Questionable Play Call, Lack of Defense Doom Detroit Lions
By Bob Heyrman
The Detroit Lions rolled into Oakland, needing a victory over Jon Gruden’s Raiders. The game was as expected a shootout, but a questionable play call late enraged Lions’ fans. Oakland ended up beating Detroit 31-24.
A questionable call late is an understatement. The Detroit Lions marched down the football field late in the fourth quarter with an opportunity to at the very least tie the football game and on fourth and one to go, but they send out the ‘heavy’ formation.
An absolute head-scratcher. The Lions are on the one-yard line, a touchdown away from tying the football game and take Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, and Danny Amendola off of the field. Sounds brilliant…Not!
It was an odd situation that led up to the Lion’s final play of the game. On third and goal, Stafford found Logan Thomas, who was tackled at the one-yard line. As the Lions were scrambling to get set to run a final play as time expired, with no time outs remaining, it was Jon Gruden calling a time-out with 0:08 left in the game. A gift? Not so fast.
More from Detroit Jock City
- Tigers Sign Manager A.J. Hinch to Long-Term Extension
- Lions vs. Bears Week 14 Opening Odds Disrespect Detroit
- Former Tigers Celebrate Jim Leyland Hall of Fame Call
- This Pistons Team Could be the Worst in Detroit Sports History
- 4 Free Agents Tigers Should Sign During Winter Meetings
It seemed like Gruden potentially gift-wrapped a tying score. It allowed the Lions to dial-up a play, and they come out of the time out with this…
With the playoffs still in reach, the Bears, Vikings, and Packers all losing Darrell Bevell decided to take all his playmakers off of the football field and run a play-action pass to the teams’ third-string tight end, Logan Thomas. I just don’t understand this play call.
Matthew Stafford was chucking the ball all over the yard, all day long. The Lions simply suck at running the football, so who are they trying to fool? The play-action pass fell astray in the endzone; the football falling to the ground as did the Lions’ playoff hopes.
Matthew Stafford was grippin’ it and rippin’ all day long. It’s unfortunate we even need to criticize the final play so much. Why wouldn’t Bevell call a quarterback sneak from the GL if he had his heart set on the ‘heavy’ formation?
The ideal option would be to spread the Raiders out and pick either Marvin Jones or Kenny Golladay and give the playmakers a chance to win another one-on-one ball. The pair of receivers are terrific in those situations, so let the game be determined by a target to one of those players, not Logan Thomas.
The Lions defense sucks.
The defense couldn’t stop a nose bleed to save their life. The linebackers are atrocious in pass coverage. The secondary struggles in man to man coverage, especially with the organizations’ top safety Tracy Walker sidelined.
The defensive line can’t seem to get any type of pressure on the quarterback. At times Derek Carr was fielding phone calls, replying to text messages, making dinner plans for after the football game allowing his receivers to flash open down the field. It’s incredible how, before the start of the season, I thought the defense and the defensive line, in particular, would be a strength for this team.
I feel like I’ve been duped.
Next. Lions absolutely have no sense of direction. dark
Matthew Stafford tossed for 406 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Marvin Jones made 8 catches for 126 yards and a score. Kenny Golladay caught 4 balls for 132 yards and a score.