There were myriad excuses ready to be baked into any Detroit Lions loss in Tampa Bay in Week 6. Between the myriad injuries all over the roster, the 3-1 Buccaneers coming off a bye week, Detroit playing on the road and outdoors, Tampa playing great D all season; there were several valid reasons why the Lions could have lost this game.
No excuses needed. These are not the same Lions who fail to rise to the occasion. Dan Campbell’s team doesn’t care about adversity, or reasons why they could lose.
The Lions went out and dominated the Buccaneers, 20-6, holding the home team without a touchdown. Tampa Bay didn’t get more than two first downs in any drive until their final one, which came up empty on four straight incompletions in the end zone.
Detroit’s offense manufactured its 20 points, none of which were easily earned. Quarterback Jared Goff was very good, completing 30 of his 44 passes for 353 yards and two touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught a career-high 12 of those passes for 124 yards and the most important touchdown of the game.
The Buccaneers smothered Detroit’s rushing offense, which also lost David Montgomery to a rib injury in the first half. The Lions had 19 handoffs, and the runner was hit in the backfield on 11 of them, per the FOX broadcast. It was a game Goff needed to win, and he did just that–with considerable aid from a dominating defense of Detroit’s own.
The Lions are now 5-1 on the season and have won all three games on the road. Tampa Bay falls to 3-2, with losses to the Lions and Eagles both coming at home.