Post by D6 on Sept 16, 2024 1:12:24 GMT -5
Thoughts in ****
Instant observations: Mistakes pile up in Lions’ first loss of season
Instant observations: Mistakes pile up in Lions’ first loss of season
Updated: Sep. 15, 2024, 5:27 p.m.|Published: Sep. 15, 2024, 4:14 p.m.
Detroit Lions host Tampa Bay Buccaneers
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
DETROIT -- Another playoff rematch against one of the NFC’s best.
Almost another dramatic win.
Almost.
Jared Goff shrugged off a two-pick start to string together six straight completions during a march to the red zone in the final minute, and had the Lions 13 yards from their first 2-0 start since 2017. But facing a do-or-die fourth-and-8, Jahmyr Gibbs was dropped just shy of the sticks with 53 seconds left and the Lions fell 20-16 on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It was a fitting end for the Lions, who finished 1 of 7 in the red zone overall. That includes a costly mistake by Dan Campbell, who sent his field-goal until onto the field while Goff was trying to spike the football with 3 seconds left before halftime. The Lions were flagged for too many men on the field -- way, way too many men -- and the final 3 seconds were burned off the clock, costing Detroit a gimme field goal in a game it lost by six points.
**** This was huge mistake that Dan Campbell took responsibility for. There's no way of knowing if the mistake cost the Lions the game. The Lions had numerous chances in the 2nd half to win this game. The bottom line is the Lions Offense didn't play winning football vs. the Bucs. Very disappointing loss, when factoring in the Bucs injury situation. ****
The Lions did get one more shot in the final minute of the fourth quarter, generating a quick three-and-out that gave them possession at Tampa’s 44-yard line with 33 seconds left. Goff completed short passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs to move the ball to the 21-yard line with 14 seconds left. But Jameson Williams couldn’t get both toes down on a pass to the red zone, and a fourth-and-10 pass skipped off the turf at Sam LaPorta’s feet with no time left.
**** I'm not sure why Tim Patrick wasn't in the game on most, maybe even all of the Lions plays late in the game. The need for Patrick's size at the WR position seemed paramount, especially on the Lions final drive. There wasn't even an attempted pass in the end zone on the Lions final 2 drives! ****
Goff threw two picks overall -- one on the first play of the game, another that a back-breaker in the red zone in the fourth quarter -- and nearly had three more. He finished 34 of 55 passing for 307 yards and a passer rating of 61.7.
The first interception was a result of Illegal Contact that affected Jameson Williams pass route immensely. Yet,somehow the officials didn't call a penalty! There was nothing wrong with Jared Goff's throw. ****
St. Brown wasn’t on the field for the final plays after leaving the game after his last catch, then collapsed to the turf on the sideline. He finished with a bounce-back game of 11 catches for 119 yards, but left twice with injuries and is now beaten up heading into a Week 3 game out west against the Arizona Cardinals.
**** Hopefully, Amon-Ra St. Brown didn't suffer a significant injury that will keep him out of one or more games, or limited him if he's cleared to play. There's definitely reason to be concerned. ****
Aidan Hutchinson added 4.5 sacks in a losing effort, the second-best mark in franchise history.
**** Great job by Hutch, despite the Lions loss. He was the Lions best player in this game on either side of the ball. ****
Let’s get to some more observations:
-- Jared, oof. The Lions quarterback has been phenomenal the last two years, but he was mid in the opener -- doing just enough to lead a comeback victory in a run-dominated overtime -- before struggling against a very good Tampa defense. Goff was under a lot of duress and took a lot of big hits, and didn’t handle it judiciously. He threw two interceptions, and had three more that were this close to going the other way. To be fair, the first pick came when Jameson Williams was knocked off his route by obvious pass interference. But the flag wasn’t thrown, and cornerback Zyon McCollum was the only man left close to the ball. Tough break. But Goff continued to put the ball in harm’s way, and after dodging three bullets, he paid the price by throwing another pass directly to safety Christian Izien while driving late in a 20-16 game. Goff had better results once Tampa backed up against him late in the fourth quarter, and drove the Lions all the way to the 6-yard line in the final seconds, although his fourth-down pass to Jahmyr Gibbs was short of the sticks, and the Bucs pounced on the running back to kill the drive in the shadow of the end zone.
