Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers: Full Report-Card Grades for Detroit
The Detroit Lions have been learning how to win this season, and the Green Bay Packers handed them another lesson by retaining the NFC North title in a 30-20 win.
The sad part is the way the Lions lost this one. No, this isn't your "same old Lions," but special teams miscues and mistakes in other phases of the game kept Detroit from threatening late in the fourth quarter.
"First time the Lions allowed 30 pts but the defense allowed 21
— BeastMode (@BeastFBall) December 29, 2014"
Green Bay notched the other nine points via a punt return and an intentional-grounding call in the end zone. Unfortunately for the Lions, those points count just the same.
The opportunities that Detroit squandered need to be converted into lessons learned. The offense couldn't get out of its own way with poor throws and one very costly fumble. Detroit isn't a good enough team to win a playoff game without cutting down on the dumb plays.
Before we put the regular season in the rearview mirror, let's delve into each positional unit's performance, identify the mistakes that need to be rectified and hand out grades.
Quarterback
1 of 10
This game was everything that is Matthew Stafford.
There were great throws. The rocket to Theo Riddick for the game's final touchdown fit perfectly between two defenders. There was also the touch pass to Calvin Johnson in the back of the end zone.
"The maddening thing about Stafford is he's capable of making every throw. The bullet to Megatron was great. But why does he do it so rarely?
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) December 28, 2014"
But as Smith points out, those throws aren't the norm. And things looked quite grim for a long stretch that saw him throw eight straight incompletions in the second quarter while Aaron Rodgers was in the locker room.
"Stafford missing high, low, short, long. Not what they need.
— Ty Schalter (@tyschalter) December 28, 2014"
The mix of throws led to a 20-of-41 performance. All of those misses included critical plays that could have changed the complexion of this game.
First there was a long pass to Johnson when he had a step on two defenders. Later, he badly sailed a fourth-down attempt over the head of a wide-open Golden Tate.
He did throw for three touchdowns, but his 5.3-yards-per-attempt meant he only accounted for 217 yards in the air. His quarterback rating of 89.2 will raise his season average, yet this game was more about the throws he missed than the numbers he accumulated.
Grade: C-
Running Back
2 of 10
Things were not much better or worse for the running backs.
Joique Bell saw the majority of the team's 23 carries with 13. He had some punishing runs, including one for 18 yards, to finish with 60 and a nice 4.6-yard average.
Unfortunately, he also put the ball on the ground twice. The second was devastating:
"Huge Joique Bell fumble after a @Lions blocked FG. @Packers ball on the Lions 42 13:28 left. #DETvsGB
— NFL (@nfl) December 28, 2014"
Detroit was down just one score when its sole turnover occurred. Bell never had a handle on the ball, and he bobbled it into a mass of players. The Packers never looked back after converting that turnover into seven points.
Reggie Bush started the game over Bell, which seemed like an odd call. He saw only five carries for 19 yards to add to his three catches for 22.
Also, it wouldn't be an outlandish statement to say he had more horizontal yards than actual gains.
Theo Riddick was a ghost until the last few drives. He grabbed five catches for 34 yards and that final score.
Fullback Jed Collins dragged this grade down further:
"Jed Collins is having a rough day. False start on offense. Hold on special teams. Missed Hyde on the PR TD, too. #Lions
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) December 28, 2014"
It wasn't a good effort in a game that required a solid performance from every unit. That's not how championships are won.
Grade: C-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
How do you fairly judge the pass-catchers when the pass-thrower performed so inaccurately?
There was one drop that was especially egregious from tight end Eric Ebron. But he also made a few plays in varied ways:
"Good to see Eric Ebron is alive. Big block, nice catch over the middle. Jury's out on Weeks 1-16. Difference maker thus far in Week 17.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) December 28, 2014"
Ebron grabbed one more catch to finish with 38 yards.
