Lions coach Matt Patricia is a big believer in the process of self-scouting. Like many NFL coaches, he’ll go back after the season and pore over every detail of game film, looking for nuances or things that he might have missed on the first go-through.
I’ve decided to do the same. I’m rewatching every play of every Lions game, using both the broadcast and coach’s tape feeds from NFL Game Pass. I’ll chronicle my reactions in real-time on the rewatch, focusing on specific plays or players in big moments as well as an overall postgame summary of my notes.
First up: Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals.
First quarter
T.J. Hockenson started out impressively. On the first two offensive possessions, Hockenson had a great seal block on an interior run, a catch with good YAC on a well-designed out route and another hot route where he was open but Matthew Stafford’s throw was behind him.
Nick Bawden missed two blocks on the opening drive, both of which resulted in the RB getting whacked right near the line of scrimmage. He missed an assignment on a 3rd down on the Lions 3rd drive too, a play where Stafford scrambled to his right for a huge first down. Jesse James also missed two run blocks in the opening quarter.
Frank Ragnow dominated up front. The Cardinals didn’t use a nose much but Ragnow consistently found work and made Arizona pay.
Stafford started slow, missing open throws to Hockenson and Amendola. Other than a delayed blitz (on the missed throw to Amendola) the pass protection was very good.
Tracy Walker’s INT, coming off a very well-designed rush scheme designed to force rookie Kyler Murray into a short field situation. This is a fantastic defensive call as well as a great catch by Walker.
Jamal Agnew had one of the worst punt return attempts I’ve ever seen. Sam Martin and the Lions own special teams were otherwise phenomenal.
Second quarter
Matt Prater nailed a 55-yard FG to get the Lions on the board. Kickoff coverage was exceptional.
First really good lead block from Nick Bawden but Kerryon Johnson instead runs smack into Taylor Decker while he’s engaged with a solid block. Next play is the Danny Amendola TD reception.
The touchdown is a product of good fortune as much as a great play. T.J. Hockenson lines up over right tackle but it’s his responsibility to peel across the formation and block the EDGE on the other side while LT Decker down blocks on play action. Hockenson gets just enough to give Stafford room to step up. Amendola sneaks behind a very confused Cardinals secondary and doesn’t have a defender within 20 yards of him as he catches it. The safety (Budda Baker) bit up on the play fake and then got in the way of the CB when he figured it out. Cardinals dropped top rusher, Chandler Jones, into the short flat in coverage instead of rushing. This play works maybe one time out of 25, but it did here. 10-0 Lions.
First instance of prevent defense on 3rd-and-18 on the Cards’ ensuing drive. Rushing three and the rest of the defense is at least 12 yards off the line of scrimmage at the snap. Murray takes the checkdown and it’s easily stopped short (the best tackle Jamal Agnew has ever made), but the broadcast notes that Murray needed an easy completion to settle himself down. That comment later proves prophetic.
Stafford to Hockenson on a circle route out of the backfield is gorgeous. Next play is a read-option keeper for Stafford. The rookie TE is the featured receiver so far and the offense really has the Cardinals defense flummoxed. Drive caps with a Stafford-to-Golladay TD on a simple shallow cross that is very poorly defended. It’s 17-0 and the Lions are in control in all three phases of the game.
And then Jamal Agnew muffs a punt deep in his own territory, Cardinals recover. A spirited red zone defense — keyed by fantastic coverage from Christian Jones on a rollout where Murray only looked at that receiver on 2nd down — keeps the damage to a field goal.
The Lions blew an opportunity to add more just before the half. Stafford and Amendola couldn’t connect on two separate throws, one of which the QB was under heavy pressure. The plays were there, the execution was not.
Impressive half of football from Detroit, up 17-3 at the break.
Third quarter
Christian Jones continues his very impressive game. He destroys two blockers on a cross blitz and frees Tavai for an easy sack. The prior play he locked down the crossing receiver that Murray wanted to hit and forced a near-INT by Quandre Diggs.
Decker gets beaten badly by Terrelle Suggs for a strip-sack. Cardinals got away with defensive holding on Marvin Jones on the play. They also get away with running into Sam Martin on the punt.
Agnew continues to have one of the worst games I’ve ever seen for a return specialist. Blocking was good enough on the return except he had to make the first guy miss and he can’t.
The defense is starting to get cute and it’s backfiring. Damon Harrison lines up on the outside shoulder of the right guard, Mike Daniels is the same on the left guard and the Cardinals start gashing interior runs. Jalen Reeves-Maybin is not the right MLB to have in the game in that situation either, should be Tavai.
Random observation: Murray isn’t even thinking about throwing to Larry Fitzgerald. Slay is not trailing him either. Justin Coleman has been on Fitzgerald more than Slay thus far.
