Nobody gave the Lions a shot. There was good and bad. Clock management not the greatest. Ben Johnson having ADHD all over the place. AG struggling with the Bills.
But they played. They got into a street fight with the #2 team in the AFC and it came down to a field goal.
Beat the Jags, beat the Vikings, Lions are 6-7. Go beat the Jets, Lions are 7-7 and the narrative changes.
I don’t think this team is scared of anyone in this league.
So let’s enjoy the fact we had a great Thanksgiving game against a really good team and move on. On to Jacksonville.
Most of us were “hoping” for a win today but at the very least, we played solid. We have a long break to get healthy and start a new winning streak.
At the very least we need to win 5 of the last 6 games. Vikings and Jets, our 2 toughest opponents have looked a little shaky lately so one of those in winnable. That leaves must wins against Carolina, Jags, Chicago and Green Bay.
Worst case scenario we only win 2-3 and end up drafting in mid teens (with hopefully the Rams pick ending up in top 5).
I still say SOL cocaine pants reared it’s ugly head at the end…we could have sealed this one, but moral victory or not, it ended very “close game” SOL-ish.
*I’m not saying the team is SOL, but we’ve seen this very same SOL type loss countless times.
4 weeks ago most of us had this game as a massacre. I’ll nitpick things I think they could have done better, but there’s no shame in losing to that team in a game that came down to the wire. The crucial moment late was losing Jacobs. Allen immediately went after Hughes once he had to take over covering Diggs.
Goff wasn’t so hot on some of his passes, we fumble the ball and hand it over, but it took a David Bass Field goal to beat us, and I mean he BARELY made it…they gave game props to the QB, but hell we were 9 point underdogs and really, we took them to the woodshed, gave them all they wanted, and almost pulled it out…I cannot be too mad.
I know a lot has been made about the play calling, but I also find it difficult to blame that either. I have zero statistics to back this up, and I do hope that someone will take on the task, but it seemed from the eyeball test that they were avoiding the interior running game, as a percentage vs past games, due to two 3rd string guards and a stout Bills interior defensive front.
Can’t blame Ben Johnson for not trying to ram it in if he didn’t have confidence in success. If the Bills noted that trend, it really limits what you’re doing on 3rd and short. There’s only so many counters and sweeps you can run before they’re laying for it.
In my opinion, missing Jackson and/or Brown is what made the difference yesterday.