Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons: Full Report Card Grades for Detroit
The Detroit Lions received a couple gifts from Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith and the referees. Matt Prater did not return the favor with a game-winning 48-yard field goal.
After digging a 21-point hole, the Lions came out on top with a 22-21 win, as Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press elaborates:
"Incredible. Give the Lions credit for their last 2 wins. But remember Saints and Falcons aren't good and have handed over the games late.
— Carlos Monarrez (@cmonarrez) October 26, 2014"
Mr. Monarrez might seem like a buzzkill, but he's right. Detroit could have easily been buried had the Falcons kept their foot on the pedal.
The why doesn't matter in the standings. The Lions head into their bye week atop the NFC North at 6-2.
But it matters to us. Click through for analysis and grades for each positional unit.
Quarterback
1 of 10
The message boards will be filled with praise, criticism and excuses. Matthew Stafford deserves all three.
"""Stafford: That's as high and as low and as high as I've ever been on a football field.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) October 26, 2014"
He didn't receive any help until late in the game when running backs and wide receivers started hauling in tough catches. Stafford followed up a teardrop to Golden Tate with a too-far-ahead-of-Theo-Riddick toss that the youngster inexplicably hauled in.
The truth is there were too many passes aimed at the shins of his intended target. And a few that familiarly flew over receivers' heads and hands.
His interception can be excused due to Corey Fuller slipping on the short grass of Wembley Stadium. That play perfectly summed up the offense to that point, but the unit came to life in the second half.
"""Stafford 51-yard TD pass to Golden Tate gives him franchise record of 119 for career, breaking Bobby Layne's record.
— Mike O'Hara (@MikeOHaraNFL) October 26, 2014"
Stafford finished 24-of-47 for 325 yards with two touchdowns and the aforementioned pick. He also got lucky on a few tipped balls by flailing players lunging for off-target passes.
Grade: B-
Running Back
2 of 10
With Reggie Bush out, everyone assumed this game would be about Joique Bell. And he was certainly the focus of the rushing offense.
Unfortunately, his team-leading 14 carries only went for 39 yards. That's a pathetic 2.8-yard average against a defense that ranked 27th against the run.
He still had his moments though, adding a pair of 11-yard receptions.
"Joique Bell ran over like four defenders to get that first down.
— Pride Of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) October 26, 2014"
The running back everyone will remember, however, is Theo Riddick. That's what scoring a late touchdown will do for you.
"Theo Riddick, make a one-handed catch, dude. Hello.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) October 26, 2014"
It also helps when you supplement your five yards rushing with eight catches for 74 yards and that big score. And his one-hander on the game-winning drive is the highlight of his young career.
Too bad I can't just remove the actual running part from the running back grade.
Grade: C+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
If a team puts up 325 yards without its top three tight ends and the league's best receiver, somebody did something right.
That somebody was Golden Tate.
"Golden Tate is unbelievable. Seriously. I expected a lot out of him this season and he's so much better than that.
— Justin Rogers (@Justin_Rogers) October 26, 2014"
Tate again powered the offense with 151 yards on seven catches, including the 59-yard touchdown to kick off the comeback. I think I wrote that same line last week.
He also had a drop. The unit's three or four drops has to knock down the collective grade.
Jeremy Ross hauled in all three of his targets for 31 yards, and Corey Fuller added 43 yards on three catches. Even Ryan Broyles picked up a first down on his only four-yard catch.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Lions again failed to run the ball. The 2.6-yard average for the team is about as meek as it gets.
But there was a bright spot. Matthew Stafford often had plenty of time against the Falcons' weak pass rush.
In fact, the offensive line didn't give up a single sack and there was only one quarterback hit, per ESPN.com.
"Lions' first drive stalls after Riley Reiff holding penalty and Devin Hester with a decent return. Falcons take over near midfield
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) October 26, 2014"
Unfortunately, the running game and untimely drive-killing penalties (looking at you, Dominic Raiola) continue to be issues.
Grade: C+
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The defensive line took awhile to get going for the second game in a row. Atlanta's offensive line was filled with backups, yet the Lions couldn't get to Matt Ryan.
"So far, the Falcons OL is holding up well against the Lions DL. Not good if that continues
— BeastMode (@BeastFBall) October 26, 2014"
Things did take a rather dramatic turn in the second half. Detroit used more stunts and shifts to throw the Falcons' protection schemes off. The result was often multiple defenders in the backfield.
Jason Jones recorded one of Detroit's sacks, and Ziggy Ansah had the second. Ansah even threw in a strip that was recovered by the Falcons—they recovered three on the day—for good measure.
Throw in just 78 yards rushing for Atlanta, and it was a productive day.
