blough took a sack while losing the football.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat. No, seriously. Because if you were anywhere near this game, you’re going to need a shower.
**** Jared Goff hasn't been able to elevate a bad Lions team. Long term, a QB with plenty of more upside potential would be at this point in time be preferred on this end. With all of this said, when the game was still 24-0, the last time the Lions had the ball with even a remote chance at a comeback win, numerous players on the Lions performed worse up to that point in their respective roles than Goff did in his.
Trinity Benson was fortunate to get another opportunity in a game and yet once again, his blocking was problematic. Especially, on a running play by D'Andre Swift on the Lions 2nd drive Amon-Ra St. Brown was the Lions best receiving WR in this game by a wide margin but he also didn't execute a block on a 3rd Down screen pass to T.J. Hockenson that prevented the Lions from getting a 1st Down.
Tbe drop by KhaDarel Hodge around the Eagles 40, on an intermediate in-route, followed by a False Start by T.J. Hockenson. Matt Nelson, who had a nightmarish pass blocking game, could have been called for a False Start as well on that play. D.Andre Swift fell down on a pass right after that, which prevented him from coming close to a 1st Down. Swift also was called for an illegal formation, wiping out a long gain by St. Brown in the final 2 minutes of the first half. It looked like there was an issue with the alignment on the opposite side of the formation as well.
The Lions run Defense, and the contain against QB Jalen Hurt was subpar. Including plenty of tackling issues. This was the Lions worst tackling game of the season by the Front seven on Defense. I can't recall any of the other 7 games being anywhere near problematic with the front 7 tackling as this game. The Lions Secondary is the only unit on the Lions Defense that doesn't deserve an F grade for this game.
Michael Brockers jumped into the neutral zone right before the end of the 1st QTR. A 12 men on the field penalty on the Eagles 1st drive of the 3rd Quarter ( which eventually resulted in a 90 yard TD drive ) occurred soon after Hurts escaped up the middle for a 3rd and 12 run resulting in a first down. It looked like there was a hold by the Eagles RG or RT on the play that wasn't called. There's still no excuse for the Eagles going close to around 70 yards more on the drive.
The missed FG by Austin Seibert when the score was 0-0 was costly. But overall, the Lions Special Teams was far better than the Lions Offense and Defense. A major reason I predicted the Eagles would win this game was because the Lions haven't responded well after the two gut wrenching losses by a long FG at the end. The Lions didn't earn the benefit of the doubt that this time would be different. It wasn't different. ****
Let’s get to some observations:
-- At 0-8, Dan Campbell is off to the worst start by a new Lions head coach in two decades. And he’s closing in on Marty Mornhinweg’s franchise record of 12 straight losses without a win, set back in 2001. Campbell has been praised for holding things together during what was always going to be a tough season, but after getting flattened twice in three weeks, the wheels do seem to be coming off. Campbell was outcoached against Philadelphia too, with Detroit drawing ill-timed procedural flags for things like too many men on the field (twice!) and an illegal offensive formation. It also had 10 men on the field for a defensive stand at the goal line. On offense, they botched a two-minute drill at the end of the first half, when the Lions were stopped on third- and fourth-and-1.
**** IHMO, the worst game situation mistake Dan Campbell made in the first 8 games is going for a 1st Down in that 4th and 1 situation. There was only 13 seconds remaining in the 2nd QTR. Even if the Lions got a 1st Down without a TD on the play, at moat the Lions would have had time for one play in order to still have enough time for a FG. Bad risk/ reward decision, especially with an Offense that struggles to move the ball vertically in the passing game. A FG would have at least made the score 17-3, with the Lions having some momentum. Campbell's decision is very concerning when thinking about the big picture when hopefully much more will be at stake for the Lions.****
The Lions have now lost 12 straight games overall, dating back to a win against Chicago last December. They’re off next week before continuing their pursuit of their first win in Pittsburgh against the Steelers.
