Bills 28, Lions 25 :Game # 11 ( 2022 )

[D6]

Thoughts in ****

Instant observations: Lions’ winning streak ends in heartbreaker against Bills

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Instant observations: Lions’ winning streak ends in heartbreaker against Bills

Updated: Nov. 24, 2022, 5:22 p.m.|Published: Nov. 24, 2022, 4:01 p.m.


By Kyle Meinke | [e-mail]

DETROIT -- So close. So close to their fourth straight win. So close to proving their comeback is for real against one of the best teams in the league. So close to turning the playoff talk into an actual run at the postseason for the first time since the last time they won four straight so many years ago.

So close.

But not quite.

Lions kicker Michael Badgley knocked in a 51-yard field goal to tie up the game with 23 seconds left, but Bills All-Pro quarterback Josh Allen threaded a 36-yard pass between safeties Kerby Joseph and DeShon Elliott on the ensuing drive, and Stefon Diggs held on to set up a 45-yard game-winning kick with 2 seconds left.


Bills 28, Lions 25.

The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for the Lions (4-7), a midseason surge that had propelled them from the worst record in the league to within two games of the playoff chase. They hung tough against a Super Bowl contender too, which itself demonstrates material progress. This is the same team that once went nearly 20 defensive series without forcing a punt. The same team that once scored 45 points on this field, and still lost to Seattle. On Sunday, they gave Buffalo all they could handle, including leading for most of the second half after DJ Chark hauled in a 1-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal.

But Allen proved to be too much for a defense that remains deficient at full strength, and was playing very far from full strength. Top cornerback Jeff Okudah didn’t play at all, then Jerry Jacobs left the game in the fourth quarter too.

**** Both teams dealt with major injury adversity in this game. The Bills were able to compensate better than the Lions did, especially on the Lines. The Lions playing with Guards that weren't even a thought back in August, to be playing an entire game at Guard for the Lions during the regular season, proved very costly in this game.****

The Bills drove 82 yards back the other way, aided in part by a roughing the passer penalty by Austin Bryant, and Allen used the new life to find Stefon Diggs working Mike Hughes on a crossing pattern at the goal line. Allen hit him between the numbers, and Buffalo had a 25-22 lead with just 2:44 left.

**** It looked like a Slant Route. ****

But the Lions weren’t done yet. Jared Goff opened the ensuing series by hitting D’Andre Swift for a 14-yard pass down the left sideline, and Amon-Ra St. Brown added another chunk play to get Detroit to Buffalo’s 33-yard line. Facing a third-and-1, the Lions decided to air out the football for the goal line. DJ Chark had a step on his man too, and waved his hand in the air for the football. But Goff put the ball too far toward the sideline, and the pass fell incomplete.

**** The failed long pass reminded me to a large extent of what transpired in the Lions game against the Dolphins.****


Detroit settled for a game-tying field-goal try instead. Badgley -- who missed a 29-yarder earlier in the game -- snuck a 51-yarder inside the right upright to force the tie with just 23 seconds remaining.

But Allen fired a missile to Diggs between the safeties on the next play from scrimmage, and Tyler Bass trotted onto the field to break the heart of a raucous crowd of more than 66,000.

The Lions were close, and that’s progress.

But that won’t make this one hurt any less.

**** The Lions Clock Management was problematic. Both in the last 2 minutes and 30 seconds of the 2nd QTR and following the Lions game tying FG with 23 seconds remaining in regulation time. The Lions snapped the ball twice deep in Bills territory, before the 2 minute warning. Though the Lions scored a TD on the Jared Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown pass on 4th and Goal from the 1 yard line, the Bills only needed to use 1 time out to preserve 1:52 on the clock for what became a 47 yard FG to end the 1st Half with a 17-14 lead. Granted, the Bills clock management on their final drive of the 2nd QTR was highly questionable, as they didn't even use one of their remaining two timeouts until Justin Houston's 3rd Down sack on a 3rd and 10 play that resulted in a loss of 8 yards (with 5 seconds only remaining on the clock). But the Lions clock management when the Lions had the ball late in the 2nd QTR is the issue moving forward for the Lions, if it's not addressed properly in order to prevent similar mistakes.

