The Detroit Lions arrived in Buffalo looking to spoil their stadium inauguration party in Week 2. Roughly 20 minutes into the game, they were facing a 21-0 deficit, with Josh Allen finding the end zone in the team's first three drives.
Kelvin Sheppard's defense couldn't find an answer for anything the Bills threw at them. Unlike in Week 1, they were on the road against a Super Bowl contender, and they just weren't going to get by with the same fortune that helped them in the opener.
That's why, after watching the defense get absolutely obliterated in the first two games of the season, star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson has finally had enough. Following the loss, he vowed to lead change on defense and turn things around.
Aidan Hutchinson's words should be a wake-up call for Brad Holmes
"That was not good enough," Hutchinson said (h/t FOX Sports). "Things will definitely be changed. I don't know what that is necessarily, but I know there will be changes. We're not going to keep banging our head against the wall."
That's nice and all, but it's not like there's much more than he can do. He was arguably the lone bright spot on defense — again — in the loss, and this team may simply not have the right personnel to turn things around. That's on the defensive coordinator, but also on the general manager.
Hours before the game, Dan Campbell shut down all trade rumors, stating that the team would favor financial flexibility over making a big move. If that's the case, fans better start tuning in to college football on Saturday and talk about draft positioning.
The Lions have given up 35.5 points per game over the first two games. There's no shame in struggling against Josh Allen, and they were on a tough scheduling spot by playing on the road in a short week, but it goes beyond that.
The fact of the matter is that this team may have one of the worst cornerback rooms in the game. Rock Ya-Sin struggled with penalties in this one, and he just couldn't stick to any of the Bills' pass catchers in coverage, not even after DJ Moore left the game with an injury.
Hutchinson was the only player bringing heat at the line of scrimmage, with Josh Allen having a clean pocket all night to either get a big completion or scramble for a first down. That's just not sustainable; it's not winning football.
With players like Joey Porter Jr. available, not trying to fix what's wrong with this defense is much more than a disservice to the offense — it's a fireable offense. Holmes must get to work to address the glaring issues the team has had for a while now.
Aidan Hutchinson lives and breathes Detroit Lions football, and he's gotten off to a Defensive Player of the Year-type season, logging a league-best 3.0 sacks, 11 pressure, and the highest Pro Football Focus grade among pass rushers (92.4). Unfortunately, this is a team sport, and the Lions don't have the firepower to be much better.
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