**** Jared Goff certainly has to play better. But the same can be said for the Lions Offensive Line, even though they didn't give up any sacks. The Lions overall blocking in this game, run and pass, contributed to this loss. Maybe my standards for the Lions Offensive Line and overall blocking are too high. But past play from these players raised my expectations. ****
-- Aidan Hutchinson catches some of the weirdest strays in the league. There were grumbles he should have been more productive last year, when he finished with the second-most pressures in the league. There were some more grumbles last week, when he racked up the most pressures in the league (11) and chipped in a sack that forced overtime. He didn’t need long to shut folks up against Tampa, steamrolling the Bucs for three sacks and a forced fumble -- all of which came in the first 10 minutes of the game. He tacked on a fourth sack in the third quarter, then another half-sack on a third-and-long that got Detroit off the field while facing a 20-16 deficit midway through the fourth quarter. The 4.5-piece is the second-best game in franchise history, and narrowly missed the record of 5.5 set by William Gay in 1983.
**** DE Al 'Bubba' Baker had at least 5 sacks in the Lions 2nd game of the 1978 season, in a game at Tampa Bay. Sacks didn't become an official NFL stat until the 1982 season. ****
Hutchinson now has 13.5 sacks in his last nine games overall, including the playoffs. You know, a postseason where he racked up three sacks in as many games during the march to the NFC championship game. For a team that got almost nothing from the rest of the defensive front last year, and had massive issues defending the pass, that was essential production. Hutch has more help this year, and now he’s rolling unlike ever before. Maybe, just maybe, people will stop complaining about one of the best talents in Detroit? He’s the best edge rusher this team has seen since, what? Robert Porcher?
**** Hutch might be the Lions best edge rusher since Bubba Baker. He's also clearly an asset against the run.****
-- Dan Campbell goofed up big time, and it proved costly. The Lions have an elite coaching staff, that much is clear, and the coaching on special teams is especially good. Just look at Jack Fox’s fourth-and-12 pass for yet another successful fake punt for more evidence of that. But with 3 seconds left before halftime, Campbell sent the field-goal unit onto the field before Goff had a chance to clock the football at the 3-yard line. There were at least 18 men on the field when the ball was snapped, probably an NFL record, and the ensuing flag ran off what remained of the clock. What a missed opportunity. Brian Branch laid out for a beautiful pick on the other side of the 2-minute warning, and Detroit had an opportunity to close the 13-6 gap. Instead, they had to run into the locker room with the ball hanging out at the 3-yard line -- a huge turn of events in a game that Detroit lost by four points. Having that field goal would have changed the entire complexion of the second half, allowing the Lions to play for a field goal rather than gunning for the end zone against a stout red-zone defense. Campbell will catch a lot of deserved heat for an inexplicable mistake.
**** As I stated before, Dan Campbell took responsibility for a mistake that CAN'T happen. Yet, PLENTY of Lions players didn't play well enough, especially on the Lions Offense.
****
-- That being said, give Campbell credit for his daring ways in the second half. Facing a fourth-and-12 from deep inside his own territory, Campbell dialed up yet another fake punt. Jack Fox, a high school quarterback, threw a strike to rookie running back Sione Vaki over the middle for 17 yards. Fox is now 4 of 5 passing for 61 yards yards since 2021, all league highs for a punter. Detroit is 9 of 11 on fake punts overall since Campbell took over, also a league high. And after converting the latest fake, David Montgomery picked up an ensuing fourth-and-2, Detroit’s 65th conversion on 121 fourth-down attempts since Campbell took over, all -- surprise! -- league records. Bottom line: No one has stolen more possessions than Detroit during the Dan Campbell era.
**** Gutsy decisions by Dan Campbell in giving the green light for the calls. The Lions not getting any points on that drive, despite the two successful 4th Down conversations, speaks volumes about the performance of the Lions Offense in this game. ****
-- Amon-Ra St. Brown made a bit of a statement after his three-catch, 16-yard debut, finishing with 11 catches for 119 yards against the Bucs. No play was bigger than the 17-yard catch he made at the goal line late in the third quarter, teeing up a David Montgomery scoring plunge that gave Detroit a 16-13 lead. It wasn’t a perfect effort, and a couple drops after he was crushed by the defense is especially confounding. Were those tough plays? Absolutely, no doubt about it. Those are also the kinds of plays that have helped St. Brown pocket a $120 million contract. He’s usually cash-money on tight-window throws, and so tough at the catch point. But last week, he had a ball ripped out of his arms. This week, he put two more balls on the turf that hit him in the hands. It seems like the timing is still just a little off with St. Brown. But you have to like the production against a tough Bucs defense, although the injuries are now a concern. St. Brown left the game twice, including on the final drive of the fourth quarter, and collapsed to the turf once he reached the sideline.
