The Lions have a significant problem: They’re not built to play from behind.
When NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said that out loud Sunday night after Detroit fell behind double digits in Kansas City, it initially didn’t make much sense. It was tough to agree with what he said, considering the Lions scored at least 34 points in four consecutive games before the 30–17 setback to the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
The last time Detroit fell behind double digits was in Week 1, when they abandoned the run against Green Bay. Still, I had a tough time agreeing with Collinsworth. There’s no way you can call the Lions legitimate Super Bowl contenders if they can’t overcome a measly 10 points. I say measly because this offense can score 40-plus on any given night.
The ugly loss in Kansas City extends beyond quarterback Jared Goff. The rare drop from Amon-Ra St. Brown on fourth-and-2 in the second quarter could have changed the complexion of the game had he hauled that one in. However, if St. Brown catches that pass, perhaps we all get the shootout we expected between these two teams. Still, it doesn’t necessarily answer the question of whether this high-scoring offense can play from behind and rely primarily on its passing game.
Collinsworth doubled down on his remarks late in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach for the Lions (4–2), essentially saying Goff can only operate when the running back tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs activate the play-action option for their starting quarterback. I’m not saying Collinsworth had an awful take, because Goff certainly has his limitations, and we all saw them during the blowout playoff loss to the Commanders last season.
But I still believe the Lions are valid Super Bowl contenders. This stacked roster can win with Goff because they’ve won several playoff games since he arrived from Los Angeles. The idea of Goff guiding a team to the Super Bowl must be extremely difficult for some because the Lions were an afterthought this offseason solely because former OC Ben Johnson moved to Chicago. (As for a refresher, Goff did manage to guide the Rams to the Super Bowl seven years ago.)
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Maybe this might come off as excuses for Goff, but he wasn’t the problem in Week 1 and was far from the biggest issue in Kansas City. The flat performance in Green Bay was more about adjusting to new offensive coordinator John Morton. And against the Chiefs, the Detroit defense struggled to get off the field, allowing 26 first downs. The unit easily folded on the ensuing drive after Goff & Co. cut the deficit to three points early in the fourth quarter, giving up a Patrick Mahomes touchdown pass to Hollywood Brown to extend the lead back to 10 points.
By the way, when the Lions were forced to throw, Goff completed eight consecutive passes for 81 yards, hitting Sam LaPorta for a four-yard touchdown to cap the gotta-have-it-drive. Goff finished 23-of-29 for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Detroit, however, needs to get more contributions from LaPorta and wide receiver Jameson Williams and not lean so much on St. Brown and the running back duo of Gibbs and Montgomery. But it’s not far-fetched to say the Lions would have won in Kansas City with that familiar recipe had St. Brown caught the pass on fourth down. That’s how much that drop hurt this offense. But getting back to the point, once they involve others in the passing game, there may be no stopping this offense, with or without the lead.
The real concerns are with Detroit’s defense, especially in the secondary. Defensive back Brian Branch waited until after the game to finally push back against the Chiefs. This Detroit defense was exposed for four quarters and taken to school by coach Andy Reid’s offensive scheme.
Now, the Lions get the red-hot 5–1 Buccaneers at home next week before a bye week. Beating that team is going to require a sensational performance from Goff’s arm and the Lions’ defense.
Let’s chalk this one up to one bad game before panicking and calling the Lions pretenders, because that’s what they are if Collinsworth is right about this team not being built to play from behind.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lions Had a Serious Weakness Exposed Against Chiefs.