**** If the Lions end up winning a game this season, my gut feeling at this time is it will be against a team that very few, if anyone, gives the Lions a realistic chance at winning. Against teams that most believed the Lions had a realistic chance to win, the Lions have been at their worst. ****
-- If it wasn’t clear before, it is now. Jared Goff is not the quarterback to see through this rebuild. Yes, he won some games early in his career with the Rams. But the Rams gave Detroit three draft picks -- including two first-rounders -- to dump him for a reason. Because he was too conservative, too mistake-prone, took locked onto certain reads while ignoring others. The Lions said they had a plan to fix all that, but then gave him a bunch of wideouts from the bargain bin at the dollar store and told him to go make it work. Surprise! A struggling quarterback who was given a worse roster is now struggling even more.
**** The injuries to Tyrone Williams and Quintez Cephus have made Jared Goff's job that much more difficult. Even beyond what they provide as receivers, their run blocking is greatly missed. It lead a to the Lions getting far behind and in catch-up mode. That's not something Goff and this Offense are built for ****
It all came to a head in the third quarter, when Goff threw away the football on fourth down (again) and then fumbled (again). He looks like a broken man out there. It’s a toxic situation that won’t get better until he has NFL-grade receivers, and that won’t happen until 2022, by which time the Lions might have already drafted his eventual replacement. And if the first eight games of the Goff era are any indication -- any indication whatsoever -- they absolutely should.
**** The Lions might have to wait until 2023 to get enough value at QB in the 1st Round of the draft. Especially, with what looks like either pick # 1 or a pick somewhere in the top 3 in the 2022 Draft. ****
Goff’s final line: 25 of 34 passing for 222 yards, no touchdowns, one fumble and five sacks.
**** Matt Nelson's struggles pass blocking contributed greatly to what transpired with Goff and with Lions overall Offensive ( and Defensive performance ). ****
-- The defense might have been even worse, if that’s possible. Philadelphia has one of the worst quarterbacks in the league piloting a below-average offense that just lost starting running back Miles Sanders to injured reserve this week. Then they gave Boston Scott his first career start, promoted Jordan Howard from the practice squad and ran roughshod for 236 yards against Detroit. That -- and you’re never going to believe this -- is a season high for the Eagles. They averaged 5.1 yards on their 46 carries, which helped Philadelphia rack up 20 first downs on their first 39 plays and a season-high 44 points overall despite quarterback Jalen Hurts attempting just 14 passes before leaving the game in the fourth quarter.
**** The Lions Offense was even worse because at least the Lions Defense and Punt Return team gave the Lions the ball with great field position for the Lions 2nd drive. The Lions didn't come close to scoring a TD before the game totally got out if hand in the 3rd QTR. ****
-- The smartest thing the Lions did all day was bench owner Sheila Ford Hamp for the halftime ceremony honoring Chris Spielman. Ford Hamp was booed so loudly while trying to honor Calvin Johnson during a similar ceremony a couple weeks ago that she could not be heard from the press box. And considering the first half her team turned in on Sunday, no doubt she would have faced another embarrassment had she tried to step to the mic again. Instead, Barry Sanders introduced Spielman -- a smart move, because no matter how bad things get, no one is going to boo that guy in this town. Then it was Spielman’s turn, and the former linebacker great -- who recently returned to the team as a special advisor -- grew emotional while promising better days are ahead.
“I’ve been given a second chance to do my best to represent you and give you what you deserve” Spielman said. “And I promise you in the near future -- the very near future -- we will give you what you all want.”
Perhaps. There’s a lot to like about where things are headed under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. But as this team continues to show every week and especially on this Sunday, that “very near future” still seems a very long ways away.
**** Congrats to Chris Spielman on the well deserved honor. ****
-- For everyone yelling the Lions should try to trade Taylor Decker, please press play on the film. Because fill-in offensive tackle Matt Nelson got worked by Josh Sweat, including allowing two back-breaking sacks in the first quarter alone. Nelson got beat by a speed rush off the edge on the second series of the day, which set up a third-and-long Detroit couldn’t convert. Then it appeared tight end T.J. Hockenson stepped on him on third down on the following series, leading to another sack, more boos and another punt. And Jared Goff didn’t help the situation by failing to feel the pressure, especially on the first one. Get rid of the ball, man.
