Post by D6 on Dec 13, 2021 2:27:59 GMT -5
Instant observations: Turnover-prone Lions blown out in Denver, officially eliminated from playoffs
Thoughts in ****
Instant observations: Turnover-prone Lions blown out in Denver, officially eliminated from playoffs
Updated: Dec. 12, 2021, 8:13 p.m. | Published: Dec. 12, 2021, 7:03 p.m.
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
DENVER -- They were without their Pro Bowl center and Pro Bowl tight end and top two edge rushers and top safety and top cornerback and top two running backs and top kicker and both receivers who were expected to start at receiver. The Detroit Lions were without 22 players in all, whether it be by injury or illness, a seemingly insurmountable talent drain from a roster that had some of the worst talent in the league even at full strength.
That forced the Lions to dress nearly half their practice squad on Sunday in Denver, and start four guys who opened the season there. The final score reflected it, a 38-10 blowout loss on Sunday against the Broncos that officially eliminated them from the postseason for a fifth straight season.
**** The effort by the Lions was good. The very low margin of error caught up to the Lions, especially with RB Gordon Igwebuike fumbling on the Lions fumbling in their own territory on the team's first possession in the 3rd QTR and the Broncos taking advantage of the forced fumble and recovery with a TD drive that made the score 24-10 after the PAT. This, after the Lions failed to score a TD in the red zone in the 2nd QTR (FG cut the Broncos lead to 14-10 and the Broncos 52 yard FG (following an offside penalty) at the end of the 2nd QTR that made the score 17-10. ****
At 1-11-1, the Lions hold a half-game lead for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. And with the team they’re putting out there these days, it’s hard to see them picking anywhere else.
**** So much depends on what the Lions roster will be beginning with the game in Atlanta in 13 days. I'm not anticipating the Lions beating the Cardinals in Detroit this coming Sunday, even with the Cardinals playing on MNF this evening. The Cardinals have been by far the best road team in the NFL through this point of the season. ****
Quarterback Jared Goff couldn’t replicate his outstanding performance from a week ago, when he threw a walk-off touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown and earned NFC offensive player of the week honors. He ran out of the tunnel on Sunday and threw for minus-7 yards in the first quarter, the third time in his last seven games he has lost yardage while trying to pass in the first quarter.
That has to be some kind of record, does it not?
**** I don't blame Jared Goff for the Lions 1st QTR performance. ****
The Lions were still mired in negative yardage by the time Denver had sprinted to a 14-0 lead, plus lost defensive starters like Alex Anzalone and Jerry Jacobs along the way, crippling injuries for a team so decimated by all manner of attrition over the last few months.
****The injury to Jerry Jacobs is by far the most significant and worst result of the day for the Lions. My concern is beyond this season. ****
Detroit did make things interesting with a red-hot second quarter, when Goff connected with Kalif Raymond on a 7-yard touchdown pass, then hit Josh Reynolds with a 19-yard pass to help set up a field goal that pulled the Lions to within 14-10.
**** The Lions were terrific in the 2nd QTR until Jared Goff overthrew WR Amon St. Brown on a 2nd Down pass in the Red Zone that would have very likely resulted in a 1st Down, with a completion. A deflection on 3rd Down led to the FG. The overthrow was the most significant mistake Goff made in the game, in terms of the eventual outcome of the game. ****
But the Broncos used four straight second-half turnovers to finish the game on a 24-0 run and pull away for the lopsided win.
**** Two of the 'turnovers' were the Lions not converting on 4th Down. ****
Lions running back Godwin Igwebuike, getting the start for Jamaal Williams (COVID) and D’Andre Swift (shoulder), fumbled on the second play after halftime. That led to one touchdown. Then Goff had a fourth-down pass batted down on the ensuing drive, leading to another Denver TD and 31-10 lead.
**** I had no issue with the Lions going for the 1st Down on the 4th Down play when the score was 24-10. The Lions couldn't afford being on Defense for another long drive, after two such drives resulting in Broncos TDs in the 1st QTR. The Lions problems against the run in this game made it the right decision to go for the 1st Down. ****
With the shape the Lions are in, they never really had a chance after that. They did drive deep into Denver territory on their ensuing possession, but that died with another Goff incompletion on fourth-and-goal. Goff was intercepted in Denver territory on their next series, and that was that.