After the Lions tied the game at 25-25, with 23 seconds remaining in regulation time, the Lions should have forced the Bills to return the following Kickoff. A touchback enabled the Bills to have the ball at their own 25 yard line, with 23 seconds before the end of the 4th QTR. The Lions have tried to pin back opponents on Kickoffs many times this season. This was a time this strategy was necessary. If the Bills don't return the ball to their own 20, they might not even have attempted to try a long pass. Especially, being that a kickoff that had a return would have taken a few seconds. ****

Let’s get to some instant observations:

-- Jamaal Williams pounded in his 13th touchdown of the season, tops in the league, and finished with a team-high 66 rushing yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown continued to do Amon-Ra St. Brown things, catching nine of 10 targets for 122 yards and one touchdown, which came on a fourth-and-goal right before halftime. This tea is just so much better when that guy is rolling, as he has the last few weeks. He got help from a resurgent DJ Chark too, who caught his first passes since Week 3, one of which scored a touchdown, and D’Andre Swift, who made several critical plays during the comeback. More of that, and Swift should get more of the timeshare in the backfield.

**** As much as Jaamal Williams has given the Lions, his lost fumble in the 2nd QTR changed the complexion of the game. The Lions were playing uphill until taking the lead on D.J. Chark's TD early in the 4th QTR.

Amon-Ra St. Brown is a fantastic WR. His route running, hands, and after the catch skills, were all on display in this game. ****


-- Linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard said just last week that rookie linebacker James Houston was coming. Kind of felt like coachspeak at the time because the sixth-round pick hadn’t even appeared in a game while spending the duration of the season on the practice squad. But for the club’s biggest game of the season, on the biggest stage too, the Lions elevated Houston for his NFL debut. And what a debut it was. Houston pounced on a Kalif Raymond fumble on punt return, helping Detroit avoid a potential disaster, before sacking Josh Allen on third down in the closing seconds of the second quarter and then doing it again in the third quarter. With that, Houston becomes the first player in team history with multiple sacks in his NFL debut. That’s one way to make an entrance. Here’s betting Houston -- the 217th overall pick in the draft -- is not long for the practice squad.

**** The Lions need to offer James Houston a regular contract ASAP. He displayed differential pass rushing ability on both sacks. The Lions should have used Houston more as the game went on, as Julian Okwara was sidelined for the rest of the game with an elbow injury. If the packages for Houston were limited for this game, those packages should have been used more. ****

-- DJ Chark returned last week. Josh Reynolds returned this week. And if pregame warmups were any indication, Jameson Williams’ return could occur as soon as next week against Jacksonville, or certainly Minnesota after that. The first-round pick began practicing this week, and spent about 30 minutes running routes on Thursday morning at Ford Field. He was running those routes against air, so not much to report other than whew that kid is fast. It’s important to set expectations accordingly because he is, after all, a rookie coming off an 11-month layoff. But I’ve covered this team for 10 years and never seen someone run like that in a Lions uniform. Speed like that is always useful.

**** Speed is useful. But on drop back passes, the Lions will need better protection to get the ball to Williams deep.****

-- Give Aaron Glenn for finding some midseason solutions for his league-worst defense. Which remains the league worst because things were so bad early, although they’ve made significant progress in recent weeks. That being said, man, they still have some glaring personnel deficiencies that must be addressed. That includes at cornerback, where Will Harris simply is not slot. He allowed 22 of the last 26 passes thrown his way to be completed coming into this game, then just got flat burnt for the Bills’ first touchdown of the day.

**** Will Harris is better suited as a depth player at many positions on Defense than being a starter at any position on Defense against a team with an above average or better passing game. ****

-- The Lions are deficient at linebacker too, and it seems upgrades are imminent in 2023. But credit where it’s due. Alex Anzalone hasn’t always been good, he’s often been bad, he was especially bad on a couple plays against Josh Allen -- but then again, who doesn’t look bad against that guy once in a while? And Anzalone made up for it in a big way, intercepting a pass near the goal line in the third quarter. That’s the fourth time Detroit has picked off a pass inside its own 5-yard line in the last four games, a huge reason their defense has been able to bend but not break during their midseason surge.

