The Detroit Lions’ 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday exposed a glaring vulnerability at the core of their otherwise formidable attack. A promising six-play, 72-yard touchdown drive quickly dissolved. Soon, the team was to sustain drives and protect their quarterback, Jared Goff. Reflecting on the game, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown highlighted on his podcast that the team simply shot itself in the foot.

“We had too many mistakes on offense, too many penalties. We just hurt ourselves too much all game. I feel like we put our defense in some tough situations.”

The numbers point out St. Brown’s frustration. Following their opening score, the Lions embarked on seven consecutive drives that completely stalled. They averaged a pitiful 2.27 yards per play. Five of those seven drives ended after just three plays, effectively handing control of the game to the Vikings.

Earlier in the season, the Lions’ offense looked like one of the league’s most efficient units. They were consistently moving the chains and keeping defenses on their heels. St. Brown’s pointed comments after Sunday’s game put everyone on notice that the team needs to return to that form.

The primary culprit on the day was the interior of the offensive line. The trio of two young guards and fill-in center Graham Glasgow simply could not withstand the aggressive pressure brought by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

While quarterback Jared Goff‘s final stats (284 yards, 2 TDs) looked okay, he had a rough day. An inability to escape or extend plays directly contributed to the team’s struggles. Against the blitz, Goff’s passer rating dropped, averaging only 5.3 yards per attempt. He could only complete 25 of 37 passes for 284 yards, scoring only twice. He was forced to rush throws, which led to five sacks and the offense falling behind the chains.

Ultimately, the Lions managed a late comeback attempt, but the game had already been lost in the middle quarters. The Lion must now immediately address the protection issues that turned their offense into a three-phase clunker on Sunday. This was a problem Jared Goff addressed in detail following the Week 9 loss to the Vikings.

Jared Goff addresses key issue in week 9 loss 

Quarterback Jared Goff didn’t mince words after the Lions’ Week 9 loss to the Vikings. Goff himself spoke about the disappointing performance afterward. He told reporters:

“It has been a long time since we’ve had this feeling of playing poorly in all three phases. We have a ton of things to fix, but that’s what we do best.”

After their loss, The Lions are heading into their bye week, and the coaches have one major concern: third downs. Head Coach Dan Campbell flat-out called it the team’s biggest problem. Irrespective of the fact that offensive coordinator John Morton dedicated his whole break to fixing it, unfortunately, the issue still remains. 

It wasn’t just third downs this time. The entire offense struggled. The running game was particularly weak, which was surprising since other teams have had success running against the Vikings. Star running backs, David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, could only manage a combined 65 yards on 20 carries, with their longest run being just 11 yards. On the offensive line, Christian Mahogany had a tough day, giving up seven pressures before he had to leave the game with a knee injury.

Coach Campbell was quick to defend the quarterback, saying it’s too easy to blame the QB when the offense plays badly. But the truth is, the Lions’ offense has been known for bouncing back after a bad play. That’s the pattern the team has been following for a while. However, in the week 9 game, this specific trademark was missing.

In short, the team played poorly in every area, and they have a lot of work to do, especially on those third downs and getting the running game going again.