**** Jared Goff should have gotten rid of the ball on the first one. He had time to attempt to get rid of it and try to avoid an Intentional Grounding Penalty. ****
The Lions have spent tremendous resources trying to build up their offensive line. Now they have something good going with Frank Ragnow at center and Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell at offensive tackle. So why would they turn around and trade one of those pieces? To acquire more draft picks to spend on players who probably won’t be as good? I just don’t understand the “TRADE EVERYBODY” posture that some have adopted. Two good offensive tackles are better than one, right?
**** So much comes down to which Tackle position the Lions envision Penei Sewell to be playing in future seasons. And if it's at LT, can Taylor Decker adjust to playing RT at a level that's greater than his trade value ( including salary cap ramifications )? ****
-- With slot corner A.J. Parker scratched because of a neck injury, plus Jeff Okudah and Ifeati Melifonwu on injured reserve, Detroit was stretched so thin at cornerback that it had to turn to safety Will Harris as the primary slot against Philadelphia. It went about as you’d expect when asking a guy who can’t play his primary position to play a new position too. Then again, it’s not like there were many other options.
**** Will Harris got beat for a sizable gain across the middle in Lions territory on one meaningful pass. He played better in this game than he typically has played ( though he has improved of late ). ****
-- KhaDarel Hodge was benched after missing a bunch of assignments in the loss against Cincinnati two weeks ago. He returned to the field against Philadelphia, and promptly dropped two passes, one of which came after he got some separation from Darius Slay, and another in the end zone. He finished with zero catches for, yep, zero yards.
****Disappointing receiving performance for a player who is doing a good job on Special Teams.****
-- Darius Slay was terrific in his return to Ford Field. He wasn’t even tested by Jared Goff until the second quarter, when Slay dropped Amon-Ra St. Brown after a modest 5-yard gain short of the sticks. He got his first pass breakup later in the quarter, then scooped up a D’Andre Swift fumble in the third quarter and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown that stretched Philadelphia’s lead to a staggering 38-0. The touchdown was Slay’s first at Ford Field, where he played the first eight seasons of his career before Matt Patricia ran him out of town.
****Congrats to Darius Slay on his TD, overall performance, and the Eagles win. He's greatly missed. ****
-- Rookie running back Jermar Jefferson finally got the Lions on the board with an 8-yard touchdown run that made it a 41-6 game with 7:18 left. The seventh-round pick had played in just one game all year, and not at all on offense, while stuck behind D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams on offense, plus Godwin Igwebuike on special teams. But Williams couldn’t play against Philadelphia because of a nagging thigh injury, and Jefferson got his first taste of the offensive backfield. He finished with 29 yards on six touches, four of them receptions out of the backfield.
**** Hopefully, Jermar Jefferson will have TDs in the future for the Lions that are much more meaningful on the scoreboard. ****
.....
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions vs. Eagles preview: Game # 8 ( 2021 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1235/lions-eagles-preview-game-2021
...........
Thoughts in ****
Instant observations: Jared Goff benched in Detroit Lions’ embarrassing 44-6 loss against Eagles
Updated: Oct. 31, 2021, 7:02 p.m. | Published: Oct. 31, 2021, 4:01 p.m.
DETROIT -- Jared Goff threw away the football on fourth down the last time he played at Ford Field. That’s a bizarre mistake, and considering no one was guarding D’Andre Swift on the other side of the field, an unconscionable one. He admitted to as much after the game, saying he saw a flag for holding against Penei Sewell and thought it was a free play, forgetting that Cincinnati could, um, decline the penalty.
“I saw the holding call (against Sewell) and had a complete lapse of judgment of, ‘OK, they’re gonna bring this ball back, we were going to punt it anyways,’” Goff said. “Obviously we need a positive gain for that to happen.”
That’s bad.
Then in his return to Ford Field, he did it again. He was soaked in the loudest boos of the day for it. And considering the day featured a 44-6 bloodletting against an awful Philadelphia Eagles team, that is saying something.
Because they were booed. They were booed often and loudly and lustfully, and deserved every decibel.