**** Amon-Ra St. Brown had many positive moments in this game. Having said that, something seems off with him as a receiver and as a blocker on occasion. His health though has become the # 1 concern with him and possibly the entire Lions team. ****'
-- After Jameson Williams’ breakout performance last week, the next hurdle became doing it consistently. Let’s check that box too. Williams roasted cornerback Jamel Dean for a 50-yard catch that set up an early field goal. That’s back-to-back games with 50-yard catches for the third-year wideout, becoming the first Lions player to accomplish that feat since Golden Tate in 2014. Williams added another huge catch during the second-half comeback, catching a third-and-10 pass over the middle and then breaking a tackle to move the sticks. That led to a go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter. Williams finished with five catches for 79 yards. The only real blemish was not being able to get both toes down on a late red-zone pass, although the play was incredibly difficult to make.
**** Jameson Williams is making substantial strides as a WR. Yet, his blocking wasn't good enough in this game. Williams made two key blocks on the 4th Down run by Jahmyr Gibbs on the Lions 2nd to last drive. But before that play, especially on that drive, Williams didn't execute even close to well enough on a couple of attempted blocks. ****
-- Have the Lions finally found their answer at WR3? None of the candidates made the team out of training camp, and none the replacements were targeted with a pass in Week 1. But Tim Patrick was added to the practice squad in the process, was elevated against Tampa and made a couple nice plays during the comeback attempt. At 6-foot-4, Patrick used his big frame to sit over the middle in a zone and make a nice 10-yard catch on third-and-long. Later, he pummeled Jamel Dean into the turf with a stiff-arm. The play went for only 2 yards because Patrick was out of bounds, but these are the best signs of life yet from a receiver not named Amon-Ra or Jamo since training camp.
**** Again, where was Tim Patrick LATE in the game? ****
-- Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold began this game where he left off in the second half last week -- getting flagged for a back-breaking pass interference. It happened twice in the end zone against the Rams, leading to 10 points during a 17-point surge. He said he wasn’t concerned about it, just had to learn how the officials would call him at this level. But on the first series against Tampa, he was flagged again for PI on a bomb inside the 5-yard line. That led to three points.
**** I'm somewhat surprised Pass Interference was called on that play, because it looked like Arnold was looking back at the ball.
More likely than not, Terrion Arnold made the assignment mistake that resulted in Chris Godwin's TD in the 2nd QTR.
Arnold also had a costly facemask penalty on the Bucs first play from scrimmage after David Montgomery's rushing TD and successful PAT put the Lions ahead 16-13. The hand support device he was wearing as a result of an injury during the game might have been a factor that led to him committing the facemask penalty. ****
Much of the time in the game, Arnold did a good job in coverage.
-- Star free-agent signing DJ Reader started at defensive tackle in his Lions debut, while Levi Onwuzurike earned the start for Marcus Davenport, who did not dress because of a groin injury. James Houston dressed in Davenport’s place, but did not record a statistic.
**** DJ Reader was definitely an asset vs. the run. Levi Onwuzurike was an asset much of the time. James Houston had FAR less snaps than Derrick Barnes on the edge. Barnes did a great job deflecting Baker Mayfield's pass on the 3rd Down play that enabled the Lions to get the ball back on last time, as the deflection resulted in an incompletion. Barnes is contributing in all facets of Defensive play. He's a much better player than was the case in his first 2 seasons. ****
-- Top linebacker Alex Anzalone left the game to be evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter and did not return. Malcolm Rodriguez was the primary replacement down the stretch.
**** This is another major Lions concern.
Regarding Malcolm Rodriquez, Baker Mayfield put a move on him on a 3rd Down QB run that resulted in a 1st Down in the Red Zone. But overall, I thought Rodriquez played well. ****
...........