**** The interception was an underthrown pass, coupled by a great play by S Justin Simmons. Even if the Lions would have scored a TD, making the game 31-17 following a PAT (or 31-18 if the Lions were successful on a 2 point conversion), the Lions chances to pull off a comeback were slim. Especially, with the Broncos running game functioning on a high level against the Lions Defense. ****
Let’s get to some more instant observations:
-- The Lions have been eliminated from the playoffs for a fifth straight year, their longest drought since going 10 seasons without a postseason berth from 2000-10. Those were some of the darkest times in franchise history, and these continue to be some dark times too. There’s a lot to like about Dan Campbell and his staff -- especially when juxtaposed with the toxic dumpster fire that is currently going down in Jacksonville -- but man is there just so much work to do with this roster.
**** The injury to Jerry Jacobs clouds the Lions roster situation that much more. ****
-- The Lions kicked off the game without 22 players after COVID wracked a roster already decimated by injury. Starters like Frank Ragnow, Jamaal Williams/D’Andre Swift, Trey Flowers, Romeo Okwara, Tracy Walker, Jeff Okudah and A.J. Parker Moments were among the guys inactive for the game. Then Detroit suffered yet another setback when promising rookie cornerback Jerry Jacobs was lost to what could be a major leg injury on the first series of the game. Jacobs required the help of two trainers to get off the field, then was immediately carted to the locker room. That’s a huge blow Detroit. Jacobs has played so well this season, way beyond his years, especially as a tackler.
**** The Lions suffered 3 injuries on Defense this season that are very concerning for the future: Jeff Okudah, Romeo Okwara, and Jerry Jacobs. Trey Flowers will likely be a salary cap casualty, with a chance both parties will agree to a restructured contract. ****
With cornerbacks like Okudah, Parker, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Bobby Price and Mark Gilbert all out, the Lions were forced to turn to practice-squader Nickell Robey-Coleman. Three plays after entering the game, Robey-Coleman was flagged for pass interference on a third-and-9 play where the receiver had no shot at the football. Which turned out to be a massive mistake. Because four plays later, Denver was standing in the end zone with a quick 7-0 lead.
-- One series after that -- just two defensive series into the game -- defensive captain Alex Anzalone headed to the locker room with an injury of his own, an ankle. Detroit’s undermanned defense was suddenly down seven guys who have played major roles in the starting lineup this year, or were expected to, and led to huge workloads for guys like cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, safety Jalen Elliott and linebackers Jessie Lemonier (who started), Rashod Berry and Josh Woods.
**** One thing in particular that doesn't bode well for the future is the struggles Jalen Elliott had as a tackler in Denver. He seemed overmatched in that facet of play. My gut feeling is most of his struggles were ability related. ****
-- With personnel like that on the field, you would expect something ugly on the road against a Broncos team that is fighting for its playoff life. Yet they hung around for a while, thanks largely to that undermanned defense. After allowing 134 yards on their first two drives, the Lions allowed just 17 over their next two, while the offense scored twice to pull within 14-10. Rookie defensive tackle Alim McNeil had a big hand in that, stuffing the running game while getting to Teddy Bridgewater for the first sack of his promising career. We heard a lot about his pass rushing in camp, and now we’re starting to see it.
**** It was a coverage sack but ability and effort by Alim McNeill contributed to the sack. His overall performance against the run in his game didn't seem good. On the other hand, edge player Charles Harris continues to play the run well. I thought Harris was the Lions best Defensive player for at least the 2nd straight game.****
-- All hell broke loose to open the second half though, due to four straight turnovers. Igwebuike, getting the start for Williams and Swift, fumbled on the second play of the second half. On Detroit’s next possession, Goff had his pass batted down at the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-2. Both turnovers led to touchdowns, and quite quickly turned a one-score ballgame into a 31-10 laugher.
**** The fumble and the near fumble by Gordon Igwebuike in this game are a reminder that this is his first season as a RB since his High School days. There were Major growing pains in this game for him and many, many other Lions players. ****
-- All I want in life is to find a woman who will look at me the way Dan Campbell looks at Jared Goff’s right arm on fourth down. Seriously. Coming into the weekend, no one -- not one team -- had passed more on fourth-and-1 than Jared Goff and the Lions. Of course, Goff has struggled more than almost any other quarterback in the league this season, and is working with the worst set of receivers in the league. While Detroit continues to get a lot of production out of the running game no matter who’s out there, including on Sunday. So it’s kind of bizarre to watch the Lions go for it time and time again while riding Goff -- one of the worst quarterbacks in the league -- instead of what they actually do well. On fourth-and-3 or shorter, the Lions have actually passed it more times (10) than they’ve run it (nine) this season. You might expect that with Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. With Goff, I don’t get it.