They were booed when Goff took sacks on back-to-back drives in the first quarter, one of which set up a third-and-long that killed a drive, the other on third down that killed another. Next series, same trash. Goff took a third straight sack when he spun into a pressure allowed by Sewell, while Philadelphia came back the other way for a third straight score to build a 17-0 lead.
Goff finished the first half by taking a sack on fourth-and-1, ensuring Detroit would be shut out in the first half for the fourth time in six weeks. Then after Philadelphia tacked on another touchdown to open the second half, Goff, well, did whatever it is Goff does on fourth down. Which apparently includes throwing away the football for the second time in as many games in this building.
Just dumb, inexcusable, unconscionable stuff that led to some of the most blood-thirsty boos of an already ugly day. Then Darius Slay scooped up a D’Andre Swift fumble, and returned it to the house for a 38-0 lead in his old house.
Then Jared Goff said hold my beer, and fumbled on the following series as the chants grew louder.
“WE WANT BLOUGH! WE WANT BLOUGH! WE WANT BLOUGH”
With 1:44 left in the game, they got their wish. Goff was benched in a 44-6 game for David Blough. And on his second play of the season, Blough took a sack while losing the football.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat. No, seriously. Because if you were anywhere near this game, you’re going to need a shower.
**** Jared Goff hasn't been able to elevate a bad Lions team. Long term, a QB with plenty of more upside potential would be at this point in time be preferred on this end. With all of this said, when the game was still 24-0, the last time the Lions had the ball with even a remote chance at a comeback win, numerous players on the Lions performed worse up to that point in their respective roles than Goff did in his.
Trinity Benson was fortunate to get another opportunity in a game and yet once again, his blocking was problematic. Especially, on a running play by D'Andre Swift on the Lions 2nd drive Amon-Ra St. Brown was the Lions best receiving WR in this game by a wide margin but he also didn't execute a block on a 3rd Down screen pass to T.J. Hockenson that prevented the Lions from getting a 1st Down.
Tbe drop by KhaDarel Hodge around the Eagles 40, on an intermediate in-route, followed by a False Start by T.J. Hockenson. Matt Nelson, who had a nightmarish pass blocking game, could have been called for a False Start as well on that play. D.Andre Swift fell down on a pass right after that, which prevented him from coming close to a 1st Down. Swift also was called for an illegal formation, wiping out a long gain by St. Brown in the final 2 minutes of the first half. It looked like there was an issue with the alignment on the opposite side of the formation as well.
The Lions run Defense, and the contain against QB Jalen Hurt was subpar. Including plenty of tackling issues. This was the Lions worst tackling game of the season by the Front seven on Defense. I can't recall any of the other 7 games being anywhere near problematic with the front 7 tackling as this game. The Lions Secondary is the only unit on the Lions Defense that doesn't deserve an F grade for this game.
Michael Brockers jumped into the neutral zone right before the end of the 1st QTR. A 12 men on the field penalty on the Eagles 1st drive of the 3rd Quarter ( which eventually resulted in a 90 yard TD drive ) occurred soon after Hurts escaped up the middle for a 3rd and 12 run resulting in a first down. It looked like there was a hold by the Eagles RG or RT on the play that wasn't called. There's still no excuse for the Eagles going close to around 70 yards more on the drive.
The missed FG by Austin Seibert when the score was 0-0 was costly. But overall, the Lions Special Teams was far better than the Lions Offense and Defense. A major reason I predicted the Eagles would win this game was because the Lions haven't responded well after the two gut wrenching losses by a long FG at the end. The Lions didn't earn the benefit of the doubt that this time would be different. It wasn't different. ****
Let’s get to some observations:
-- At 0-8, Dan Campbell is off to the worst start by a new Lions head coach in two decades. And he’s closing in on Marty Mornhinweg’s franchise record of 12 straight losses without a win, set back in 2001. Campbell has been praised for holding things together during what was always going to be a tough season, but after getting flattened twice in three weeks, the wheels do seem to be coming off. Campbell was outcoached against Philadelphia too, with Detroit drawing ill-timed procedural flags for things like too many men on the field (twice!) and an illegal offensive formation. It also had 10 men on the field for a defensive stand at the goal line. On offense, they botched a two-minute drill at the end of the first half, when the Lions were stopped on third- and fourth-and-1.