The RB rotation continues with C.J. Anderson and Ty Johnson splitting reps. Ragnow continues to annihilate the defense with his run blocking. It’s stunning how much better he is than the guards flanking him. Drops by Amendola and Golladay hurt but Stafford finds Hockenson on a broken play for a great TD strike. Very Aaron Rodgers-like play to cap off the third quarter, 24-6 Lions.
Fourth quarter
There’s Fitzgerald. Legit “wow” catch on a great throw from Murray that beats very good coverage from Tracy Walker.
The Lions defense is doing more pre-snap movement and shifting with the front seven but Murray seems to be ignoring it and it’s working for him. Impressive drive for the Cardinals gets them a Zane Gonzalez FG and it’s 24-9.
First play of the Lions next drive is another Bawden missed block that gets Kerryon Johnson tackled much sooner than he should have been. To be fair to Bawden it was a near-impossible assignment based on the defense. Again Martin gets run into on the punt, no flag. Punt coverage remains exceptional.
Cardinals go up-tempo on offense and it definitely makes Murray more comfortable. Good drive capped with a TD strike where Reeves-Maybin lost a contested catch opportunity in coverage. Good coverage until he stumbled locating the ball, better throw and catch.
Love the 3rd-and-1 call with Stafford on a designed rollout to the right and Kerryon Johnson out front. Great play. Bonus points for Johnson for staying inbounds. Just over 4:00 left.
C.J. Anderson blasts through a huge hole on 2nd down but Jesse James isn’t blocking anyone out in space. If James blocks the defender, it’s a game-over TD. Instead it’s 1st-and-10 from the Lions 44. Stafford’s 3rd-down throw falls between Golladay and Ty Johnson, and then the Cardinals get a hand on Martin’s punt when Will Harris fails as the protector. Still 24-16 Lions with 2:30 to go but this game should have been over.
First Cards play after the 2:00 warning is an effective Lions blitz that forces a desperation outlet throw for a short loss, tackled inbounds. Great defensive call. Three plays later the Lions cannot tackle David Johnson inbounds and it’s a critical error.
Fitzgerald beats Justin Coleman shallow for the TD. The 2-pt. conversion is tough to watch. Walker opts to go under the screen and it gives Murray a throwing lane. If Walker runs into the natural pick it’s a likely penalty. Hard to fault him for trying to make a play and not leave it to the officials to make a call, but it goes against the Lions. Tie game.
Stafford takes shots down the field to try and sneak in the score. Golladay is blanketed in coverage. Pass protection was very good. Worth noting that Harris again got beaten in his punt protection role but the Cards didn’t have the block attempt on.
Overtime
Murray hits Fitzgerald with another “wow” throw and catch that again beats very good coverage from Walker. Lions get very lucky Walker isn’t called for a late hit on 2nd-and-goal when he hits Murray out of bounds after a QB keeper. Cardinals get lucky on the next play they’re not penalized for illegal receiver down the field when Murray throws the ball away under duress. Field goal puts the Cardinals up 27-24.
Marvelous throw by Stafford to Marvin Jones on a sliding catch. My first impression was the throw should have been higher and more in front of Jones, but the broader view showed the safety would have been able to make a play. Veteran QB throw there.
Stafford puts the ball where Golladay can go get it on a high-point throw in the end zone, but No. 19 cannot come down with it. He has zero separation on any of his routes down the field. So, so close to a game-winner, albeit one that would have been negated by a holding penalty. Prater’s field goal is an easy make and we’re tied at 27.
Murray is looking to attack Agnew in coverage on every single pass on this final drive. Trey Flowers made a great tackle on Johnson to prevent a huge run that would have set the Cardinals up for a field goal attempt. On the Cardinals final offensive play, Jones bats a pass near the line that would have been an easy INT for Walker with a lot of running room. Murray got real lucky.
Agnew botches the return by failing to field the punt. It bleeds more clock and cost the Lions field position. Amendola not going out of bounds on the second play is a crucial error, too. It effectively ends the game. Stafford has Amendola on a deep crosser on the next play but gets sacked.
Overall thoughts
Good games: Ragnow, Hockenson, Martin, Christian Jones, Coleman, Kennard, Tavai, Walker (mostly)
Bad games: Agnew (as a returner), Kerryon Johnson, Golladay, Amendola, James, Bawden
Stafford was off early and missed some later opportunities but was absolutely brilliant in 2nd and 3rd quarters. Not his best day but he played well overall. Pass protection was very good, save the one bad play from Decker getting beat by future Hall-of-Famer Suggs. Run blocking from the line was a lot better than from the FB and TE spots.
The defense was creative and good at generating pressure on a rookie QB making his first start. Jarrad Davis didn’t play but Christian Jones had arguably his best NFL game in his place, with Tavai also showing real promise in his first game.
Special teams coverage units and placekicking were fantastic, but Agnew’s miscues absolutely cost the Lions the win. The tie sure felt like a loss after the dominant first three quarters.