The Lions did it two more times in Denver. It worked the first time on a nice rollout to the right on fourth-and-1, where Goff hit Kalif Raymond. But they tried it again in the second half, right after the Igwebuike fumble that led to a Denver TD that made it 24-10. But Goff’s pass didn’t even make it past the line of scrimmage, instead getting batted down. That led to another TD, and the game was already over. Facing a fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter, they did it again, asking Goff to throw to a practice-squad tight end (Shane Zylstra) rather than run the football. Didn’t come close to working.
**** I wish the Lions ran the ball more in 4th and short ( 2 yards or less) situations. But the season ending injury to C Frank Ragnow makes running the ball between the Tackles substantially more difficult when the opposition isn't teeing off against the pass. ****
-- Goff had four passes redirected at the line of scrimmage, including one that was caught for lost yardage by left tackle Taylor Decker. You don’t see four batted passes by the same quarterback very often, so Goff does have that going for him. He was so good last week against Minnesota, when he threw that walk-off TD pass to Amon-Ra St Brown and was named NFC offensive player of the week, but regressed to his prior form in Denver. He wasn’t the worst we’ve seen him this season, but he just didn’t do nearly enough. He finished 24 of 39 passing for 215 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a passer rating of 74.2.
**** It wasn't enough by Jared Goff in this game but he didn't get enough support (good enough play) on both sides of the ball. ****
-- Shoutout, Craig Reynolds. The man was nicknamed “Netflix” because he was literally signed off his couch in the middle of training camp, presumably while watching Netflix. A day later, he quite literally introduced himself to Goff in the huddle of a preseason game against Indianapolis, before scoring the team’s only touchdown that day. On Sunday, he was called up from the practice squad to make his Lions debut while Williams and Swift were in street clothes. And he played very well, running 11 times for a team-high 83 yards, 35 of which came on a single carry in the second quarter. That led directly to Detroit’s first touchdown after it had fallen behind 14-0, and helped make the game competitive going into the second half.
****I think it would make sense for the Lions to keep D'Andre Swift on IR the rest of the season and sign Craig Reynolds from the PS. Both in terms of letting Swift recover from the shoulder injury and making sure no other team signs Reynolds off the Lions PS. ****
-- The Lions were without 22 players because of injury and illness. They also were without Trinity Benson because, well, that’s a good question. The receiver was probably going to be released by Denver coming out of training camp, but the Lions liked him so much -- and were so strapped at the position after the Breshad Perriman thing didn’t work out -- that they decided to trade for him instead, sending fifth- and seventh-round picks to the Broncos for Benson and a sixth-rounder. Now in the final month of the season, that trade is looking like a disaster. Benson wasn’t even good enough to suit up against his old team on Sunday, a healthy inactive, which is really saying something when you consider Detroit suited up half the practice squad and has the worst set of receivers in the league. Benson remains stuck on eight catches for 72 yards in seven games and has been a nonfactor for the duration of the season. Which again, is really problematic. Because if he can’t play for this team, you really have to wonder if he’ll ever be able to play for anybody.
**** The Lions can assess Trinty Benson in the off-season and summer. If Benson is still not making substantial progress, then it's time to move on from him. ****
-- Rookie Ryan McCollum got the emergency start at center for Frank Ragnow (injured reserve) and Evan Brown (COVID), and offered an immediate reminder of how spoiled the Lions have been with Brown’s fine play off the bench this season. McCollum allowed a sack on his first series, then picked up a costly holding call at the end of the third quarter. The Lions were trailing 31-10 at the time, but on the move deep in Denver territory. Fullback Jason Cabinda picked up 3 yards on third-and-1, but McCollum was flagged for holding. That turned a would-be first-and-10 into a third-and-10.
**** Ryan McCollum struggles against bulk and power even more than Evan Brown. McCollum clearly needs an off-season in the Lions strength and conditioning program. Austin Bryant is an example of a Lions player who has made great strides with functional football strength, compared to his rookie season.****
-- The Broncos opened the game by taking the field with a 10-man formation in honor of Demaryius Thomas, the former receiver grew who died this week. Denver took a delay of game on the play, and the Lions declined the penalty. A touching tribute for the late, great wide receiver.
