Lions vs. Patriots: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2014 Regular Season

Some viewed the Detroit Lions' visit to New England as a litmus test—a look at where the Lions stand among the NFL's elite and an examination of whether they can actually be considered Super Bowl contenders.

But Detroit left New England with far more questions than answers.     

Tom Brady threw for 349 yards, and the Patriots defense bottled up the Detroit passing game en route to a 34-9 blowout victory in Foxborough.

The Patriots now have seven straight wins and sit at 9-2, ensuring that they will sit above .500 at the end of the regular season.

The Patriots gave up two Matt Prater field goals early but then went on a 20-point run to salt away the victory. New England gained 439 total yards, peppering the Detroit secondary with chain-moving underneath throws. Brady completed 38 of 53 passes against a Lions team that came into Week 11 with the top-ranked defense in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric.

"[Brady] is one of the best quarterbacks if not the best quarterback, and the level he's playing at right now, he's the best quarterback in the league," Lions safety James Ihedigbo told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "Literally, he is just dictating, offensively getting his teams in the right plays, right situations and making all the throws, and most of the time carrying that team on his back."

Over their seven-game winning streak, the Patriots have averaged an impressive 39.6 points per game. Their last three wins have been particularly impressive given the level of competition. New England took down Denver, Indianapolis and Detroit—all Super Bowl contenders—in successive games, outscoring them by 69 points combined.

That dominance on both sides of the ball was on full display Sunday, with the Patriots expertly thwarting nearly everything Detroit tried on offense. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson finished with just 58 yards on four receptions, as he faced double-teams almost the entire afternoon. Golden Tate had 97 yards on four grabs while receiving a heavy dose of Pats cornerback Darrelle Revis on the outside.

The Lions, who have dropped two straight after a 7-2 start, have not scored more than 30 points since Week 1. Their highest-scoring week since has been 24 points, and they've managed just 15 points over the past two weeks.

“We don’t make any excuses,” Lions head coach Jim Caldwell told reporters this week. “There have been some times we’ve been up and down a little bit, but haven’t been able to put a complete game together.”

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Matthew Stafford remains in the midst of a prolonged slump. The former No. 1 pick completed 18 of his 46 passes for 264 yards and an interception. New England did a fine job of cutting off Stafford's safety valves underneath, holding running back Theo Riddick to 40 yards on three receptions and the Lions tight ends to 23 total yards.

Everything went largely to plan on the opposite sideline, as Brady found underneath options galore. Julian Edelman had a game-high 11 receptions for 89 yards, Brandon LaFell added 98 yards on his nine catches and Shane Vereen caught eight passes out of the backfield. 

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

The Patriots offense was churning at such a rate that Rob Gronkowski, who had 78 yards on five receptions, was a secondary fixture. Gronkowski's three-game touchdown streak was snapped Sunday. The Pro Bowl tight end has scored in all but four games this season. Backup tight end Tim Wright proved to be Brady's red-zone muse, grabbing scores of four and eight yards in the first half. 

Also largely absent was the New England ground game, which dominated the Colts a week ago. New England rushed for 90 yards, with the recently reacquired LeGarrette Blount accounting for a team-high 78. Blount, who returned to New England this week after the Pittsburgh Steelers released him Tuesday, was used largely in short-yardage situations. Most of his positive headway came as New England was trying to seal the victory, and he scored his second of two touchdowns with 1:53 remaining.

Jonas Gray went from a career-making, four-touchdown day in Indianapolis to irrelevancy. Gray did not play a single snap, ending a week that's seen a precipitous fall for the former Notre Dame standout. The Patriots not only signed Blount but also sent Gray home after he was late for Friday's practice, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss. 

"I wasn't necessarily surprised," Gray told Jeff Howe of the Boston Herlad this week about the Blount signing. "In this business, not a whole lot surprises me, especially given where I've come from. I just prepare the same way. It really doesn't matter who we sign or who we bring here. I believe in Bill [Belichick] and whatever he's doing, and I just come to work every day."

Gray's rise to prominence and subsequent jettisoning from the rotation was quintessential New England. Every time the team appears to have found a new "identity," Belichick and Co. switch up the game plan and pull something else out of the bag. Brady spent most of his afternoon lined up in the shotgun, flanked by one running back (usually Vereen) and a bevy of underneath options at his disposal.

That versatility is what makes New England arguably the best team in football. The Lions' lack of versatility—their inability to change schematically when the Patriots thwarted their initial plans—came back to bite them.

If this was a litmus test for Detroit, it failed miserably. Luckily for them, the Lions will have time between now and January to figure it all out.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter