Team Grades: Lions Play Well, But Lose Heartbreaker To Packers As Win Streak Ends
By Danny Cox
Even once all the time had run off the clock, the Detroit Lions held a two point lead over the Green Bay Packers and were on their way to a fourth straight win. Unfortunately, a questionable facemask call on Aaron Rodgers gave the Pack one more play, and it was enough for a Hail Mary that was hauled in by Richard Rodgers for the winning score.
With that, the Packers won 27-23 and essentially ended any chance the Lions had of sneaking into the playoffs.
Offense: B
The offense didn't rack up a lot of yards, but they looked good. In the first half, the defense was setting up the offense with some short fields and allowing them to work quickly. Matthew Stafford had 220 yards and two touchdowns with Golden Tate as his top receiver (8 for 63 yards).
The running game looked better than it had throughout most of the 2015 season. Rookie running back Ameer Abdullah had 67 yards on 13 carries, and that included a 36-yard sprint burst through the Packers' line early in the game. It's just a shame that the offense couldn't play the whole game with the same fire they had in the first quarter as they just disappeared.
Defense: C
Detroit's defense looked really good early on as they got an interception, hounded Aaron Rodgers, and didn't allow the Packers' running game to do anything. The running game was held in check the entire game as Green Bay had a mere 67 total yards on the ground with Aaron Roders leading with 27 of those.
While he looked off early, Rodgers needs to be contained and have attention paid to him for the entire 60 minutes and a few after. Even taking the 61-yard Hail Mary touchdown off the board, Richard Rodgers had a great game with 7 receptions for 101 yards.
That final play was the dagger though.
Special Teams: B
Even though he was dealing with an illness all week, Matt Prater hit both of his extra points and all three of his field goal attempts. That includes a long of 51 yards. Sam Martin punted well on the night and pinned the Packers back inside their own 20-yard-line twice.
Again, not much from the kickoff or punt return units.
Coaching: B+
Coach Jim Caldwell had a really good game plan in place with an even mix of the rush and the pass on offense. It was actually one of the more balanced games of the season, even though the running game still didn't bring about much. The defense played really well and attacked Rodgers, but couldn't hold him for a full 60 minutes and a little extra.
Now, the Detroit Lions have to simply play out the final four games of the season as the playoffs are out of sight for them. An 8-8 season can be achieved and a mid-first round draft pick, or less wins and a higher draft pick. One would like to think that no team would ever tank on purpose, and the Lions won't do that; so expect them to keep coming out firing.
Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. Danny is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