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions vs. Bucs preview: Game # 2 (2024)
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/2251/lions-bucs-preview-game-2024
Instant observations: Mistakes pile up in Lions’ first loss of season
Instant observations: Mistakes pile up in Lions’ first loss of season
Updated: Sep. 15, 2024, 5:27 p.m.|Published: Sep. 15, 2024, 4:14 p.m.
Detroit Lions host Tampa Bay Buccaneers
By Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com
DETROIT -- Another playoff rematch against one of the NFC’s best.
Almost another dramatic win.
Almost.
Jared Goff shrugged off a two-pick start to string together six straight completions during a march to the red zone in the final minute, and had the Lions 13 yards from their first 2-0 start since 2017. But facing a do-or-die fourth-and-8, Jahmyr Gibbs was dropped just shy of the sticks with 53 seconds left and the Lions fell 20-16 on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It was a fitting end for the Lions, who finished 1 of 7 in the red zone overall. That includes a costly mistake by Dan Campbell, who sent his field-goal until onto the field while Goff was trying to spike the football with 3 seconds left before halftime. The Lions were flagged for too many men on the field -- way, way too many men -- and the final 3 seconds were burned off the clock, costing Detroit a gimme field goal in a game it lost by six points.
**** This was huge mistake that Dan Campbell took responsibility for. There's no way of knowing if the mistake cost the Lions the game. The Lions had numerous chances in the 2nd half to win this game. The bottom line is the Lions Offense didn't play winning football vs. the Bucs. Very disappointing loss, when factoring in the Bucs injury situation. ****
The Lions did get one more shot in the final minute of the fourth quarter, generating a quick three-and-out that gave them possession at Tampa’s 44-yard line with 33 seconds left. Goff completed short passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs to move the ball to the 21-yard line with 14 seconds left. But Jameson Williams couldn’t get both toes down on a pass to the red zone, and a fourth-and-10 pass skipped off the turf at Sam LaPorta’s feet with no time left.
**** I'm not sure why Tim Patrick wasn't in the game on most, maybe even all of the Lions plays late in the game. The need for Patrick's size at the WR position seemed paramount, especially on the Lions final drive. There wasn't even an attempted pass in the end zone on the Lions final 2 drives! ****
Goff threw two picks overall -- one on the first play of the game, another that a back-breaker in the red zone in the fourth quarter -- and nearly had three more. He finished 34 of 55 passing for 307 yards and a passer rating of 61.7.
The first interception was a result of Illegal Contact that affected Jameson Williams pass route immensely. Yet,somehow the officials didn't call a penalty! There was nothing wrong with Jared Goff's throw. ****
St. Brown wasn’t on the field for the final plays after leaving the game after his last catch, then collapsed to the turf on the sideline. He finished with a bounce-back game of 11 catches for 119 yards, but left twice with injuries and is now beaten up heading into a Week 3 game out west against the Arizona Cardinals.
**** Hopefully, Amon-Ra St. Brown didn't suffer a significant injury that will keep him out of one or more games, or limited him if he's cleared to play. There's definitely reason to be concerned. ****
Aidan Hutchinson added 4.5 sacks in a losing effort, the second-best mark in franchise history.
**** Great job by Hutch, despite the Lions loss. He was the Lions best player in this game on either side of the ball. ****
Let’s get to some more observations:
-- Jared, oof. The Lions quarterback has been phenomenal the last two years, but he was mid in the opener -- doing just enough to lead a comeback victory in a run-dominated overtime -- before struggling against a very good Tampa defense. Goff was under a lot of duress and took a lot of big hits, and didn’t handle it judiciously. He threw two interceptions, and had three more that were this close to going the other way. To be fair, the first pick came when Jameson Williams was knocked off his route by obvious pass interference. But the flag wasn’t thrown, and cornerback Zyon McCollum was the only man left close to the ball. Tough break. But Goff continued to put the ball in harm’s way, and after dodging three bullets, he paid the price by throwing another pass directly to safety Christian Izien while driving late in a 20-16 game. Goff had better results once Tampa backed up against him late in the fourth quarter, and drove the Lions all the way to the 6-yard line in the final seconds, although his fourth-down pass to Jahmyr Gibbs was short of the sticks, and the Bucs pounced on the running back to kill the drive in the shadow of the end zone.
