The Detroit Lions dropped a heartbreaker against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, failing to convert on a last second potential game-tying fourth-and-goal play and falling to 3-4-1 on the year.
And to that end, they’ve dropped in every national power rankings list of NFL teams. Check out some examples:
NFL: 19 (Previous: 16)
“Another frustrating loss for the Lions, who are kicking away too many opportunities to stay in the NFC playoff race. On Sunday in Oakland, the biggest culprit was the defense, carved up through the air and on the ground in a 31-24 defeat. Detroit’s offense is talented enough to keep up in a shootout, but it’s not a sustainable ask week after week. The Lions need someone to step up on D, and they need their defensive-minded head coach, Matt Patricia, to find a way to stop the bleeding. It’s a shame, too, because this offense can light it up. Matthew Stafford might be at the height of his powers, and the wide receiver tandem of Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones is one of the best in football. Speaking of which, how can those two guys not be on the field with the game on the line in the final seconds? The Lions, man.” — Dan Hanzus
Touchdown Wire: 20 (Previous: 17)
“On fourth-and-1 from the Oakland 1-yard line with eight seconds left in the game, the Lions had the opportunity to either tie the Raiders or go ahead with a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Oakland had called a timeout, giving Detroit the opportunity to optimize their offensive personnel for the play. This, Detroit did not do. They took Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay, their two best receivers, off the field. Then when Matthew Stafford tried to fit a fadeaway jumper to tight end Logan Thomas in the end zone, Raiders safety Karl Joseph broke up the play.
“It was a fitting summary for a team that has been more formidable in base talent than it has been in design and execution throughout the season. Detroit’s defense, which had been above average with its man and match coverage concepts early in the season, was punked by Jon Gruden’s offense, and a rookie class (running back Josh Jacobs, tight end Foster Moreau, receiver Hunter Renfrow) that scored four touchdowns. That the Lions have been underachievers to their personnel for so long certainly doesn’t make the sting of games like this any easier to take, but it has to be said that this shouldn’t be a sub-.500 team based on the talent it puts on the field. Head coach Matt Patricia and his staff should be doing some heavy soul-searching right about now.” — Doug Farrar
Sporting News: 18 (Previous: 15)
“The Lions keep getting the best play of quarterback Matthew Stafford’s career. But they still can’t run the ball, and they have equal trouble stopping both the run and pass defensively. Playing with a one-dimensional offense in a shootout every week isn’t a good formula for consistent success.” — Vinnie Iyer
USA Today: 18 (Previous: 12)
“Matthew Stafford has a 107.0 QB rating in losses this year. He’s got a 122.0 rating vs. blitz. And he’ll remain only QB with more than 40,000 career passing yards and not a single playoff win to show for it.” — Nate Davis
ESPN: 18 (Previous: 16)
“Scary trend: 424.1 yards allowed per game. It’s a simple number, but to truly address Detroit’s defensive malaise, you must start at the most fundamental level. And the Lions, both on the ground and through the air, have allowed too many yards. This goes beyond the bend-but-don’t-break approach that appears to be Matt Patricia’s favored style. It’s also hurting Detroit — the Lions are 2-4 over the past six games despite scoring at least 24 points in five of them. Not solidifying the defense, which is supposed to be Patricia’s hallmark, would lead to another wholly unsatisfying season.” — Michael Rothstein
CBS Sports: 20 (Previous 16)
“That fast start seems like a long time ago with all the recent losing. Their defense isn’t good enough.” — Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated: 16 (Previous: 15)
“Another tight loss was decided by shoddy late-game execution for the Lions. The play itself seemed ill-conceived considering the personnel on the field, and you can’t help but wonder if and when Matt Patricia will start helping this team steal a few of these tight games instead of losing most of them.” — MMQB staff
