Hutchinson, Goff send message to rattled Lions fans

If the Lions take care of business Sunday as 6.5-point favorites against the Jets, their record through three games will be the same as or better than the four teams that played on conference championship weekend last season.

The Seahawks and Rams both started 2-1, the Patriots and Broncos both 1-2.

The Lions will also have the same record through three games that they had in 2024 when they finished 15-2 and in 2023 when they finished 12-5 and reached the NFC championship game.

Fans are understandably shaken after the Lions got bullied by the Bills in Week 2. One team looked like a clear Super Bowl contender, the other a pretender. Detroit's defense was particularly ugly, surrendering touchdowns on the Bills' first four drives. The game was over by halftime.

The season is not.

Asked what he'd say to fans rattled by what they watched last Thursday, Aidan Hutchinson said, "I remember in 2023 we went to the Ravens and we got absolutely smoked. Defensively we were horrible, I think the offense scored six points. It was one of the worst performances we've ever had, and I’m sure after that game people were saying that the Ravens were Super Bowl contenders and the Lions are whatever. And that same year we went to the NFC championship game and were up 17 at half."

Indeed, Detroit went to Baltimore in Week 7 that season in a battle of two supposed contenders. The Ravens scored touchdowns on their first four drives, the Lions went three-and-out on their first three drives, and the game was over by halftime. The season was not.

The Lions bounced back at home as seven-point favorites against the Raiders the next week, eventually won the NFC North and came within 30 minutes of the Super Bowl. The obvious difference is that before that loss in Baltimore, the Lions had won five of their first six games in impressive fashion and built up real equity with the fans.

These Lions are a two-point stop in Week 1 away from being 0-2.

But Campbell made a similar point to his players in the locker room after the Lions' 41-31 loss last Thursday night, noting they're in same spot through two games as the two best teams of his tenure.

"Look, that was a poor outing for our defense," said Hutchinson. "Like, no kidding. Everybody knows that. If we learn from it and grow from it, I think with this unit and this team we can do it."

Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has come under fire on the outside, and for good reason. His defense through two games has looked undisciplined up front and disconnected in the backend, leading to a storm of explosive plays for the opposition. Hutchinson was adamant about the need for change after last week's performance, and is confident those changes will show up moving forward.

"I got a lot of faith in Shep and Dan. The NFL is a week-to-week business, man. You can be praised one week and the next week people are asking for you to be fired, and I understand the volatility that this business comes with, individually and as a defense. I just know we stay in our bubble, we do what needs to be done, we make slight changes here and there, and we’ll be back for sure."

Detroit's offense has had its own problems, despite cracking 30 points in both of the first two games. The run game disappeared in Week 2 and the Lions started the night with two three-and-outs, leading to their 21-0 deficit. Unlike the 2023 and 2024 teams, the offensive line is still very much a work in progress. The absences of right tackle Blake Miller and center Cade Mays loomed large against the Bills.

Miller is expected to return in Week 2 from his knee injury. Mays should be back late next month from a fractured wrist. In the meantime, reserves like center Juice Scruggs, offensive tackle Larry Borom and guard Ben Bartch need to pick up their play.

Jared Goff sent a similar message to concerned fans, from the other side of the ball: "We’re 1-1 and it’s Week 3."

"Listen, we lost by 10 and had some chances to stay in that game and didn’t do it. That’s a good team, we lost, they got us, we move on to the next one. And to be honest," said Goff, "I really don’t feel like I have to defend anything we’re doing internally. We’ve got a lot of season in front of us, and a lot of work to do, certainly, but we feel just fine."

The Lions can quiet a lot of the noise with a sound performance on Sunday. Complementary football has eluded them through two games, aside from a series of takeaways and touchdowns early in the second half of Week 1 when the Lions built a 21-0 lead on the Saints. They should never have needed overtime to win that game, although their escape of New Orleans doesn't look so damning after the Saints went on the road last week and beat the Ravens.

The concerns on defense here are real, especially with injuries piling up in the secondary and reinforcements a ways off. Campbell said Monday that the defense, from front to back, needs to rebuild its sense of mutual trust after a flurry of blown assignments against the Bills. Each player needs to know that the man on either side of him is going to do his job, so that no one is stuck trying to do to much.

Hutchinson gets it. He agrees: "You get one of those games and it’s very frustrating, players and coaches together. Everyone’s just like, 'What the hell are we doing?' When you let up that many points and that many yards, of course, that trust might be blunted a little bit."

"But we’re like most teams in the NFL right now who are 1-1," Hutchinson said. "We still have an incredible opportunity to forge our future for this season. So with me, I’m just staying level and we’re moving on. We definitely have to put it on tape, as players, to show that we have a great understanding of this defense and of the execution. It will be a big week to do that."