**** One thing to keep in mind is Brad Holmes has a history of not investing high draft picks and salary cap dollars on Off the ball LBs. This includes the strategy of both the St. Louis and LA Rams, when he was heading their College Scouting Department. ****


-- Julian Okwara, one of the heroes from the win in Chicago -- finally bringing down Justin Fields on a final fourth-down play -- suffered a potentially serious arm injury against Buffalo. He left the field holding his right elbow and did not return, dealing yet another blow to a Lions pass rush that simply has not been good enough. The injuries don’t help, either. Fellow pass rushers Charles Harris (groin) and Josh Paschal (knee) didn’t play at all.

**** If the injury is indeed one that would keep Julian Okwara out for at least a few weeks, it would be best to place him on IR and sign Justin Houston to the Lions 53 man roster to take Okwara's place. With another roster move being used to activate Julian's brother Romeo, when he's ready for game action.****

-- Michael Badgley has stabilized Detroit’s awful field-goal unit, making his first six attempts since joining the team last month. But with a chance to end Buffalo’s 19-7 scoring run in the third quarter, he missed a gimme from 29 yards, a huge blow for a team that trying to hang on against one of the league’s best.

**** It's a kick that needs to be made. But to Michael Badgley's credit, he did make the 51 yard FG that tied the game.****

-- On the bright side for the special teams, Kalif Raymond delivered maybe the best return of his two years here, dodging two would-be tacklers immediately after fielding a third-quarter punt, then one more as he sprinted 41 yards downfield. That helped swing momentum and field position back in Detroit’s favor, and Goff turned it into eight points with a dart to DJ Chark in the end zone on third-and-goal. That gave Detroit a 22-19 lead with 13:47 left.

**** Kalif Raymond's 41 yard Punt Return was huge at the time, as it came the next time the Lions touched the ball, following the 29 yard FG attempt being unsuccessful. ****


-- When the defense got off to a tough start last year, coordinator Aaron Glenn buried the game tape. After this one, emergency guards Dan Skipper and Kayode Awosika may want to consider just burning the tape. Skipper is an offensive tackle and Awosika had never started an NFL game before, but both were forced into the lineup because of injuries to Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Jonah Jackson, Tommy Kraemer and Evan Brown. So the Lions had to reach deep onto their bench, and Buffalo pummeled them, especially Ed Oliver. That includes for a safety in the third quarter.

**** Both Guards struggled against DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle Jr. as well. It definitely affected the pass calling of Ben Johnson, out of necessity.****

-- The Lions have now lost six straight games on Thanksgiving, and stand 37-44-2 all-time on the holiday. They’ve been playing on Thanksgiving since 1934, when G.A. Richards had just bought the professional football team in Portsmouth and moved them to Detroit. Richards was looking to drum up interest in his new team, and scheduled a Thanksgiving matchup with Chicago. Detroit lost 19-16 that day in front of 26,000 fans at the University of Detroit Stadium. The Lions have proceeded to play on Thanksgiving every year since, with the only exceptions coming in 1939-44, when games were paused for World War II.

**** Of the 6 straight losses, 5 of them were close games, with the loss to the Texans in 2020 being the exception.****


-- According to the advanced analytics, the Lions served 3,500 pounds of turkey on Thursday at Ford Field. There were also about 3,000 pounds of mashed potatoes, 100 gallons of gravy, 2,000 pounds of stuffing, 700 pounds of green beans and 3,5000 slices of pie. For the record: Pecan pie > Pumpkin pie. No other takes will be accepted at this time.


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This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:

Lions vs. Bills preview: Game # 11 ( 2022 )

detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1614/lions-bills-preview-game-2022

[D6]

Inside the locker room: Bills’ Josh Allen had play ready for Lions on final drive

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The Lions being unable to get any pressure on Josh Allen on the 36 yard pass to Stefon Diggs played a key role in the pass being completed.

The Lions absolutely need get Josh Jackson back and either get Evan Brown back, or Tommy Kraemer back from IR.

