The Detroit Lions dropped to 5-3 on the season after they lost 27-24 to the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC North contest in Week 9. This wasn't the performance Detroit wanted, especially since it was coming off its bye and had extra time to prepare for this contest.
In the loss, a major weakness on offense continued to pop up, and it was their third-down offense. The Lions finished the game just 5-of-17 on third down, but the problems were only amplified when Detroit found itself facing 3rd and 4+ yards to go.
The Athletic's Colton Pouncy revealed that Detroit was 0-of-5 on 3rd-down attempts between 4-6 yards and 2-of-8 on third downs of seven or more yards. In total, they went 2-of-13 on 3rd-and-4 or longer.
This is a massive problem for the Lions and has been for quite some time now. Now, John Morton must find a way to rectify the problem so that this doesn't cost Detroit down the line.
Lions' 3rd-Down Offense Continues to Be a Problem
Heading into the game against Minnesota, head coach Dan Campbell pointed out that this was an area the offense needed to firm up. Campbell said it was one of the "most glaring" rooms for improvement over the second half of the season.
Pride of Detroit's Al Karsten painted a clearer picture of the problem in a post on X. Since Week 7, Detroit's offense on 3rd and 4 or longer is 3-of-23, which is ranked 30th in the league. They average 1.4 yards per play (32nd), 8.1% turnover rate (30th), 25% sack rate (30th), and 8.7% explosive play rate (24th).
Those stats only drive home the fact that this is a real problem area for this team. The Lions are now tied for 25th in the NFL in 3rd-down conversion percentage (36.27%) and managed to be worse than that season average, 31.71%, over the past three games.
Third downs are called the money down, and there's a reason for that. Being able to stay on the field and extend drives is a must for any team that wants to be a serious contender. As the Lions have played in eight games thus far, this is clearly an area where they need to improve, not just a blip on the radar.
Fans aren't thrilled with Morton, to be frank, after this outing, and his inability to improve the 3rd-down offense is glaring. It's a step back from a year ago, when Detroit was fourth in third-down conversion rate (46.98%).
From here on out, the Lions must find ways to be more successful in this area. It's something that is known inside the building, but for one reason or another, Detroit hasn't been able to find the answers yet. For this team to be a true contender, they need to be able to convert on 3rd and long.