There isn’t much debating the reasons why the Lions lost to the Bucs Sunday.
Jared Goff turned the ball over twice and the Lions were terrible in the scoring zone.
They completely botched a field goal attempt at end of the first half, and it had a domino effect on the remainder of the game.
Tampa Bay was ousted by the Lions in the playoffs last season, and learned from the experience.
There were several key plays where the Bucs’ defense was all over offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s play calls.
It was similar to the Lions opener vs. the Rams, the other squad Detroit knocked out of the postseason in 2023, only to an even bigger degree.
Clearly, the league has caught up to Johnson with a blue print cutting off the middle of the field as much as possible.
The Lions need a bigger wide receiver who can high-point the ball. It’s like Johnson has forgotten the fade and back shoulder throws exist.
The Bucs, although playing mostly mistake-free football, didn’t really win this game, but rather the Lions lost it. The Lions out-gained Tampa Bay 463-to-216 yards and ran nearly twice as many plays.
And it wasted another solid effort by the Lions’ improved defense.
Aidan Hutchinson hasn’t garnered the respect he truly deserves.
That’s because his sack totals, while respectable, haven’t matched his actual effectiveness. Can’t say that after he had 4.5 sacks Sunday. He is solid as a pass rusher, a tough run defender and has made big plays defending the passing game.
He rarely comes off the field. Hutchinson played nearly 91 percent of the Lions defensive snaps last season, almost 1,000 in total.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, often maligned, appears to finally have a nucleus for a top defense. It’s helped that Brian Branch, one of the NFL’s better slot cornerbacks as a rookie in 2023, has adjusted well to deep safety.
Rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold is penalty prone because he is “handsy” in coverage. It was the knock on the Lions’ first-round pick coming out of Alabama.
But Arnold and Carlton Davis III are definitely an upgrade from last season at cornerback.
No season is truly predictable, and this one is already an example why.
The Cardinals, the Lions’ opponent on the road this week, is a classic example. They were competitive at Buffalo, and then destroyed the Rams. The game is in Arizona.
Marvin Harrison Jr. played like he is the NFL’s next great receiver, while Kyler Murray is the NFL leading candidate for Comeback Player of the year.
Offensive line is the Lions’ strength. It has to improve. Properly protected, Goff is one of the NFL’s most accurate passers, but hurried and void of a top running game, he one of the league’s worst QBs at improvising.
While it’s disappointing the Lions made little progress from Week One, this is still a formidable team. The cream should rise.
The sooner, the better.