****Great job by everyone involved. . Demaryius Thomas made a huge impact on the field and an even greater impact off the field. It was great to see the tributes for DT before and during the game. ****
****
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions at Broncos preview: Game # 13 ( 2021 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1276/lions-broncos-preview-game-2021
Thoughts in ****
Instant observations: Turnover-prone Lions blown out in Denver, officially eliminated from playoffs
Updated: Dec. 12, 2021, 8:13 p.m. | Published: Dec. 12, 2021, 7:03 p.m.
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
DENVER -- They were without their Pro Bowl center and Pro Bowl tight end and top two edge rushers and top safety and top cornerback and top two running backs and top kicker and both receivers who were expected to start at receiver. The Detroit Lions were without 22 players in all, whether it be by injury or illness, a seemingly insurmountable talent drain from a roster that had some of the worst talent in the league even at full strength.
That forced the Lions to dress nearly half their practice squad on Sunday in Denver, and start four guys who opened the season there. The final score reflected it, a 38-10 blowout loss on Sunday against the Broncos that officially eliminated them from the postseason for a fifth straight season.
**** The effort by the Lions was good. The very low margin of error caught up to the Lions, especially with RB Gordon Igwebuike fumbling on the Lions fumbling in their own territory on the team's first possession in the 3rd QTR and the Broncos taking advantage of the forced fumble and recovery with a TD drive that made the score 24-10 after the PAT. This, after the Lions failed to score a TD in the red zone in the 2nd QTR (FG cut the Broncos lead to 14-10 and the Broncos 52 yard FG (following an offside penalty) at the end of the 2nd QTR that made the score 17-10. ****
At 1-11-1, the Lions hold a half-game lead for the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. And with the team they’re putting out there these days, it’s hard to see them picking anywhere else.
**** So much depends on what the Lions roster will be beginning with the game in Atlanta in 13 days. I'm not anticipating the Lions beating the Cardinals in Detroit this coming Sunday, even with the Cardinals playing on MNF this evening. The Cardinals have been by far the best road team in the NFL through this point of the season. ****
Quarterback Jared Goff couldn’t replicate his outstanding performance from a week ago, when he threw a walk-off touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown and earned NFC offensive player of the week honors. He ran out of the tunnel on Sunday and threw for minus-7 yards in the first quarter, the third time in his last seven games he has lost yardage while trying to pass in the first quarter.
That has to be some kind of record, does it not?
**** I don't blame Jared Goff for the Lions 1st QTR performance. ****
The Lions were still mired in negative yardage by the time Denver had sprinted to a 14-0 lead, plus lost defensive starters like Alex Anzalone and Jerry Jacobs along the way, crippling injuries for a team so decimated by all manner of attrition over the last few months.
****The injury to Jerry Jacobs is by far the most significant and worst result of the day for the Lions. My concern is beyond this season. ****
Detroit did make things interesting with a red-hot second quarter, when Goff connected with Kalif Raymond on a 7-yard touchdown pass, then hit Josh Reynolds with a 19-yard pass to help set up a field goal that pulled the Lions to within 14-10.
**** The Lions were terrific in the 2nd QTR until Jared Goff overthrew WR Amon St. Brown on a 2nd Down pass in the Red Zone that would have very likely resulted in a 1st Down, with a completion. A deflection on 3rd Down led to the FG. The overthrow was the most significant mistake Goff made in the game, in terms of the eventual outcome of the game. ****
But the Broncos used four straight second-half turnovers to finish the game on a 24-0 run and pull away for the lopsided win.
**** Two of the 'turnovers' were the Lions not converting on 4th Down. ****
Lions running back Godwin Igwebuike, getting the start for Jamaal Williams (COVID) and D’Andre Swift (shoulder), fumbled on the second play after halftime. That led to one touchdown. Then Goff had a fourth-down pass batted down on the ensuing drive, leading to another Denver TD and 31-10 lead.
**** I had no issue with the Lions going for the 1st Down on the 4th Down play when the score was 24-10. The Lions couldn't afford being on Defense for another long drive, after two such drives resulting in Broncos TDs in the 1st QTR. The Lions problems against the run in this game made it the right decision to go for the 1st Down. ****
With the shape the Lions are in, they never really had a chance after that. They did drive deep into Denver territory on their ensuing possession, but that died with another Goff incompletion on fourth-and-goal. Goff was intercepted in Denver territory on their next series, and that was that.
