Post by D6 on Dec 31, 2023 7:39:01 GMT -5
****Thoughts in Blue****
www.mlive.com/lions/2023/12/instant-observations-lions-drop-stunner-on-another-controversial-penalty-in-dallas.html
Instant observations: On another controversial penalty in Dallas, Lions fall again
Updated: Dec. 31, 2023, 12:26 a.m.|Published: Dec. 30, 2023, 11:31 p.m.
Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys -- Week 17Benjamin Raven
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Another prime-time game in Dallas.
Another piece of laundry on the field that drove a stake into the heart of Detroit.
Left tackle Taylor Decker caught what appeared to be a go-ahead 2-point conversion pass with 23 seconds left -- yes, you read that correctly -- that could have sent the Lions to the No. 2 seed in the NFC. But the officials penalized Decker for illegal touching, apparently insisting he did not report as an eligible receiver. Jared Goff protested their case, and so did Dan Campbell, who was more visibly heated than at any other moment in his time in Detroit.
It was to no avail.
**** Looking at the play again, it's impossible for Dan Skipper to have been an eligible receiver on the play, as he was inside Penei Sewell. When looking at the replays, both Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell went over to Referee Brad Allen before the play took place. Dan Skipper then came from the bench towards Allen. My guess is that Decker and Sewell told Allen that they were eligible receivers on the play. Allen likely didn't hear them or didn't comprehend what they said, as he might have been distracted by Skipper coming over. Regardless, it's a brutal way to have points taken off the board, that much more considering the stakes in the game. There's no guarantee the Lions would have won the game, even if the 2 point conversion wasn't wiped out because of the penalty call. But the Lions had at least a pretty good chance of winning the game, with the Cowboys only having 1 timeout remaining, and likely starting at their 25 yard line as a result of a touchback. ****
The Lions still tried to go for the win after that, and a Cowboys penalty gave them two shots at it. But they couldn’t punch either play into the end zone, and Detroit was sent home with a wild 20-19 loss on Saturday night against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
**** Unlike in every play on the drive that resulted in the TD reception by Amon-Ra St. Brown and the 2 point conversion that was wiped out because of the penalty call, the Cowboys generated pressure on Jared Goff on the Lions 2 other 2 Point Conversion attempts. The first coming on a play in which Cowboys DE/LB Micah Parsons being Offside. ***
Detroit is no stranger to controversial penalties in Dallas. Perhaps you’ll recall the officials assessing a defensive pass interference against Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens in the 2014 playoffs, before moving the ball back to the original line of scrimmage and waving off the penalty. That sent off a firestorm back in Detroit, and the NFL later acknowledged a penalty should have been assessed on the play.
**** The 2014 season playoff Officiating decision was worse because it was crystal clear that there was a penalty and that it was intentionally called a penalty. ****
Instead, the Lions were forced to punt away the football. They shanked that punt, allowed a go-ahead touchdown on the following series, and still haven’t come that close to winning in the playoffs since.
This loss deals a blow to their postseason chances too. Detroit (11-5) would have controlled its destiny for the No. 2 seed with a win against the Cowboys, and been in play for the No. 1 seed too. Instead, it now falls a half-game behind San Francisco (11-4) and Philadelphia (11-4) heading into Sunday’s games, plus is in a head-to-head tie with Dallas (11-5) that it would lose based on tonight’s result.
The good news is the Lions can fall no lower than the No. 3 seed, their best positioning since 1993. They would host the No. 6 seed in a wild-card game at Ford Field.
**** It's now very likely the Lions will be the 3rd Seed. ****
Detroit wraps up the regular season next week against the Minnesota Vikings, and will look to avoid its first losing streak of the season heading into the playoffs.
**** If it looks like during the game vs. the Vikings that the Lions can't do better than the 3rd seed, the question becomes whether Dan Campbell will pull some key starters from the game? ****
The Lions struck first in Dallas, driving deep into Cowboys territory to open the game before stalling and settling for a 41-yard field goal by Michael Badgley. But their offensive rhythm died after that, punting twice and throwing a pick over their next four possessions while struggling to contend with the speed of the Cowboys defense.
