Biggest Takeaways from Detroit Lions' Week 5 Loss
Backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky threw more passes than Matthew Stafford in the Detroit Lions' 42-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Stafford wasn't hurt.
That has to be the biggest takeaway from this game—or maybe the biggest tell of how things went.
The Lions looked like they had given up on the season. None of the players will come out and say it, and head coach Jim Caldwell will surely stick to the company line of being close, but 2015 has slipped away.
So it's time to start figuring out what this team is doing right and wrong. Eventually, the 2016 season will be upon us, and it's pertinent that Detroit knows what aspects to keep and which to abandon.
Turning Back the Clock
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The 2014 Lions won with defense and a conservative offense. It drove fans crazy that a unit stocked with talent couldn't manufacture points, but at least it didn't actively hurt the team's efforts.
Now it wouldn't matter if Ndamukong Suh had stayed, Nick Fairley lived up to the hype and Detroit was allowed to use 13 defenders. There's no way to overcome six turnovers.
And it all smacked of a simpler time because this is exactly how the Lions used to lose games.
But that wasn't Jon Kitna out there throwing three picks and getting benched (although it was, ironically, Dan Orlovsky). And it certainly wasn't Artose Pinner losing two fumbles.
Instead, it was former top overall pick Matthew Stafford and this year's hyped-up second-rounder, Ameer Abdullah. Those two were supposed to be among the top five reasons Detroit won games, not lost them.
To add insult to the nostalgia, 2008 Detroit defensive tackle Cory Redding was one of the Cardinals who recorded an interception. Again, simpler times back when the Lions weren't expected to be anything other than another team's sure win.
Penalties Still Causing Problems
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There was yet another remnant from the past that haunted the Lions: little yellow flags.
They flew with reckless abandon Sunday afternoon, like a Matthew Stafford pass, as the Lions were flagged a total of nine times for 85 yards.
That number isn't totally astonishing or particularly damning in and of itself. The issues had more to do with the manner of these penalties.
Strong safety James Ihedigbo picked up a particularly galling one when another player was tackling Cardinals running back Chris Johnson. For whatever reason, Ihedigbo reached out and plucked Johnson's facemask with his fingertips, giving Arizona an extra 15 yards.
Then there was Golden Tate's chop block on the back side of a Zach Zenner third-down conversion. The defender was clearly engaged with right tackle LaAdrian Waddle when Tate dove below his waist. Meanwhile, Zenner was surging through the other side of the line for a first down. The drive stalled out on the next play.
Special teams weren't much better. T.J. Jones' best return efforts were negated by three holding penalties, including one return that set Detroit up inside Cardinals territory.
Benchings Don't Work in the NFL
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Whatever head coach Jim Caldwell's intention may have been, benching Matthew Stafford didn't fulfill it.
Was it an attempt to stop the bleeding and turn the game around?
Presumably no. Detroit was down 35-7 when Stafford was replaced, and the score was the same when Caldwell opted to kick a 40-yard field goal instead of getting aggressive.
Of course, it likely didn't matter. Yet those two decisions seem to counteract each other on this point.
Was it an attempt to shake Stafford out of his slump?
Maybe, but that doesn't make it effective. These men are professionals who earn their living by playing football. A benching isn't going to provide more motivation than that.
There won't be an explanation forthcoming. That's not Caldwell's way. So we'll have to speculate as to its purpose because one isn't apparent.
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The Running Game Isn't Getting Better
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If #DraftTwitter had its way, Zach Zenner would have been leading Detroit in carries since the beginning. Well, he finally got his chance to shine against Arizona.
The result? A three-yard average for 30 yards.
To be fair, he looked better than that, but the offensive line didn't do him any favors. And yes, that line may as well be copied and pasted into every analytical article about Detroit's offense.
The Lions finished with 57 yards on 18 carries, which unfortunately represents the second-most successful day this team has had this year. Since the team was down by 21 at halftime, the running game was abandoned shortly thereafter as 70 passes were thrown.
Perhaps it's time for Detroit to take the same approach to the rest of the season and try to set records for passing attempts. Or maybe the Lions could use the remaining 11 games as a test for different running styles because the current scheme isn't working.
Defensive Line Is Still Strong
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Lost in this loss was the defensive line's torrid start.
The Cardinals were on the red side of the ledger after two drives, picking up a negative yard...or giving up a yard. However that works, that's what happened because of some tremendous work up front and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's creativity.
Jason Jones set up Ezekiel Ansah for a sack by performing a flawless stunt. He engaged both the offensive tackle and guard so well that Ansah was barely touched en route to Carson Palmer.
Then the defensive end was given some help by defensive tackle Andre Fluellen. The latter bull-rushed his man so far off the line that Jones was given the Ansah treatment on his way to Arizona's quarterback.
It's impossible to know if Detroit's defensive line could have kept the Lions in the game. Arizona earned two scores with 99- and 71-yard drives, but the Cardinals didn't have to travel more than 32 yards for a touchdown until their final one. That type of field position can render even the best defenses moot.
Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter: @BrandonAlisoglu.
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