The Detroit Lions narrowly defeated the Chicago Bears with a late-game comeback. Detroit entered the game as heavy favorites against a weak Chicago team. However, the Bears held a 26-14 lead in the fourth quarter before the Lions rallied back to win the game.
While the Lions came out on top, they shouldn't have been in that position to begin with. Detroit is a far superior team but made way too many mistakes early on, which were almost costly. Quarterback Jared Goff threw three interceptions, making many poor reads in the game. Against a good team, they won't be able to come back from mistakes like this.
Detroit's defense also allowed Chicago to dominate on the ground. There were many mistakes throughout this game that could have resulted in a Lions loss. Their late rally saved them from what would have been a major upset.
With that said, here are the Lions' biggest concerns despite their bonkers Week 11 comeback against the Bears.
Jared Goff's turnovers
Jared Goff's turnovers are something that the Lions need to monitor. Goff's numbers this season are solid, as he's completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 2,743 yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
The 29-year-old quarterback has struggled with turnovers in the past when he was on the Los Angeles Rams. Goff has improved with the Lions but has reverted to his old ways this season.
Goff helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl in 2019 but proceeded with seasons where he struggled with turnovers. This could be costly in playoff games, as Goff showed after the Super Bowl appearance that he couldn't get it done with the Los Angeles franchise in the playoffs. That led to the Rams trading Goff to the Lions in a deal to acquire quarterback Matthew Stafford, who helped Los Angeles win the Super Bowl.
Goff has been a solid quarterback for Detroit, but the question remains: Can he be the guy who leads them on a deep playoff run?
Goff will need to get his turnovers in check moving forward if the Lions want to make any noise in the playoffs.
Lions' run defense
Detroit's run defense was horrendous against Chicago's rushing attack. The Bears rushed 46 times for 183 yards and a touchdown in the game. While they were able to win the contest, this defense won't cut it against an elite team they may face in the playoffs.
The Lions are 8-2 this season and are one of the legitimate contenders in the NFC. With the current defensive issues, they won't be able to take down other contenders in the playoffs like the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Dallas Cowboys, who have shown the ability to be elite on both sides of the ball.
Detroit's defense needs to take a step up if they want to reach the level of these teams. As it currently stands, the Lions' defense will be detrimental to making noise in the postseason. A poor run defense can cost games, as stopping the run is essential in clutch situations. When a team is trying to run out the clock, the Lions need to have a run defense that can get a stop to bring the offense back on the field.
Detroit will look to correct their mistakes and play better at home on Thanksgiving when they take on the Green Bay Packers.
Follow Us
Subscribe