**** The Lions did a good job getting into FG on the opening drive, including a 11 yard completion to Kalif Raymond on 3rd and 10, on the Lions first set of downs of the game. After that drive, the Cowboys pass rush was getting the best of the Lions Offensive Line far too often on the next few possessions. ****
They used a fake punt to drive inside Dallas’ 5-yard line on their other possession during that stretch, but Campbell elected to go for it on fourth-and-goal from nearly the 5-yard line. Goff was under heavy duress on the play, and couldn’t connect with tight end Sam LaPorta streaking across the middle of the field.
****The Fake Punt was a risky play but the Lions did have a favorable look. Good execution on the play.
I understand why Dan Campbell went for the TD on the 4th and Goal play. But considering the Cowboys pass rush was already a huge factor in the game, I thought a short FG attempt would have been a better decision. ****
But the Lions remained in the game thanks to more excellent defense from Aaron Glenn’s resurgent unit. They’ve played better in recent weeks, and the rise of Ifeatu Melifonwu has been a big reason for that. He’s been especially good on the blitz, then iced Detroit’s first division title in 30 years with a game-clinching pick last week in Minnesota. He opened this one in similar fashion, stepping in front of a Dak Prescott pass intended for CeeDee Lamb, killing a promising Cowboys scoring opportunity.
**** Another great impactful play by Iffy!****
Cornerback Kindle Vildor forced a Lamb fumble that bounded into the end zone and out of bounds, killing another excellent Cowboys scoring opportunity, while Aidan Hutchinson racked up two sacks to kill two more drives late in the first half.
**** Great job by Kindle Vildor in contributing to the forced fumble, that resulted in a Touchback. The two takeaways prevented as many as 14 points. ****
Other than a 92-yard touchdown catch by Lamb -- on a play where Derrick Barnes didn’t hit Prescott despite rushing clean on a blitz, and then Vildor falling in coverage in the back end -- the defense was nearly flawless for three quarters.
**** The Lions as expected gave up plenty of yardage in the air. But only giving up 7 points (including the PAT ) through the latter part of the 3rd QTR is something I gladly would have signed for before the game begin. ****
Finally the Lions offense woke up in the third quarter, and David Montgomery rushed seven times for 44 yards on a single drive, the last 3 of which came on a punishing plunge into the end zone. That gave Detroit a 10-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
**** The Lions running game was the driving force on the Lions 3rd QTR TD drive. This was one of the better 3rd QTRs for the Lions in a long time. ****
But Dallas kept coming, booting a 51-yard field goal that tied the game, then later added an 8-yard touchdown catch by Brandin Cooks that pushed them ahead late in the fourth quarter.
**** The Lions struggled the entire game generating a pass rush with one on one blocks, with the exception of Aidan Hutchinson. Most of the Lions blitzes weren't effective. Dak Prescott made a couple of great throws under the pressure from a blitz, including one near the sideline to Brandin Cooks that led to the Cowboys go ahead TD in the 4th QTR. ****
Detroit’s offense had a chance at a response, but Goff couldn’t connect with Amon-Ra St. Brown on third-and-5, and the Lions were forced to punt away the football with about 6 minutes left.
**** Another situation when the Lions struggled against the Cowboys pass rush. ****
Detroit needed stops, and suddenly, it couldn’t find any. Not even on third-and-10, as Prescott found Lamb working against safety Kerby Joseph for 22 yards.
**** Good job by the Cowboys with their blitz pickup and by CeeDee Lamb with his route running. Tremendous player who is somewhere in the top 5 NFL WRs. ****
Aidan Hutchinson finally broke through with a sack on third-and-5, his third of the game, and the Lions got the ball back one last time with 2:33 left. Jared Goff has thrived in situations like that all season, but after connecting with LaPorta to open the drive, he was picked while trying to find his rookie tight end again by safety Donovan Wilson.