Though the Bills deserve credit for overcoming the adversity they were dealing with, including their injury situation on Defense (with the loss of Von Miller heading the list), on their Offensive Line, and Josh Allen playing with an elbow injury, they need to get much healthier if they are going reach their goal of winning the Super Bowl. Or even getting to the Super Bowl. The Bills team in their current form would very likely lose to the Chiefs.

[D6]

Justin Rogers’ Lions grades: Detroit struggles in trenches in loss to Buffalo

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I believe Justin Rogers is referring to the 1st Down pass to Jared Goff from the Bills 11 yd line that D'Andre Swift couldn't secure at the Bills 1 yd line. It might have been a TD, if the ball was secured. However, LB Matt Milano made a great play in knocking the ball away from Goff.

Matt Nelson was a bright spot. Penei Sewell also was until the 4th QTR. I thought Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow played at winning levels. The Lions Guards were overmatched. ]]

The penalty by Austin Bryant was very costly and disappointing. Bryant caused pressure on that play and on a passing play right before that one. I don't recall seeing Bryant on Defense in the game after that, which is understandable, as accountability is essential. Yet, the Lions could have used him on the 36 yard completion to Stefan Diggs, that was the key play of the eventual game winning FG drive by the Bills.

The fumble by Kalif Raymond, on the Bills first Punt, which James Houston recovered, probably should lower the Lions Special Teams grade to at least a 'B'.

I was comfortable with the Lions going for the 1st Down on the three 4th Down plays, based on the yardage needed, game situations, and the Lions Defense struggling to stop the Bills at the time the decisions were made.

[D6]

Snap counts, PFF grades: Lions’ Malcolm Rodriguez gets love in return to meaty role

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Early in the game, I thought Jared Goff should have checked down to TE Shane Zylstra on a 3rd Down and 10 play, instead of throwing deep to D.J. Chark. An incompletion resulted and the Lions had to Punt as a result. I think there was a good chance that Zylstra would have had enough yards for the first down with an accurate pass.

In fairness to Aidan Hutchinson, he was double teamed very often, out of necessity for them.

Isaiah Buggs is the type of player who usually looks better when watching him closely than when focusing on the overall play. I thought he was an asset to the Lions in this game, though not quite to the level as in the Lions win over the Giants 4 days earlier.

Benito Jones apparently had a better all-around game than I thought he did. Hopefully, he can build on this performance, as the Lions need more from the # 3 DT position than has been the case for the vast majority of the season.

I wish Derrick Barnes had even close to the LB instincts that Malcolm Rodriquez has. Barnes has improved as a LB from earlier in the season. Yet, his recognition and reactions seemed off on some plays in yesterday's game.

[D6]

3 things we learned: Clock management an issue for Detroit Lions

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The Lions absolutely need better Clock management decisions than was the case before the 2:00 minute warning in the first half.

I'm surprised that the Lions kicking the ball into the endzone with 23 seconds left in regulation time hasn't been mentioned in any of the articles I've seen through this point in time. IMHO, it should have been a point of emphasis from this game.

Austin Bryant's time with the Lions could easily be over before the end of the season. So much depends on the health of Julian Okwara and brother Romeo.

While this officiating crew is known for calling Unnecessary Roughness calls, in this game, they didn't call many overt holding calls. Both teams got away with holding calls that are called often in other games.

[D6]

Close isn’t good enough. For the Detroit Lions, at least it’s progress.

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I'm being more cautious about the Lions performance in this game, because the Bills were dealing with numerous injuries to key players. This is even factoring in the Lions problematic injury situation at Guard, CB, and on the Defensive Line.

The Lions have noticeably improved. But this team is still a pretty long way from being a serious Super Bowl Contender. Maybe, Jamison Williams will cut the gap considerably. But the Lions Defense probably needs a more pieces in order for the Lions to get to the point in a season that the Lions are in position to play at least in the latter part of January.

[D6]

Lions vs. Bills was the most-watched early-afternoon Thanksgiving game ever

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For those that want to remove the Lions from the team's Annual Thanksgiving Day game, the record setting viewership of Bills 28-25 win over the Lions should be used as evidence that the Lions can help attract large audiences.