It was a war of attrition for the Detroit Lions this past Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field. While their offense showed that they’re still more than capable of putting points on the board seemingly at will with a total of 45, their defense was nothing short of a complete letdown. They allowed Seattle to put 48 points on the board, meaning that they’re averaging 35.3 points against this season while also scoring an average of 35 points per game. You may not know this, but they’ve made NFL history with a combined 281 points scored/allowed, the most of any team through four games in any season.
“I think it’s just as much as you can try to – do we have guys in the right places? How are these guys responding…And I mean, there’s so many different things come up. It’s like even Minnesota last week, it’s, well, you want to simplify but yet you’re also trying to double (receiver Justin) Jefferson and then take care of the run, and then this week it’s a little bit different cause you’re not necessarily doing that.
Detroit Lions, head coach Dan Campbell explained
The Lions will be hoping for a change in fortune when they pay a visit to Gillette Stadium for a matchup with the New England Patriots this Sunday, who also find themselves sitting with a 1-3 mark following Sunday’s overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers.
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Detroit Lions: Inside the Numbers
Quarterback Play
Lions quarterback Jared Goff enjoyed another highly productive afternoon, throwing four touchdown passes while completing 26 of 39 attempts for 378 yards. The Lions may have caught a break, however. Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is already on the shelf with an injury, meaning that Brian Hoyer started against Green Bay. But Hoyer himself would leave the game with an injury, thrusting 2022 4th-round draft selection Bailey Zappe into action. He would finish 10 of 15 passing with one touchdown while racking up 99 yards in his first NFL appearance in relief of Hoyer.
The Ground Game
It was Jamaal Williams leading the way on the ground for the Lions against Seattle, racking up 108 yards on 19 carries that included two trips into the end zone. He was followed by Craig Reynolds, who racked up 30 yards on two carries. Meanwhile, both Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson enjoyed productive afternoons of their own, as Harris racked up 86 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown, while Stevenson amassed 66 yards on 14 carries of his own. Nelson Agholor led New England’s air attack with three receptions for a total of 46 yards.
Defense and Special Teams
On the defensive side of the ball, it was DeShon Elliott and Malcolm Rodriguez leading the way for Detroit with 11 tackles each. New England was led by Ja’Whaun Bentley with nine tackles, while Adrian Phillips and Jahlani Tavai each put up eight.
As far as punting is concerned, New England’s Jake Bailey is averaging 44.9 yards per attempt, while Detroit’s Jack Fox is averaging 48.5 yards per attempt. After a miserable performance, Dominick Eberle was cut from the Lions and they signed Michael Badgley to the practice squad in case Austin Siebert isn’t back from injury this week.
Advanced Stats for New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions
Rushing
Detroit: 656 YDS (112 attempts, 5.9 YPA)
New England: 514 YDS (114 attempts, 4.5 YPA)
Passing
Detroit: 93-of-152, 1,132 YDS, 7.4 YPA
New England: 79-of-118, 922 YDS, 7.8 YPA
Detroit Lions Key Offensive Stats
Yards per play: 6.5
Points per play: .520
Rush Play percentage: 41.6%
Pass Play percentage: 58.4 %
Completion percentage: 61.2%
Third Down Conversion rate: 37.7%
Red Zone Scoring percentage: 88.2%
New England Patriots’ Key Offensive Stats
Yards per play: 4.5
Points per play: 0.307
Rush Play percentage: 47.30
Pass Play percentage: 52.70
Completion percentage: 66.95%
Third Down Conversion rate: 39.13%
Red Zone Scoring percentage: 54.55%