**** IHMO, the worst game situation mistake Dan Campbell made in the first 8 games is going for a 1st Down in that 4th and 1 situation. There was only 13 seconds remaining in the 2nd QTR. Even if the Lions got a 1st Down without a TD on the play, at moat the Lions would have had time for one play in order to still have enough time for a FG. Bad risk/ reward decision, especially with an Offense that struggles to move the ball vertically in the passing game. A FG would have at least made the score 17-3, with the Lions having some momentum. Campbell's decision is very concerning when thinking about the big picture when hopefully much more will be at stake for the Lions.****
The Lions have now lost 12 straight games overall, dating back to a win against Chicago last December. They’re off next week before continuing their pursuit of their first win in Pittsburgh against the Steelers.
**** If the Lions end up winning a game this season, my gut feeling at this time is it will be against a team that very few, if anyone, gives the Lions a realistic chance at winning. Against teams that most believed the Lions had a realistic chance to win, the Lions have been at their worst. ****
-- If it wasn’t clear before, it is now. Jared Goff is not the quarterback to see through this rebuild. Yes, he won some games early in his career with the Rams. But the Rams gave Detroit three draft picks -- including two first-rounders -- to dump him for a reason. Because he was too conservative, too mistake-prone, took locked onto certain reads while ignoring others. The Lions said they had a plan to fix all that, but then gave him a bunch of wideouts from the bargain bin at the dollar store and told him to go make it work. Surprise! A struggling quarterback who was given a worse roster is now struggling even more.
**** The injuries to Tyrone Williams and Quintez Cephus have made Jared Goff's job that much more difficult. Even beyond what they provide as receivers, their run blocking is greatly missed. It lead a to the Lions getting far behind and in catch-up mode. That's not something Goff and this Offense are built for ****
It all came to a head in the third quarter, when Goff threw away the football on fourth down (again) and then fumbled (again). He looks like a broken man out there. It’s a toxic situation that won’t get better until he has NFL-grade receivers, and that won’t happen until 2022, by which time the Lions might have already drafted his eventual replacement. And if the first eight games of the Goff era are any indication -- any indication whatsoever -- they absolutely should.
**** The Lions might have to wait until 2023 to get enough value at QB in the 1st Round of the draft. Especially, with what looks like either pick # 1 or a pick somewhere in the top 3 in the 2022 Draft. ****
Goff’s final line: 25 of 34 passing for 222 yards, no touchdowns, one fumble and five sacks.
**** Matt Nelson's struggles pass blocking contributed greatly to what transpired with Goff and with Lions overall Offensive ( and Defensive performance ). ****
-- The defense might have been even worse, if that’s possible. Philadelphia has one of the worst quarterbacks in the league piloting a below-average offense that just lost starting running back Miles Sanders to injured reserve this week. Then they gave Boston Scott his first career start, promoted Jordan Howard from the practice squad and ran roughshod for 236 yards against Detroit. That -- and you’re never going to believe this -- is a season high for the Eagles. They averaged 5.1 yards on their 46 carries, which helped Philadelphia rack up 20 first downs on their first 39 plays and a season-high 44 points overall despite quarterback Jalen Hurts attempting just 14 passes before leaving the game in the fourth quarter.
**** The Lions Offense was even worse because at least the Lions Defense and Punt Return team gave the Lions the ball with great field position for the Lions 2nd drive. The Lions didn't come close to scoring a TD before the game totally got out if hand in the 3rd QTR. ****
-- The smartest thing the Lions did all day was bench owner Sheila Ford Hamp for the halftime ceremony honoring Chris Spielman. Ford Hamp was booed so loudly while trying to honor Calvin Johnson during a similar ceremony a couple weeks ago that she could not be heard from the press box. And considering the first half her team turned in on Sunday, no doubt she would have faced another embarrassment had she tried to step to the mic again. Instead, Barry Sanders introduced Spielman -- a smart move, because no matter how bad things get, no one is going to boo that guy in this town. Then it was Spielman’s turn, and the former linebacker great -- who recently returned to the team as a special advisor -- grew emotional while promising better days are ahead.