**** Jared Goff certainly has to play better. But the same can be said for the Lions Offensive Line, even though they didn't give up any sacks. The Lions overall blocking in this game, run and pass, contributed to this loss. Maybe my standards for the Lions Offensive Line and overall blocking are too high. But past play from these players raised my expectations. ****
-- Aidan Hutchinson catches some of the weirdest strays in the league. There were grumbles he should have been more productive last year, when he finished with the second-most pressures in the league. There were some more grumbles last week, when he racked up the most pressures in the league (11) and chipped in a sack that forced overtime. He didn’t need long to shut folks up against Tampa, steamrolling the Bucs for three sacks and a forced fumble -- all of which came in the first 10 minutes of the game. He tacked on a fourth sack in the third quarter, then another half-sack on a third-and-long that got Detroit off the field while facing a 20-16 deficit midway through the fourth quarter. The 4.5-piece is the second-best game in franchise history, and narrowly missed the record of 5.5 set by William Gay in 1983.
**** DE Al 'Bubba' Baker had at least 5 sacks in the Lions 2nd game of the 1978 season, in a game at Tampa Bay. Sacks didn't become an official NFL stat until the 1982 season. ****
Hutchinson now has 13.5 sacks in his last nine games overall, including the playoffs. You know, a postseason where he racked up three sacks in as many games during the march to the NFC championship game. For a team that got almost nothing from the rest of the defensive front last year, and had massive issues defending the pass, that was essential production. Hutch has more help this year, and now he’s rolling unlike ever before. Maybe, just maybe, people will stop complaining about one of the best talents in Detroit? He’s the best edge rusher this team has seen since, what? Robert Porcher?
**** Hutch might be the Lions best edge rusher since Bubba Baker. He's also clearly an asset against the run.****
-- Dan Campbell goofed up big time, and it proved costly. The Lions have an elite coaching staff, that much is clear, and the coaching on special teams is especially good. Just look at Jack Fox’s fourth-and-12 pass for yet another successful fake punt for more evidence of that. But with 3 seconds left before halftime, Campbell sent the field-goal unit onto the field before Goff had a chance to clock the football at the 3-yard line. There were at least 18 men on the field when the ball was snapped, probably an NFL record, and the ensuing flag ran off what remained of the clock. What a missed opportunity. Brian Branch laid out for a beautiful pick on the other side of the 2-minute warning, and Detroit had an opportunity to close the 13-6 gap. Instead, they had to run into the locker room with the ball hanging out at the 3-yard line -- a huge turn of events in a game that Detroit lost by four points. Having that field goal would have changed the entire complexion of the second half, allowing the Lions to play for a field goal rather than gunning for the end zone against a stout red-zone defense. Campbell will catch a lot of deserved heat for an inexplicable mistake.
**** As I stated before, Dan Campbell took responsibility for a mistake that CAN'T happen. Yet, PLENTY of Lions players didn't play well enough, especially on the Lions Offense.
****
-- That being said, give Campbell credit for his daring ways in the second half. Facing a fourth-and-12 from deep inside his own territory, Campbell dialed up yet another fake punt. Jack Fox, a high school quarterback, threw a strike to rookie running back Sione Vaki over the middle for 17 yards. Fox is now 4 of 5 passing for 61 yards yards since 2021, all league highs for a punter. Detroit is 9 of 11 on fake punts overall since Campbell took over, also a league high. And after converting the latest fake, David Montgomery picked up an ensuing fourth-and-2, Detroit’s 65th conversion on 121 fourth-down attempts since Campbell took over, all -- surprise! -- league records. Bottom line: No one has stolen more possessions than Detroit during the Dan Campbell era.
**** Gutsy decisions by Dan Campbell in giving the green light for the calls. The Lions not getting any points on that drive, despite the two successful 4th Down conversations, speaks volumes about the performance of the Lions Offense in this game. ****
-- Amon-Ra St. Brown made a bit of a statement after his three-catch, 16-yard debut, finishing with 11 catches for 119 yards against the Bucs. No play was bigger than the 17-yard catch he made at the goal line late in the third quarter, teeing up a David Montgomery scoring plunge that gave Detroit a 16-13 lead. It wasn’t a perfect effort, and a couple drops after he was crushed by the defense is especially confounding. Were those tough plays? Absolutely, no doubt about it. Those are also the kinds of plays that have helped St. Brown pocket a $120 million contract. He’s usually cash-money on tight-window throws, and so tough at the catch point. But last week, he had a ball ripped out of his arms. This week, he put two more balls on the turf that hit him in the hands. It seems like the timing is still just a little off with St. Brown. But you have to like the production against a tough Bucs defense, although the injuries are now a concern. St. Brown left the game twice, including on the final drive of the fourth quarter, and collapsed to the turf once he reached the sideline.
