Detroit Lions stock watch: Way down we go

The Detroit Lions only lost by three points on the scoreboard, however the game was not nearly that close. Another late fourth quarter rally from Matthew Stafford was enough to close the gap, but not enough to cover the team’s many glaring holes.

Stock Up

LB/FB Nick Bellore

Buried underneath the pain of Sunday’s loss was a performance worthy of folklore, and it belonged to linebacker Nick Bellore.

Perhaps that is a bit dramatic and the pun a bit of a reach, but there is only so much to work with here.

Bellore lined up at fullback for just three snaps, but certainly made the most of them. On the Lions touchdown drive in the second quarter, Bellore cleared the way for a third-and-one conversion and a one-yard touchdown by Zach Zenner.

Bellore lined up at fullback with purpose, and he made sure that Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly felt it. He bulldozed his way through both each linebacker on those respective plays, and completely sold out to create the running lane.

In the NFL, every team needs a player willing to do the small things. Bellore earned a lot of respect in doing so against the Panthers.

Stock Down

Protecting the Quarterback

After allowing a total of six sacks through the first three games, the Lions offensive line surrendered six sacks for the second consecutive week. The lack of protection killed the rhythm of the Lions offense, and is on the way to getting the team’s quarterback killed as well.

Stafford was noticeably hobbling throughout the second half and sought the attention of trainers multiple times to tend to his leg and ankle. One FOX analyst during the broadcast used the term “mummified” to describe Stafford as he took the field wrapped in athletic tape.

If the Lions have any hope of the offense reaching it’s full potential – something it has not done through the season’s first five weeks – it needs to be addressed up front, and quickly.

CB Darius Slay

Great players occasionally have bad games. Sunday just happened to be one of those days for Darius Slay.

The Lions top corner struggled to handle all 6’5″ of Kelvin Benjamin – a tall task in every sense of the term – allowing a 31-yard touchdown pass to start the second half and the game-ending conversion on third-and-nine.

Slay was also the victim of a touchdown to Devin Funchess before the end of the first half.

TE Eric Ebron

It’s a weekly frustration at this point for Lions fans to see Ebron struggle, and it is beginning to boil over. After the fourth-year tight end dropped an early first quarter touchdown pass, the fans showed their dismay, booing him without mercy:

I have faith that Ebron will bounce back in a big way, but the question is just how many more opportunities will he get? Darren Fells has been getting a lot of attention lately, and Kyle Meinke believes that when it comes to reliability, the choice is clear.

Next: Lions game balls for week 5

As frustrating as Ebron’s play has been, and as easy as it may be to continue to single him out, it is important to remember that his struggles are symptoms of a larger problem – the offense as a whole is in shambles.