**** Great job by Hutch! This was one of his most impactful games, despite the final score. Especially, with the Lions other Defenders failing to win one on one pass rush battles.
Jared Goff's pass was underthrown. If not for the Cowboys bad clock management, the Lions likely wouldn't have scored a TD that gave the Lions a chance to go ahead with a successful 2 point conversion. ****
Dallas added a 43-yard field goal that stretched the lead to 20-13 with 1:41 left, but also gave the Lions one final shot at a comeback. And this time, Goff moved the offense skillfully, again relying on his rookie tight end, hitting LaPorta twice for 35 yards to get near midfield, then hit him again for 15 yards on third-and-10. And just like that, the Lions were in the red zone with 28 seconds left.
After stopping the clock with a spike, Goff threw wide right to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the dazzling third-year receiver turned upfield for a touchdown that gave Detroit the opportunity to knot up the game.
**** The Lions protection on that drive was better than it was on every other Lions possession in the game. ****
But Campbell already turned down the opportunity to kick a field goal inside the 5-yard line, and even with the game hanging in the balance, decided to go for two points and the win.
They appeared to stun the Cowboys with a pass to Decker.
Alas. Another piece of laundry on the field, and more heartbreak in Dallas.
**** How the Lions respond from this will go a very long way in determining the outcome of the season. ****
Letls get to some more observations:
-- Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with six catches for 90 yards and the final touchdown, running his career total to 308 receptions. That ranks third among all players through three seasons in NFL history. The only players with more are Justin Jefferson (324) and Michael Thomas (321). He’s currently second in the NFL this season, trailing only CeeDee Lamb.
****Amon-Ra St. Brown had another strong performance. He's clearly an NFL top 10 WR in the 2023 season. ****
-- Jameson Williams has been coming for weeks. In Dallas, he arrived. The speedy wideout ran over the top of the defense in the fourth quarter, and Jared Goff stood tall against a big hit to deliver a strike to Williams for 61 yards. That’s the sort of possibility we’ve been dreaming about since the Lions traded up for the former Alabama star with the 12th overall pick in last year’s draft. But the progress has been slowed by injury and suspension, and Williams was more of a project once he finally did hit the field than expected. But he’s earned the trust of coaches with improved route running in recent weeks, and his playing time has spiked because of it. Goff has looked for him more too, including in tight windows. And finally, they broke a big one in Dallas. It came at a huge moment too, with the Lions locked in a 10-all game in the fourth quarter on the road against the mighty Cowboys defense. Detroit wound up kicking a go-ahead field goal, and taking a 13-10 lead with 12:18 left.
****Earlier in the 2nd half on a 3rd Down play, Jameson Williams rounded his route off too much, which might have been the difference between a completion for a 1st Down, compared to the actual result of an incomplete pass, with the Lions then Punting. It was great to see Jamo step up on the deep ball completion. Great throw by Jared Goff under pressure! Unfortunately, Williams suffered an ankle injury and I believe that was the last play of the night for him. Williams did a very good job blocking in the game. ****
-- There is nothing iffy about Iffy Melifonwu, the breakout star of the defense this season. He finished last week’s game by picking off a title-clinching pass, then opened this one by picking off a Dak Prescott pass on the very first drive of the night. Prescott had escaped pressure and was looking for top target CeeDee Lamb. Melifonwu showed great instincts by jumping the pass, killing a promising scoring drive for Dallas and setting the tone for the Lions defense early.
If you watched the film from the last month, you’d have no idea Melifonwu spent the previous 2.5 seasons bouncing from cornerback to safety without breaking through anywhere on the field. Injuries had a lot to do with that too. But he’s finally remained healthy this season, and was showing some special stuff on the blitz in practice. Now he’s cracked the starting lineup for the first time in his career, and instantly racked up three sacks in four games, added two picks and defended a whole bunch of passes -- all from a guy who was averaging less than one defensive snap per game over the previous two months. That’s stunning stuff, and a huge reason the Lions defense is playing some of its best ball of the season. With Ceedy Duce due back next week, here’s betting Kerby Joseph is the man who comes off the field. How can you take Melifonwu off the field when he’s doing stuff like this every week?
