CHARLOTTE, NC– Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett grades the Detroit Lions’ performance in their 32-26 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Bank of America Stadium.
Quarterback
Jared Goff has been one of the Lions’ best players this season and Sunday was no different. Goff completed 32 of 52 passes for a season-high 412 yards, but he and the offense settled for too many field goals. Goff missed a short pass to Jahmyr Gibbs with Pat Jones in his face when the Lions had to settle for a field goal on the opening drive of the third quarter and was 2-for-6 on passes that traveled more than 20 yards downfield, though he did hit deep shots to Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa. Goff probably should have thrown the ball away when he took a sack
on the Lions’ final drive, but he played another turnover-free game. Grade: A-minus
Running backs
Gibbs entered Sunday averaging 102.3 yards per game rushing, then had season-lows of 46 yards and 15 carries against the Panthers. Give Carolina’s defense credit for bottling up the NFL’s most explosive player, but Gibbs didn’t break tackles or make defenders miss with the same frequency he did in the season’s first three weeks. Gibbs didn’t have a catch longer than 9 yards, and he dropped a would-be third-and-7 conversion when he was hit from behind at the catch point by Lathan Ransom. Sione Vaki had a 17-yard catch that converted a third-and-10 but didn’t have a carry in a limited role. Both backs were solid in pass protection. Grade: B-minus
[ NEW SHOW: Listen to the "Freep Sports Show" on our Detroit Free Press livestream on YouTube and available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple or Spotify). ]
Receivers & tight ends
With Carolina's defense trained on Gibbs and determined not to let Amon-Ra St. Brown thrive in the passing game, the Lions got big days from Sam LaPorta (eight catches, 84 yards, one touchdown), Williams (6-102) and TeSlaa (4-95). TeSlaa also drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone to set up Gibbs’ rushing touchdown, and St. Brown still finished with eight catches for 75 yards, with most of his production coming in the second half. Dan Campbell lamented some of the Lions’ undisciplined play, including nine penalties. Brock Wright had a false start that helped derail the Lions’ opening drive and was called for a leg-whip penalty early in the third quarter. Williams also had a drop on the Lions’ second drive that might have gone for a touchdown. Grade: B
Offensive line
I don’t think the Lions were quite as bad up front as the numbers might indicate in a game where they rushed for just 46 yards, averaging 3.1 yards per carry. The line allowed one sack, when Goff held the ball waiting for Williams to get open on a double move downfield, and didn’t get in any rhythm rushing with just 15 attempts. Four of the Lions’ five linemen – Juice Scruggs (holding), Christian Mahogany (holding), Blake Miller (false start) and Tate Ratledge (false start) – committed penalties, and Miller missed two blocks on a 0-yard run by Gibbs in the second quarter. Wright and Tate Ratledge had the big blocks to spring Gibbs’ longest run of the day – which went for a mere 13 yards. Grade: B-minus
Defensive line
The Lions had 11 hits on Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, but Carolina was able to negate some of the Lions’ pass rush with its RPO game. Young took three sacks, but two came on scrambles at basically the line of scrimmage and he did a good job diagnosing the Lions defense and getting rid of the ball quickly to his slot receivers. Defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Alim McNeill had a great opening series for the Lions. Williams blew up the Panthers’ first rushing play, driving Luke Fortner into the backfield to set up a Jimmy Rolder tackle for loss, and McNeill overpowered Corey Bullock for a sack. But Levi Onwuzurike and Skyler Gill-Howard had offside penalties and the Panthers ran for 127 yards. Grade: C-plus
Linebackers
Jack Campbell struggled to explain why the Lions were so bad against RPOs in the first half. “Looking at run, as soon as the 'backers dive down, they just dink it over our heads,” he said. “I think that's just something that we got to look in the mirror and how can I maybe do a better job at holding off that window and then triggering for the run.” Campbell (14 tackles) appeared to overrun Hubbard on his 25-yard gain in the third quarter, when Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Christian Izien missed tackles on the play. And either Rolder or Chuck Clark appeared to be at fault on Young’s 21-yard pass to Tetairoa McMillan on Carolina’s first touchdown drive. The Lions used Rolder, Trevor Nowaske, Malcolm Rodriguez and Amen Ogbongbemiga in their No. 3 linebacker role – none had any answers on the field. Grade: D
Defensive backs
The Lions allowed eight more passes of at least 16 yards and had no answer for McMillan (14 catches for 192 yards and two TDs), who became the third receiver in four games to reach double-digit catches and 100 yards against Kelvin Sheppard’s defense. D.J. Reed got beat in man coverage for the two biggest plays of the Panthers’ second touchdown drive. He gave John Metchie III too much room on a shallow crossing route on fourth-and-4 and got beat downfield on McMillan’s 32-yard touchdown. Izien was at fault on McMillan’s second touchdown, when he bit on a jab step inside. Roger McCreary had a diving pass breakup on Carolina’s two-minute drive at the end of the first half to help force a field goal but also got flagged for pass interference to elongate a drive in the third quarter. Grade: D
Special teams
Jake Bates drilled a 54-yard field goal on the Lions’ opening drive with plenty of room to spare and added kicks of 26, 41 and 43 yards. The Lions made some uncharacteristic mistakes on special teams, though. They had to waste a timeout before Bates’ first kick when Scruggs was late coming on the field, and Nowaske was called for running into the kicker on a second half punt. I don’t know how much of a hand the Lions played in it, but the Panthers missed two extra points. Carolina did a good job of forcing kick returns by kicking the ball into the landing zone, effectively nullifying the Lions’ return game. Grade: B-minus
Coaching
I picked the Lions to lose Sunday so I’m not surprised by the outcome. But four games into the season, the Lions defense hasn’t gotten any better, and it’s becoming a concern. The defense looked unprepared for the RPO game to start Sunday’s game, and when they kind of got that figured out, they couldn’t stop the run. Clearly, talent is an issue in the back seven, but maybe it’s time for the Lions to go back to a more man-heavy approach. That’s who Sheppard is, deep inside, and if the Lions aren’t going to force turnovers, then playing more zone defense is just dying a slower death. I was indifferent on Dan Campbell’s challenge in the first half. I didn’t think Gibbs held on long enough for the catch in real time, but I also didn’t mind a challenge on what might have been a scoring play. I didn’t like the Lions’ decision to decline an illegal formation penalty and I don't think the offense is playing consistent enough for its talent. Grade: D-plus
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions grades vs Panthers: Defense, coaching take big blame in loss