**** The interception was an underthrown pass, coupled by a great play by S Justin Simmons. Even if the Lions would have scored a TD, making the game 31-17 following a PAT (or 31-18 if the Lions were successful on a 2 point conversion), the Lions chances to pull off a comeback were slim. Especially, with the Broncos running game functioning on a high level against the Lions Defense. ****
Let’s get to some more instant observations:
-- The Lions have been eliminated from the playoffs for a fifth straight year, their longest drought since going 10 seasons without a postseason berth from 2000-10. Those were some of the darkest times in franchise history, and these continue to be some dark times too. There’s a lot to like about Dan Campbell and his staff -- especially when juxtaposed with the toxic dumpster fire that is currently going down in Jacksonville -- but man is there just so much work to do with this roster.
**** The injury to Jerry Jacobs clouds the Lions roster situation that much more. ****
-- The Lions kicked off the game without 22 players after COVID wracked a roster already decimated by injury. Starters like Frank Ragnow, Jamaal Williams/D’Andre Swift, Trey Flowers, Romeo Okwara, Tracy Walker, Jeff Okudah and A.J. Parker Moments were among the guys inactive for the game. Then Detroit suffered yet another setback when promising rookie cornerback Jerry Jacobs was lost to what could be a major leg injury on the first series of the game. Jacobs required the help of two trainers to get off the field, then was immediately carted to the locker room. That’s a huge blow Detroit. Jacobs has played so well this season, way beyond his years, especially as a tackler.
**** The Lions suffered 3 injuries on Defense this season that are very concerning for the future: Jeff Okudah, Romeo Okwara, and Jerry Jacobs. Trey Flowers will likely be a salary cap casualty, with a chance both parties will agree to a restructured contract. ****
With cornerbacks like Okudah, Parker, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Bobby Price and Mark Gilbert all out, the Lions were forced to turn to practice-squader Nickell Robey-Coleman. Three plays after entering the game, Robey-Coleman was flagged for pass interference on a third-and-9 play where the receiver had no shot at the football. Which turned out to be a massive mistake. Because four plays later, Denver was standing in the end zone with a quick 7-0 lead.
-- One series after that -- just two defensive series into the game -- defensive captain Alex Anzalone headed to the locker room with an injury of his own, an ankle. Detroit’s undermanned defense was suddenly down seven guys who have played major roles in the starting lineup this year, or were expected to, and led to huge workloads for guys like cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, safety Jalen Elliott and linebackers Jessie Lemonier (who started), Rashod Berry and Josh Woods.
**** One thing in particular that doesn't bode well for the future is the struggles Jalen Elliott had as a tackler in Denver. He seemed overmatched in that facet of play. My gut feeling is most of his struggles were ability related. ****
-- With personnel like that on the field, you would expect something ugly on the road against a Broncos team that is fighting for its playoff life. Yet they hung around for a while, thanks largely to that undermanned defense. After allowing 134 yards on their first two drives, the Lions allowed just 17 over their next two, while the offense scored twice to pull within 14-10. Rookie defensive tackle Alim McNeil had a big hand in that, stuffing the running game while getting to Teddy Bridgewater for the first sack of his promising career. We heard a lot about his pass rushing in camp, and now we’re starting to see it.
**** It was a coverage sack but ability and effort by Alim McNeill contributed to the sack. His overall performance against the run in his game didn't seem good. On the other hand, edge player Charles Harris continues to play the run well. I thought Harris was the Lions best Defensive player for at least the 2nd straight game.****
-- All hell broke loose to open the second half though, due to four straight turnovers. Igwebuike, getting the start for Williams and Swift, fumbled on the second play of the second half. On Detroit’s next possession, Goff had his pass batted down at the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-2. Both turnovers led to touchdowns, and quite quickly turned a one-score ballgame into a 31-10 laugher.
**** The fumble and the near fumble by Gordon Igwebuike in this game are a reminder that this is his first season as a RB since his High School days. There were Major growing pains in this game for him and many, many other Lions players. ****
-- All I want in life is to find a woman who will look at me the way Dan Campbell looks at Jared Goff’s right arm on fourth down. Seriously. Coming into the weekend, no one -- not one team -- had passed more on fourth-and-1 than Jared Goff and the Lions. Of course, Goff has struggled more than almost any other quarterback in the league this season, and is working with the worst set of receivers in the league. While Detroit continues to get a lot of production out of the running game no matter who’s out there, including on Sunday. So it’s kind of bizarre to watch the Lions go for it time and time again while riding Goff -- one of the worst quarterbacks in the league -- instead of what they actually do well. On fourth-and-3 or shorter, the Lions have actually passed it more times (10) than they’ve run it (nine) this season. You might expect that with Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. With Goff, I don’t get it.