**** Amon-Ra St. Brown had many positive moments in this game. Having said that, something seems off with him as a receiver and as a blocker on occasion. His health though has become the # 1 concern with him and possibly the entire Lions team. ****'
-- After Jameson Williams’ breakout performance last week, the next hurdle became doing it consistently. Let’s check that box too. Williams roasted cornerback Jamel Dean for a 50-yard catch that set up an early field goal. That’s back-to-back games with 50-yard catches for the third-year wideout, becoming the first Lions player to accomplish that feat since Golden Tate in 2014. Williams added another huge catch during the second-half comeback, catching a third-and-10 pass over the middle and then breaking a tackle to move the sticks. That led to a go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter. Williams finished with five catches for 79 yards. The only real blemish was not being able to get both toes down on a late red-zone pass, although the play was incredibly difficult to make.
**** Jameson Williams is making substantial strides as a WR. Yet, his blocking wasn't good enough in this game. Williams made two key blocks on the 4th Down run by Jahmyr Gibbs on the Lions 2nd to last drive. But before that play, especially on that drive, Williams didn't execute even close to well enough on a couple of attempted blocks. ****
-- Have the Lions finally found their answer at WR3? None of the candidates made the team out of training camp, and none the replacements were targeted with a pass in Week 1. But Tim Patrick was added to the practice squad in the process, was elevated against Tampa and made a couple nice plays during the comeback attempt. At 6-foot-4, Patrick used his big frame to sit over the middle in a zone and make a nice 10-yard catch on third-and-long. Later, he pummeled Jamel Dean into the turf with a stiff-arm. The play went for only 2 yards because Patrick was out of bounds, but these are the best signs of life yet from a receiver not named Amon-Ra or Jamo since training camp.
**** Again, where was Tim Patrick LATE in the game? ****
-- Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold began this game where he left off in the second half last week -- getting flagged for a back-breaking pass interference. It happened twice in the end zone against the Rams, leading to 10 points during a 17-point surge. He said he wasn’t concerned about it, just had to learn how the officials would call him at this level. But on the first series against Tampa, he was flagged again for PI on a bomb inside the 5-yard line. That led to three points.
**** I'm somewhat surprised Pass Interference was called on that play, because it looked like Arnold was looking back at the ball.
More likely than not, Terrion Arnold made the assignment mistake that resulted in Chris Godwin's TD in the 2nd QTR.
Arnold also had a costly facemask penalty on the Bucs first play from scrimmage after David Montgomery's rushing TD and successful PAT put the Lions ahead 16-13. The hand support device he was wearing as a result of an injury during the game might have been a factor that led to him committing the facemask penalty. ****
Much of the time in the game, Arnold did a good job in coverage.
-- Star free-agent signing DJ Reader started at defensive tackle in his Lions debut, while Levi Onwuzurike earned the start for Marcus Davenport, who did not dress because of a groin injury. James Houston dressed in Davenport’s place, but did not record a statistic.
**** DJ Reader was definitely an asset vs. the run. Levi Onwuzurike was an asset much of the time. James Houston had FAR less snaps than Derrick Barnes on the edge. Barnes did a great job deflecting Baker Mayfield's pass on the 3rd Down play that enabled the Lions to get the ball back on last time, as the deflection resulted in an incompletion. Barnes is contributing in all facets of Defensive play. He's a much better player than was the case in his first 2 seasons. ****
-- Top linebacker Alex Anzalone left the game to be evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter and did not return. Malcolm Rodriguez was the primary replacement down the stretch.
**** This is another major Lions concern.
Regarding Malcolm Rodriquez, Baker Mayfield put a move on him on a 3rd Down QB run that resulted in a 1st Down in the Red Zone. But overall, I thought Rodriquez played well. ****
...........
This new thread is a continuation of the following thread:
Lions vs. Bucs preview: Game # 2 (2024)
detroit-lions-forum.proboards.com/thread/2251/lions-bucs-preview-game-2024