On one hand, the sky is not falling for the Detroit Lions. They are still 1-1 to start the 2026 season, and with some easier matchups on deck, they have room to rebound before their Week 6 bye.
On the other hand, a beatdown never feels good. The Buffalo Bills did just that against the Lions in a Thursday night tilt that saw them christen their new stadium with an offensive onslaught. The Lions defense could do little to stop Josh Allen and company, whether it was in run defense or pass defense. To
call that performance an embarrassment would be harsh yet accurate. On the national stage, the Lions looked lost.
We are still in the infancy of the season, but there are rumblings among the Lions fanbase. Was this loss to Buffalo a sign of things to come? How can the ship be righted? Are the Lions truly capable of making a playoff push by season’s end? Safe to say, there is some level of panic right now.
Today’s Question of the Day is:
What is your level of panic for the Detroit Lions?
My answer: 5/10.
Firstly, the elephant in the room: this defense is looking bad. Like, really, really bad.
Aidan Hutchinson is practically carrying the unit by himself, leading the team with 16 pressures per PFF, whereas second has six (Alim McNeill) and third (Derrick Barnes) has five. In fact, of the Lions’ top nine pressure generators, only two of them are edge defenders: Hutchinson and DJ Wonnum (three pressures)—when Roger McCreary is generating more pressures, that is not ideal. I would like to see Wonnum take another step, whether that comes via pass rush or run defense. The same can be said about rookie Derrick Moore, who has made little impact in his 35 snaps so far (zero tackles to his name).
I think the defensive line can improve (of note, I think McNeill and Tyleik Williams have been playing well despite little fanfare), but I cannot say the same about the secondary. Outside of D.J. Reed and maybe Christian Izien, the defensive backs are struggling. Unfortunately, I do not see an in-house solution beyond the players themselves turning it around. Ennis Rakestraw and Nick Whiteside should be given a chance at some point, but both players would have to blow expectations out of the water to turn around the secondary.
Even then, the problem with this defense is not on one singular player, nor would adding Joey Porter Jr. be an instant cure. The real fix for this defense needs to come from fundamentals. That means good tackling, holding your gap, making the right read, sealing the edge, and, most of all, communicating. Most Lions defenders have been struggling with at least one of these aspects. Kelvin Sheppard is certainly part of the blame as well, since a poorly-organized defense is a reflection of its coordinator.
The Lions simply cannot be a playoff-winning team with a defense like this. There is time for the Lions to improve, and the Bills are arguably the best offense they will face all year, but we need to see improvement in the next few weeks—the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Arizona Cardinals should be winnable matchups. I set my panic level at a five, but truthfully, the defense is accounting for at least four of that. I am simply left hoping that the defense will improve, because nothing on the field has shown me otherwise.
The reason for my low-ish panic level is that I am genuinely satisfied with the offense.
Jared Goff has looked incredible through two games. I will hear nothing about how he benefitted from “garbage time” against the Bills—some of the throws he made were amazing, regardless of score. Coupled with much-improved pocket presence, he is on track for another elite season. He and Amon-Ra St. Brown have been dynamite after a slow first half against the New Orleans Saints.
If anything, this offense could be even better. Jahmyr Gibbs is putting on a clinic as a runner and, finally, as a receiver. Yet despite that, his longest play is just a 21-yard run against the Saints. When (not if) he breaks a long play, his totals could skyrocket. This is all coming with Cade Mays on Injured Reserve, Christian Mahogany having missed all but 11 snaps so far, and Blake Miller missing Week 2. When everyone is healthy on that unit, there could be some stout blocking up front for Gibbs.
This is not even factoring in a slow start from Jameson Williams, who has been plagued by drops, and Isaac TeSlaa, who has just two catches across two games. Imagine telling a Lions fan that they would be averaging 31 points without significant contributions from either of them. Even Sam LaPorta’s contributions could see an uptick, a player who has been impactful when called upon and resolute as a blocker. I do not think that offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has been perfect yet (I did not like some of those second-down plays versus Buffalo), but I am encouraged by this start.
The absence of Ben Johnson is not the reason for Detroit’s failures so far this season, contrary to many national “analysts” and critics. It comes down to the defense, plain and simple. The Lions have a runway to improve, but it gets shorter each week. The offense will have carry the team for most weeks, a difficult and unfair burden—if the Lions need the offense to be perfect in order to win games, then they do not deserve to win many games.
How nervous are you about the current state of the 2026 Lions? Let us know in the comments below.