**** Quality competition should make the Lions a better team. ****
-- Where would this team be without David Montgomery? Yes, Jahmyr Gibbs has been the best big-play threat in the league out of the backfield. But when Detroit has needed tough yardage this season, no one has been better or more consistent than the veteran pounder. And with the Lions still stuck on three points in the third quarter, Montgomery put the Lions on his impressive shoulders, running seven times for 44 yards on a single drive, and finished off things himself with a 3-yard touchdown blast that pushed Detroit back ahead 10-7. On a night where Gibbs was wrapped up in the backfield by the speed of the Cowboys defense, Montgomery’s contributions were essential, finishing with 14 carries for 65 yards on a night where Dallas confounded the rest of Detroit’s running game.
**** The Lions are in great shape at RB with this duo! ****
-- Aidan Hutchinson woke up from his late-season slumber by taking down Dak Prescott twice late in the first half. Both plays were big too, thwarting Dallas opportunities to break through in a 7-3 game just before halftime. Hutchinson added a third sack in the second half to help Detroit’s defense get off the field. He’s been one of the most productive pressure generators in the league this season, but had just 6.5 sacks to show for it heading into the weekend, and just one in his last four games combined.
**** If not for Hutch, the Lions wouldn't have been even close to being in position to win this game. ****
-- Another week, another batch of records for the amazing Sam LaPorta. He caught seven passes for 84 yards against Dallas, passing Jeremy Shockey for second place on the all-time rookie tight ends catch list. He also passed Brandon Pettigrew for the franchise yardage record by any tight end, rookie or otherwise. That’s supposed to be one of the most difficult positions in the game for a rookie, and no one -- no matter how experienced -- has ever had as many yards in a season for this team as Samuel Joseph LaPorta.
**** It wasn't Sam LaPorta's best game or even close to it, especially as a blocker. He also dropped a pass. But to LaPorta's credit, he was a huge factor as a receiver on the Lions TD drive that made the score 20-19. ****
-- Since Dan Campbell took over in Detroit, no one has stolen more possessions with fake punts than that guy. He did it again in Dallas, with an excellent play design that used the film against Dallas. The Lions have already attempted two fakes by having Jalen Reeves-Maybin run on after taking a direct snap. They set up a similar play against the Cowboys, with Reeves-Maybin taking a direct snap and working right -- then when the Cowboys swarmed him, he lofted a lollipop over the defense for Khalil Dorsey. They play went for 31 yards, and helped set up an excellent scoring opportunity inside the 5-yard line. But Campbell elected to go for it on fourth-and-goal, and this time, the gamble didn’t pay off. Jared Goff was under heavy pressure in the backfield, and couldn’t connect with Sam LaPorta working over the middle of the field. There’s a lot to like about Campbell’s aggressiveness -- again, no one has stolen more possessions than that guy -- but the go-for-it felt like a bit too much even before the play misfired. In a 7-3 game, points were at a premium, and Detroit came away with none at all.
**** Agreed. ****
As for the two-point conversion attempts -- even after the penalty -- well, your guess is as good as mine at this point. Campbell clearly wanted to go for the win, and even when they were backed up to the 7-yard line because of the penalty assessed against Decker, Campbell stuck with that mind-set rather than play for overtime. You have to wonder if he was concerned about playing bonus football this late in the season, and the toll that it could take on a team that is already playoff-bound.
**** Wear and tear might have been a factor. But I think the primary factor was the Lions had difficulty stopping the Cowboys passing game. Unless fatigue would have set in on the Cowboys pass rush, the Lions probably would have lost the game in OT. I won't criticize Coach Campbell for his decisions to go for the 2 points, even back at the Cowboys 7 yard line. ****
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This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions at Cowboys preview: Game # 16 ( 2023 )
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/1978/lions-cowboys-preview-game-2023