Detroit Lions report card for week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons
By Rick Galda
In week 3 of the 2017 NFL season, the Detroit Lions fell to 2-1 with a loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Here is how the positional groups grade out.
Week 3 was an early battle of the undefeated featuring the Detroit Lions and the Atlanta Falcons. Though the game was hard fought and ended amid some controversy, the Detroit Lions were subjected to defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons 30-26.
Here are the Lions grades in their first loss of the season.
Offense
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford was sharp early on, completing passes at a high percentage for nice yardage. In the middle of the game his completion percentage decreased as the Lions failed to run the ball with success and the Falcons mixed blitzes, nickel, and dime coverages while never loading the box to stop the run. His final line of 25/45 for 264 and a TD was decent. He played well enough to win this game amid the controversial ending.
Grade: B
Wide Receivers
The trio of Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, and Kenny Golladay are perplexing. Tate will never be a home run hitter and is best used on short routes that give him the opportunity to make plays, however with 11 targets and 7 receptions the Lions need more output than 58 yards. Marvin Jones is supposed to stretch the field for this team and it just does not happen on a consistent basis. Stafford may have lost some confidence in him. Golladay is a rookie who may one day turn into a great NFL receiver, however he just is not there yet. His week to week inconsistency proves it.
Grade: C
Tight End
Just when it looks like Eric Ebron started to figure things in week 2, he follows it up with a traditional performance; dropping balls and not being the reliable receiving threat he was drafted to be. The athleticism he is supposed to have seems devoid most of the time and he looks awkward when making a play for the ball. He needs to improve catching the ball to have a continued roll week to week because he does not offer much blocking in the running game. Darren Fells is a steady blocker, but not a true option in the passing game.
Grade: C-
Running Backs
Running behind a banged up offensive line is never easy. That being said, your best runner cannot be your quarterback. Lions running backs accounted for 17 carries and just 52 yards for a paltry 3.05 yards per attempt while the Falcons defense focused mostly on pass coverage. Atlanta has a good defensive front, but the Lions need to run the ball better. Theo Riddick had 9 targets out of the backfield, but only 4 receptions, it seemed like he and Stafford were not on the same page this week.
Grade: C
Offensive Line
Taylor Decker is hurt. Travis Swanson is hurt. Two starters were out and it showed. This is the NFL though, backups have to be ready to perform. The line looked much the same as it has in pass coverage this year with keeping Stafford mostly clean. It seemed there were less guys running uncontested int o the backfield from the left side. The run blocking, on the other hand, was lacking any push. What holes the RBs had were small, and often closed quickly. This group must become more cohesive in the running game or the Lions will continue to be too one dimensional offensively.
Grade: C
Defense
Defensive Line
What a difference a week makes. After gutting the New York Giants in week 2, the defensive line looked overwhelmed by the Atlanta front. Devonta Freeman looked like he was unstoppable for much of the game. The pass rush was fair, sacking Matt Ryan two times. Ezekiel Ansah missed a lot snaps and was only in on passing downs due to a knee injury. This unit needs him to get healthy with Kerry Hyder already down for the season.
Grade: C
Linebackers
Jarrad Davis missed the game while still undergoing concussion protocol. Davis was missed as the entire linebacking corp looked out of sync. They were not there on the second level in the running game far too often and let receivers run free over the middle. There still seems to be a severe lack of accountability in coverage regarding tight ends, and receivers in crossing routes.
Grade: C-
Secondary
The secondary played very well on Sunday. Darius Slay was, once again, all over the field and making plays with 2 interceptions. Glover Quin always seems to be around the ball. The entire secondary provided run support and tackled well. They were the final line of defense against what could have been a terrible day against the run. The growth as a unit they have shown is impressive.
Grade: A
Special Teams
Matt Prater is amazing. He is a difference maker at kicker, hands down. The confidence he shows week to week with long field goals is uncanny. Lions fans are watching something special right now. Jeff Locke was solid in the punting game. The return game was average with mostly touchbacks and fair catches.
Grade: A-
Coaching
This was a tough game for the Lions. The Falcons are the defending NFC Champions and have an incredible high octane offense. They stood their ground and it came down to the final play of the game. There were no glaring shortcomings form the coaching staff, and given injuries, the performance the team put forth was not what Lions fans are used to against an opponent like this. which is very good. The coaching staff was ready for the challenge and put forth a solid game plan and effort.
Grade: B
Next: 10 thoughts from Lions' week 3 loss to Falcons
Final Thought
Detroit Lions fans should look at this game as a positive despite the negative outcome. The Lions lost, but were respectable against the best team in the NFC. In years past this is the type of game they were embarrassed in. As a team, the Lions are not on the upper echelon of NFL teams, but are making serious strides to make that leap. Many years have given fans a sort of fools gold, but this is different. The organization is taking strides to do things right, and it is showing.