National writers and analysts seem to be quite down on the Detroit Lions following a disappointing loss to the Eagles on Sunday Night Football.
It’s perfectly fine to say, “Who cares? They don’t know us.”
But if you’re curious—or at least want some bulletin board material—I found thoughts from a few NFL folks.
CBS Sports’ John Breech awarded the Lions a C- for the 16-9 loss in Philadelphia.
“If the Lions (6-4) continue to play like this against defenses that can put pressure on Goff, their season is going to end with another short playoff trip and that’s if they even make the playoffs. Right now, they’re on the outside looking in,” he writes.
In a “Winners and Losers” type article, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski named Dan Campbell a loser.
“Campbell went from a play-calling wizard to a questionable decision-maker on critical downs within two weeks. In Week 10, the Lions scored 44 points. In their previous outing, they struggled to run the ball, averaging 3.5 yards per carry, and Goff couldn’t find his rhythm in the pocket,” he said.
The Bleacher Report staff dropped the Lions from six to eight in weekly power rankings.
“Neither Detroit’s play selection nor Campbell’s insistence on repeatedly going for it on 4th down were the most concerning aspects of the Lions’ latest outing. The offensive line isn’t healthy and struggled to protect Jared Goff throughout the contest.”
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra noted similar struggles.
“Philly’s defensive front obliterated the Lions’ offensive line, taking advantage of the youthful and banged-up group to the tune of 20 QB pressures, seven QB hits and two sacks. Eagles defense made a normally composed Jared Goff look like his rookie self — skittish in the pocket, rushing his delivery, missing low, wide and way off the mark,” he wrote.
Campbell addressed offensive line concerns on Monday, explaining why he still believes in his guess. Jeremy’s got that story for you here.
Each week, NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha lists a slowly evolving Super Bowl pick that he updates each week. From Week 6 to Week 10, he stood firm that it would be the Buffalo Bills vs. the Lions in the big game, but for the first time in weeks, the Lions are out of the race — he declared the Bills will face the Los Angeles Rams come February.
And onto the rest of your notes.
- Despite the offensive line struggles Sunday, Tate Ratledge was named the Lions’ best rookie so far this season.
- DJ Reader joined The Jim Rome show for a bit with nothing but nice things to say about Kelvin Sheppard.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown teamed up with Abercrombie for a limited-release graphic line.
- You probably know by now that Jack White was announced as the halftime performer for the Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game, but here’s a look at who else is performing at the other games that day.