The Lions did it two more times in Denver. It worked the first time on a nice rollout to the right on fourth-and-1, where Goff hit Kalif Raymond. But they tried it again in the second half, right after the Igwebuike fumble that led to a Denver TD that made it 24-10. But Goff’s pass didn’t even make it past the line of scrimmage, instead getting batted down. That led to another TD, and the game was already over. Facing a fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter, they did it again, asking Goff to throw to a practice-squad tight end (Shane Zylstra) rather than run the football. Didn’t come close to working.
**** I wish the Lions ran the ball more in 4th and short ( 2 yards or less) situations. But the season ending injury to C Frank Ragnow makes running the ball between the Tackles substantially more difficult when the opposition isn't teeing off against the pass. ****
-- Goff had four passes redirected at the line of scrimmage, including one that was caught for lost yardage by left tackle Taylor Decker. You don’t see four batted passes by the same quarterback very often, so Goff does have that going for him. He was so good last week against Minnesota, when he threw that walk-off TD pass to Amon-Ra St Brown and was named NFC offensive player of the week, but regressed to his prior form in Denver. He wasn’t the worst we’ve seen him this season, but he just didn’t do nearly enough. He finished 24 of 39 passing for 215 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a passer rating of 74.2.
**** It wasn't enough by Jared Goff in this game but he didn't get enough support (good enough play) on both sides of the ball. ****
-- Shoutout, Craig Reynolds. The man was nicknamed “Netflix” because he was literally signed off his couch in the middle of training camp, presumably while watching Netflix. A day later, he quite literally introduced himself to Goff in the huddle of a preseason game against Indianapolis, before scoring the team’s only touchdown that day. On Sunday, he was called up from the practice squad to make his Lions debut while Williams and Swift were in street clothes. And he played very well, running 11 times for a team-high 83 yards, 35 of which came on a single carry in the second quarter. That led directly to Detroit’s first touchdown after it had fallen behind 14-0, and helped make the game competitive going into the second half.
****I think it would make sense for the Lions to keep D'Andre Swift on IR the rest of the season and sign Craig Reynolds from the PS. Both in terms of letting Swift recover from the shoulder injury and making sure no other team signs Reynolds off the Lions PS. ****
-- The Lions were without 22 players because of injury and illness. They also were without Trinity Benson because, well, that’s a good question. The receiver was probably going to be released by Denver coming out of training camp, but the Lions liked him so much -- and were so strapped at the position after the Breshad Perriman thing didn’t work out -- that they decided to trade for him instead, sending fifth- and seventh-round picks to the Broncos for Benson and a sixth-rounder. Now in the final month of the season, that trade is looking like a disaster. Benson wasn’t even good enough to suit up against his old team on Sunday, a healthy inactive, which is really saying something when you consider Detroit suited up half the practice squad and has the worst set of receivers in the league. Benson remains stuck on eight catches for 72 yards in seven games and has been a nonfactor for the duration of the season. Which again, is really problematic. Because if he can’t play for this team, you really have to wonder if he’ll ever be able to play for anybody.
**** The Lions can assess Trinty Benson in the off-season and summer. If Benson is still not making substantial progress, then it's time to move on from him. ****
-- Rookie Ryan McCollum got the emergency start at center for Frank Ragnow (injured reserve) and Evan Brown (COVID), and offered an immediate reminder of how spoiled the Lions have been with Brown’s fine play off the bench this season. McCollum allowed a sack on his first series, then picked up a costly holding call at the end of the third quarter. The Lions were trailing 31-10 at the time, but on the move deep in Denver territory. Fullback Jason Cabinda picked up 3 yards on third-and-1, but McCollum was flagged for holding. That turned a would-be first-and-10 into a third-and-10.
**** Ryan McCollum struggles against bulk and power even more than Evan Brown. McCollum clearly needs an off-season in the Lions strength and conditioning program. Austin Bryant is an example of a Lions player who has made great strides with functional football strength, compared to his rookie season.****
-- The Broncos opened the game by taking the field with a 10-man formation in honor of Demaryius Thomas, the former receiver grew who died this week. Denver took a delay of game on the play, and the Lions declined the penalty. A touching tribute for the late, great wide receiver.
****Great job by everyone involved. . Demaryius Thomas made a huge impact on the field and an even greater impact off the field. It was great to see the tributes for DT before and during the game. ****
****
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions at Broncos preview: Game # 13 ( 2021 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1276/lions-broncos-preview-game-2021