Ndamukong Suh also had a sack nullified by a penalty in the secondary. Unfortunately, that wasn't the worst thing to happen to a Lions defensive tackle:
"NICK FAIRLEY carted to locker room. Doubt season ending or surgery. Likely return in 1-3 weeks. Low grade MCL. @Lions @davebirkett
— David J. Chao, MD (@ProFootballDoc) October 26, 2014"
Fairley has been crushing it this season. With C.J. Mosley suspended, the Lions might need to add some defensive line depth during the bye week.
Grade: B+
Linebacker
6 of 10
DeAndre Levy is DeAndre Levy. Since there isn't a word that adequately describes him, we'll have to use his name to get the point across.
"Want to see what All-Pro level LB play looks like? Watch DeAndre Levy (#lions 54) for a few snaps
— Sigmund Bloom (@SigmundBloom) October 26, 2014"
His open-field tackling limited the damage of screens and flairs. His ability to fill the hole against the run kept Detroit in it late. He finished with seven tackles and was the defensive leader Detroit needed.
Conversely, Ashlee Palmer was underwhelming. His whiff on Devonta Freeman allowed the Falcons' first touchdown.
"Ashlee Palmer exposed in space and Falcons strike first with a 7-yard TD pass from Ryan to Freeman. 7-0 Falcons. #DETvsATL
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) October 26, 2014"
Tahir Whitehead split time with Josh Bynes, but had five tackles to Bynes' one. Regardless, these two helped key a defense that limited the Falcons to three yards per carry.
Grade: B+
Secondary
7 of 10
The Lions safeties led the team in tackles. Glover Quin had eight, while James Ihedigbo followed him up with seven.
It's nice that they're making tackles instead of giving up big plays. Yet many of these takedowns were the result of intermediate passes or wide receiver screens that went for 10 or more yards.
"Did Ihedigbo just throw Roddy White down by the hair? Personal foul for late hit, either way
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) October 26, 2014"
The secondary seemed to be the guilty party for every defensive penalty.
"Pass interference called on Ihedigbo, but it was probably on Mathis. Ryan called for illegal low block, so penalties offset. No play.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) October 26, 2014"
For the record, it was on Rashean Mathis.
The secondary's grade can't be saved by Cassius Vaughn's interception, regardless of how important it was to the win. Matt Ryan was able to pick apart the zone coverage to the tune of 228 yards and two touchdowns, resulting in a 108.3 quarterback rating.
Grade: C-
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Lions needed to rely on their kicker to finish a dramatic comeback. There wasn't a Lions fan on any continent that wasn't pacing in the seconds leading up to the kick.
"Incredible win. Prater told me he got mad after the first kick so he just kicked the second one harder. #money
— Dan Miller (@DanMillerFox2) October 26, 2014"
Incredible is a good word, but unbelievable might be better. After missing a 43-yarder that was wiped out by a delay of game penalty, Matt Prater knocked in one from 48 yards.
And that meant he converted on all three of his field-goal attempts that counted.
Meanwhile, punter Sam Martin continued his assault in the field-position game. He put two of his three punts inside the 20.
Grade: A+
Coaching
9 of 10
The coaching staff took plenty of precautions to ensure the Lions didn't sleep through the game. It didn't work.
The offense consisted of missed throws, dropped passes and penalties. The defense couldn't muster any pressure against a ragtag offensive line.
Whatever head coach Jim Caldwell said at halftime, it did work.
Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi started mixing in more screen passes and intermediate throws to get the offense rolling. Detroit scored on every second-half possession.
The defense started throwing twists and turns at an inexperienced offensive line, and Matt Ryan found himself under consistent pressure. The Falcons didn't score once in the second half.
"Underrated improvement from Schwartz era to Caldwell: Lions much, much better about saving timeout this season. Have all three here.
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurke_SI) October 26, 2014"
And when the Lions needed to do the improbable, Caldwell managed the clock well. He doesn't get credit for the inexplicable Atlanta holding call or decision to pass on the Falcons' last drive, but he did use his timeouts judiciously.
However, a sluggish start isn't excused by halftime adjustments. The same goes for eight penalties for 85 yards.
Grade: B-
Final Grades
10 of 10
QB: B-
RB: C+
WR/TE: B
OL: C+
DL: B+
LB: B+
Secondary: C-
ST: A+
Coaching: B-
Cumulative Grade: B
At some point, the Lions need to stop saying, "a win is a win." They all count the same in the standings, but they've been incredibly lucky that the Saints and Falcons faltered late.
The offense should get a serious boost in the form of Calvin Johnson, three tight ends and right tackle LaAdrian Waddle after the bye week. However, the running game is a disaster.
The defense had been the strength of the team all season, but it has needed two quarters to get going lately. That can't happen against a good team.
There are a lot of questions looming over the second half of the season, and they won't all be answered by better health. Still, the Lions sit atop the NFC North with a 6-2 record.
I guess a win is a win.
Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.
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