Subscribe
Follow Us
The Detroit Lions fell to 0-4 after their 24-14 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 4. While there are no moral victories, Dan Campbell's squad showed the same relentless approach they have from the start of the season despite falling short again.
Here are three Lions takeaways after falling to 0-4 with their loss to the Bears.
1.) Red zone offense has to be a lot better
Detroit had four separate red zone possessions against the Bears that resulted in zero points. That flat out won't get it done on Sunday's.
Two fumbles and two turnover-on-downs sequences spoiled those drives for the Lions and perhaps the most perplexing of the decisions came with a little over four minutes left in the game when the Lions trailed by 10 and still opted to go for it.
Appreciating an aggressive coaching mindset is fine but a field goal in that spot makes it a touchdown game and nothing that the Lions had done in that game warranted any sort of confidence in making the decision to go for it. They still did, and on that 4th and 1 in the 4th quarter they went from shotgun as a pass from Jared Goff sailed incomplete.
It sounds simple in nature but is harder to execute but, the Lions have to be a lot better in the red zone if they want to erase that goose egg from their side of the scoreboard.
Per the Detroit Free Press, Campbell was asked after the game how much he trusts the offense to convert in those spots even though they sputtered against the Bears when they got inside the 20-yard line.
“Yeah, no, I do,” he said. “I put a lot on the offense. I think a lot of that offensive line. Jared's a veteran quarterback. I feel like we've got a couple of runners and so I do. I think a lot of this, you find out how you perform under pressure, you know? And not just players but also as a unit, as a group.”
Trusting them is great. Realizing the situation, time, score and what the best plan of attack is another angle that could be better handled.
2.) Jared Goff has played great this year
When the Los Angeles Rams traded Jared Goff for Matthew Stafford in the offseason, many speculated that it could be the beginning of the end for Goff's career as he went to Detroit.
Yes, the Lions are 0-4 and yes they only scored 14 points against the Bears. However, Goff hasn't been the problem.
Time and again, Goff had the Lions' offense moving up and down the field on Sunday against the Bears before they stalled out in the red zone. One of the fumbles was 100 percent on the center and not on Goff who was trying to adjust things at the line of scrimmage.
This snap hit Jared Goff and bounced right to the defensive lineman 😳
Bizarre turnover for the Lions
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/qYu8DCid0F— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 3, 2021
Some will point to the record for the Lions as an indicator that Goff is supposedly playing poorly but it just isn't the case. Look around at the pool of talent on that offense and it's easy to see that it's not a top tier group of weapons that Goff is working with. There aren't many quarterbacks who could slot into Goff's spot and succeed with ease.
The former California product has thrown for 1,100 yards, seven touchdowns and just two interceptions in four games this year. Sure, the numbers could be better but given what many set as the expectations for Goff this year, he's played just fine running the show for the Lions on offense.
3.) The way they're playing and what lies ahead, a win will come soon
This was certainly a winnable game for the Lions and had the red zone offense been even remotely competent, they could've beaten the Bears.
Leading up to the game, it was intriguing to try and figure out how the Lions would respond after a gut-wrenching, 19-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on a 66-yard field goal from Justin Tucker as time expired.
Detroit came out with plenty of fire and dialed in as the game carried along.
Campbell's team is 0-4 but it isn't for a lack of energy or buying into the system. They've brought and done both.
Peaking ahead for the Lions, over the next four weeks they will play the Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles.
Minnesota is 1-3 but has played far better than the record would indicate. The Bengals are 3-1 but have overachieved with wins of lesser competition. The Rams are a wagon even after losing to the Arizona Cardinals and the Eagles are a complete mess.
It feels somewhat safe to suggest that there will be a win for the Lions over the course of the next four weeks. They aren't exactly an intimidating bunch themselves, but there are three winnable games for Detroit over the next month.
