Detroit Lions: Rapid reactions to first half against the New England Patriots

Rapid reactions, thoughts and observations on the first half of tonight’s preseason game between the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots.

The Detroit Lions head to the halftime locker room trailing the New England Patriots 24-7. Here are some quick thoughts and observations on what took place in the first half.

• It was good to see Jarrad Davis and Tahir Whitehead combine for a tackle on a short run to start the game but it was rough for the rookie middle linebacker after that. Davis was a frequent target in the passing game as the Patriots raced out to a big early lead. While he very well may prove an upgrade, Davis will not be a cure-all for what ailed the Lions defense a year ago – at least during his rookie season.
• Chris Spielman got fired up about the poor defensive performance that saw the Lions give up three touchdowns in the first eight and a half minutes of the ballgame but the offense deserves some blame as well. With the Patriots playing fast, the Lions defense was gassed in part because of how much time they spent on the field. A Golden Tate fumble ended the first drive after one play and a three and out on the second possession quickly put the Lions defense back on the field. The defense needs to be better, but the offense didn’t help them out.
• With so much blah in the first half, it’s worth pointing out that Anthony Zettel  had himself a good first half. The Lions didn’t pressure Brady much but Zettel had perhaps the best opportunity when he cleanly beat Cameron Fleming leading to a hit on Brady.
• Matthew Stafford‘s second interception of the preseason comes about much like his first – by bouncing off a receiver’s hands. It was Marvin Jones who couldn’t haul in a pass in the opener that led to an interception and it was a pass off Kenny Golladay’s hands tonight that ended up as a turnover.
• There wasn’t a lot of positives to take out of the first half but at least the offense ended on the right foot. They finally seemed to find some rhythm, mixing the run and pass. Most importantly, the drive ended with a touchdown on a nice 23-yard pass from Stafford to Marvin Jones down the right sideline.

Next: 30 Best Draft Picks in Detroit Lions History

Stay tuned for more after that game as I’ll be back with another set of rapid reactions as soon as the game ends.