“I’ve been given a second chance to do my best to represent you and give you what you deserve” Spielman said. “And I promise you in the near future -- the very near future -- we will give you what you all want.”
Perhaps. There’s a lot to like about where things are headed under Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes. But as this team continues to show every week and especially on this Sunday, that “very near future” still seems a very long ways away.
**** Congrats to Chris Spielman on the well deserved honor. ****
-- For everyone yelling the Lions should try to trade Taylor Decker, please press play on the film. Because fill-in offensive tackle Matt Nelson got worked by Josh Sweat, including allowing two back-breaking sacks in the first quarter alone. Nelson got beat by a speed rush off the edge on the second series of the day, which set up a third-and-long Detroit couldn’t convert. Then it appeared tight end T.J. Hockenson stepped on him on third down on the following series, leading to another sack, more boos and another punt. And Jared Goff didn’t help the situation by failing to feel the pressure, especially on the first one. Get rid of the ball, man.
**** Jared Goff should have gotten rid of the ball on the first one. He had time to attempt to get rid of it and try to avoid an Intentional Grounding Penalty. ****
The Lions have spent tremendous resources trying to build up their offensive line. Now they have something good going with Frank Ragnow at center and Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell at offensive tackle. So why would they turn around and trade one of those pieces? To acquire more draft picks to spend on players who probably won’t be as good? I just don’t understand the “TRADE EVERYBODY” posture that some have adopted. Two good offensive tackles are better than one, right?
**** So much comes down to which Tackle position the Lions envision Penei Sewell to be playing in future seasons. And if it's at LT, can Taylor Decker adjust to playing RT at a level that's greater than his trade value ( including salary cap ramifications )? ****
-- With slot corner A.J. Parker scratched because of a neck injury, plus Jeff Okudah and Ifeati Melifonwu on injured reserve, Detroit was stretched so thin at cornerback that it had to turn to safety Will Harris as the primary slot against Philadelphia. It went about as you’d expect when asking a guy who can’t play his primary position to play a new position too. Then again, it’s not like there were many other options.
**** Will Harris got beat for a sizable gain across the middle in Lions territory on one meaningful pass. He played better in this game than he typically has played ( though he has improved of late ). ****
-- KhaDarel Hodge was benched after missing a bunch of assignments in the loss against Cincinnati two weeks ago. He returned to the field against Philadelphia, and promptly dropped two passes, one of which came after he got some separation from Darius Slay, and another in the end zone. He finished with zero catches for, yep, zero yards.
****Disappointing receiving performance for a player who is doing a good job on Special Teams.****
-- Darius Slay was terrific in his return to Ford Field. He wasn’t even tested by Jared Goff until the second quarter, when Slay dropped Amon-Ra St. Brown after a modest 5-yard gain short of the sticks. He got his first pass breakup later in the quarter, then scooped up a D’Andre Swift fumble in the third quarter and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown that stretched Philadelphia’s lead to a staggering 38-0. The touchdown was Slay’s first at Ford Field, where he played the first eight seasons of his career before Matt Patricia ran him out of town.
****Congrats to Darius Slay on his TD, overall performance, and the Eagles win. He's greatly missed. ****
-- Rookie running back Jermar Jefferson finally got the Lions on the board with an 8-yard touchdown run that made it a 41-6 game with 7:18 left. The seventh-round pick had played in just one game all year, and not at all on offense, while stuck behind D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams on offense, plus Godwin Igwebuike on special teams. But Williams couldn’t play against Philadelphia because of a nagging thigh injury, and Jefferson got his first taste of the offensive backfield. He finished with 29 yards on six touches, four of them receptions out of the backfield.
**** Hopefully, Jermar Jefferson will have TDs in the future for the Lions that are much more meaningful on the scoreboard. ****
.....
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions vs. Eagles preview: Game # 8 ( 2021 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1235/lions-eagles-preview-game-2021