Meanwhile, the key cogs in the Lions passing offense couldn't sustain any success. Calvin Johnson had two touchdowns, but only four catches and 39 yards. And Golden Tate was the chief victim of Stafford's inconsistency:
"Golden Tate wide open beyond the chains on fourth down. Stafford throws it way over his head. Tate looked very confused.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) December 28, 2014"
Tate saw a total of five targets, catching three passes for 45 yards. Jeremy Ross rounded out the stat sheet with two catches for 33 yards.
I haven't handed out an "incomplete" all year, so I won't start now. Just know that it was briefly considered.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The offensive line started the game down one starter (Dominic Raiola), and another one (Larry Warford) was lost to an apparent leg injury.
Yet, the results weren't as disastrous as you would assume.
The running game averaged 4.8 yards per carry, although that's buoyed by Matthew Stafford 7.3 yards per scramble. But the ability to pick up yards on the run only came after Stafford surveyed the field, meaning he at least had enough time to get a pass off.
Out of everyone, there was one particular player who stood out to fellow Bleacher Reporter Jeff Risdon:
"Riley Reiff has been playing some really good football lately. Sealed two guys on that Bell run, Warford pulled right around him.
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) December 28, 2014"
All of the good vibes generated by the running game didn't translate to the pass protection late:
"Stafford had passes on third and fourth down tipped. Packers ball. Green Bay leads 28-14 with 7:21 to play
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) December 29, 2014"
The breakdowns didn't allow Stafford to accurately deliver the ball in the fourth quarter. He either got hit while throwing or couldn't follow through, leading to floating ducks.
Still, the running game and occasionally the protection gave Detroit a chance to win this game. That can't be discounted, especially when considering the line's banged-up condition.
Grade: B-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Lions needed to generate pressure using its front four so it could drop seven into coverage. That's how you beat Aaron Rodgers.
So the Packers flipped the script, running the ball down Detroit's throat to open the game. That is, until Green Bay got within Detroit's 5:
"Call that 7-and-out for the #Packers on the goal line. Huge defensive stand by #Lions after pass inference bailed out GB. Still scoreless.
— Kevin Gehl (@KevinGehlWLNS) December 28, 2014"
Ezekiel Ansah showed serious strength on the fourth-down stuff of Eddie Lacy, and he finished with six tackles overall. Still, that was the extent of the defensive line's impact.
The Packers were able to push around the defensive line in the running game, as the team racked up 152 yards on 38 carries.
And every time Rodgers dropped back, he had plenty of time to pick apart the secondary. He was only knocked down once as of the early fourth quarter and wasn't sacked the entire game.
Ndamukong Suh (seven) and Andre Fluellen did combine for 12 tackles, including two for a loss. But too many of those tackles were down the field. C.J. Mosley also chipped in with five.
The raw numbers can be deceiving. The defensive line didn't do enough to affect the outcome, getting one sack of Matt Flynn by Jason Jones and few pressures all afternoon.
Much more often than not, the defensive line just couldn't finish. At least the unit wasn't alone in that deficiency.
Grade: C+
Linebacker
6 of 10
Just like everyone else, the linebackers had plenty of good plays that were mixed in with too many bad ones.
DeAndre Levy proves this point. He had a huge stop on Eddie Lacy in the hole, which was noted here:
"DeAndre Levy difference on that Lacy stop. Could have been ugly for DET if he doesn't make that tackle
— Wes Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) December 28, 2014"
Lacy would have picked up a first down and plenty of extra yardage if not for that tackle. Like I said, he had plenty of good plays, including 10 takedowns.
But there was also the bad side:
"Jason Jones and DeAndre Levy whiff on Lacy, who picks up another 8. Now Starks runs for 21. Packers already at the DET 7.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) December 28, 2014"
Missed tackles were a big problem in this game for the usually stout Lions. Lacy ran through numerous soft attempts, leaving a trail of Lions in his wake on his way to 100 yards on the ground.
Shockingly, Tahir Whitehead was the only other linebacker to break the stat sheet with three tackles and a pass defensed. The linebackers weren't horrid, and Levy had a bevy of solid plays, but the impact was lacking.
Grade: B-
Secondary
7 of 10
It wasn't the plan to keep highlighting the inconsistency of key players in each unit. That's just how the game broke down.
