US.Post-Holiday Nightmare: Detroit Lions Had Their Worst Game In Years – Team Discordant And Lackluster In Disappointing Clash With Minnesota Vikings!
For the Minnesota Vikings, it was a bit of revenge. For the Detroit Lions, it was a punch in the gut.
Former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy threw two touchdown passes in his third career start and the Lions struggled to sustain offensive possessions for the third straight game as the Vikings upset the Lions, 27-24, at Ford Field.
The Lions beat the Vikings twice last season, including in a winner-take-all game in Week 18 to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, when McCarthy was out with a knee injury.
They’ve lost two of their past three games and at 5-3 have one more loss then they had last year during the entire regular season.
Here are three thoughts on Sunday’s game:Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!MONARREZ: Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy looks like he’s going to be a problem for years to come for Lions
Where are the big plays?
The Lions have too much talent on offense to have this much trouble scoring. They scored 17 points in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, had 24 points (but were an ugly 3 of 13 on third down and didn’t capitalize on great field position) a week later in a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and spent most of Sunday stuck in a serious rut.
The Lions opened the game with an easy six-play, 72-yard scoring drive, then had 60 yards on their next six drives and went three-and-out on four straight possessions (with a lost fumble on the last of those drives) in the second and third quarters.
Before a late Jared Goff touchdown pass to Jameson Williams, the Lions’ only other points came on a 35-yard drive when they needed nine plays to take advantage of the great field position their defense and special teams gave them and an 11-play, 38-yard drive that ended in a Jake Bates field goal.
The pass protection was leaky, the running game was ineffective (25 yards on 10 carries in the first half), Williams was MIA most of the day and Goff missed two throws on an odious two-minute drive just before halftime.
The Lions have not been able to consistently generate big plays this season under John Morton like they did the past few years under Ben Johnson. It’s not just Morton’s fault. The line has been maddeningly inconsistent at times – the Lions allowed five sacks and 11 quarterback hits Sunday – and the Lions continue to struggle on third downs.
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