The Detroit Lions lost in a sloppy game versus the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. The Seahawks ran all over the Lions to pick up their first road win, 48 to 45.
Here are the takeaways:
The defense needs to figure it out
On all but one drive, Seattle was able to score. 48 points were scored against the Lions. That’s the most points a single team has scored all season. If there was any time to doubt the capabilities of the defense, now’s the time.
Detroit’s secondary was allowing Seattle to get wherever they wanted. The defensive line was unable to get past a young and inexperienced Seahawks offensive line.
In total the Detroit Lions defense allowed 555 total yards, 235 rushing yards and 320 yards in the air from a near-career backup quarterback in Geno Smith.
The consistent inability for this team to get to the quarterback is a problem. Smith, a QB with just 14 rushing yards in the first three games of the season, had 40 against the Lions in just the first half of the game. The entire game, the defense appeared to be chasing the Seahawks around with a rare chance of catching anyone.
No Kicking Confidence
Dominik Eberle made his debut in a Lions uniform today and failed miserably. Eberle missed two extra points and kicked the ball out of bounds during a kick-off. He contributed 3-points for the Lions with a 49-yard field goal. However, that wasn’t enough to gain Dan Campbell’s trust. After his two missed extra points, Detroit would attempt and complete a two-point conversion after the next two touchdowns.
Offense is Hot and Cold
The offense, while most starters are out with injury, struggled to find a rhythm in this game. The Lions could only score 15 points in the first half. It wasn’t until the second half of the game, they were able to get in any sort of groove.
TJ Hockenson and Jamaal Williams had huge games for the Lions. Hockenson becoming the third tight end in NFL history to produce a game with 120 yards, one touchdown and a two-point conversion. He had eight catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns. His 81-yard catch was both a career-long and the longest catch by Detroit since an 87-yard catch by Calvin Johnson in 2013.
Jamaal Williams set a single-season career-high during this game with six rushing touchdowns, and his 51-yard rushing touchdown was the longest of his career. He had 19 carries for 108 yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Jamaal Williams stiff arm 💪
51 YD TD
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/zdrk4ctw2L
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 2, 2022
Malcolm Rodriguez Shines Out
Malcolm Rodriguez was a star in Sunday’s game. The rookie showed out on both special teams and for the defense. He forced a fumble on a kick return early in the game that was recovered by LS Scott Daly. The Lions would score a touchdown on the next play. He also recorded a tackle for a loss of five yards in the second quarter, and he had a Quarterback hit in the second half that resulted in intentional grounding. Rodriguez recorded 10 total tackles in this game.
Injuries are a Problem
Detroit was without several key players this week because of injuries, and during the game they added another one. Quintez Cephus left the game with a foot injury early in the second half of the game and did not return. Amani Oruwariye also left the game with a neck injury. He was listed as questionable to return, but did return for the last few plays of the game. Evan Brown was helped off the field and went straight to the locker room near the very end of the game.
The Detroit Lions will hit the road again next week for a matchup against the New England Patriots.