James Ihedigbo played that role for the secondary:
"James Ihedigbo forced that fumble. Nice way to make up for his missed tackle earlier.
— Pride Of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) December 28, 2014"
The forced fumble put an abrupt end to a drive that had rolled up 76 yards. With Detroit down a score due to the punt return, the Lions needed a big play, and the veteran safety obliged them.
But the missed tackle was a big play of another shade. Jordy Nelson caught a short pass on 3rd-and-10, made Ihedigbo miss in space and rambled for 12 yards.
Open-space tackling is difficult but necessary. Don't dismiss Ihedigbo's failure just because the task is tough.
In all, Ihedigbo totaled four tackles and was doubled up by safety-mate Glover Quin. Isa Abdul-Quddus, who played the entire third quarter for the mysteriously absent Ihedigbo, pulled down four tackles, while Don Carey had three.
All-World quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't put up video-game style numbers (226 yards and two touchdowns), but he was efficient, earning a 139.6 passer rating. That's both a reflection of the lack of pressure up front and the secondary's inability to hang with Nelson and Randall Cobb.
Grade: B-
Special Teams
8 of 10
Jeremy Ross has been the subject of ridicule this season on Twitter. This game, he might have been the strongest performer on a beleaguered special teams unit:
"Hey, special teams did something good. Jeremy Ross returns the kick to the Detroit 39.
— Pride Of Detroit (@PrideOfDetroit) December 28, 2014"
Ross returned one punt for 14 yards. He also had five kick returns, averaging 25.2 yards per.
Sam Martin was not his stellar self. He did pin one of his four punts within the 20, but he only averaged 38 yards per punt and had one big mistake:
"Kickoff out of bounds by Sam Martin after TD makes it 14-14. Special teams continue to make it harder on the Lions.
— Mike O'Hara (@MikeOHaraNFL) December 28, 2014"
Of course, that was the drive that Aaron Rodgers returned from the locker room. He promptly used the field position to put points on the board.
There was an onside punt near the end of the game, but that play is easily negated by Micah Hyde's early 55-yard punt return.
Grade: D+
Coaching
9 of 10
There's two ways this grade can go.
The coaches can only do so much to put their players in a position to succeed. It's eventually on the players to execute, which they clearly didn't do against the Packers.
However, coaches are hired and fired on their ability to get players to perform.
The truth—as usual—falls somewhere in the middle so the coaches have to take some of the hit.
The defensive scheme was dictated by the Packers' ability to put up points. It's important to remember that the defense only gave up 21, and had the players tackled better, that number would have been reduced.
The offensive play-calling was actually solid throughout the contest. Considering the Lions' running success, it would have been smart to give Joique Bell a few more carries, but ball security was obviously an issue.
The big bugaboo of the day was head coach Jim Caldwell's head-scratching challenge of a Eddie Lacy "fumble":
"Jim Caldwell going with the "it's an important enough play to challenge" theory even though this one looks pretty obvious.
— Josh Katzenstein (@jkatzenstein) December 28, 2014"
There was zero chance the play was going to be overturned. The most basic understanding of the rules would have yielded that knowledge. That's not a good indicator of an solid coaching performance.
The lost timeout didn't matter in the end, only because Bell's two-point conversion attempt was overturned on review. That boneheaded move is worth a full letter reduction.
Grade: C-
Final Grades
10 of 10
QB: C-
RB: C-
WR/TE: B
OL: B-
DL: C+
LB: B-
Secondary: B-
ST: D+
Coaching: C-
Cumulative Grade: C
The Lions finally were bitten in the behind by the dog they refused to put on a leash. The NFC North title was there for the taking early in the fourth quarter, but the mistakes gave a good Packers team too great of a chance to win.
And champions don't whiff when given an opportunity. The Packers didn't, and that's why Detroit wasn't able to grab its first NFC North title.
We've often touched on how Detroit's problems are fixable. The problem is they haven't been corrected yet.
The good news is that the Lions have been good enough to win 11 games. No amount of luck is going to equal that many victories, so Detroit gets the chance to right the ship in the playoffs.
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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