Stop me if you’re heard this one before. The Detroit Lions grab a lead early, play just well enough to stick close to the opponent, but cannot make enough plays on their own or prevent the opponent from making them, and ultimately lose a close game.
That’s what happened in Ford Field in Week 11. Detroit fell at home to the Cowboys, 35-27, with a strong partisan tint for the visitors in the stands.
It’s what happens most every week to Matt Patricia’s Lions. Detroit is 3-6-1. They’ve held a lead in every single game. Only one, a loss to Minnesota, saw them fall by more than one possession.
This one was especially painful. There were opportunities for the Lions to make the plays that would have secured a victory. Mike Daniels just missing a sack. Darius Slay just missing an interception (twice). Jamal Agnew just missing one more cut into wide open space on a punt return. Jeff Driskel just missing the vision to see a running path to a first down.
The Lions couldn’t execute the plays that were there to be made. Dallas missed several too, but not when they needed them most. Ezekiel Elliott’s fantastic catch-and-run on a well-defended screen to score a touchdown is one example. Randall Cobb hanging on to a TD reception, even after Will Harris went helmet-to-helmet on him, is another. The Cowboys simply made more plays.
That’s why Dallas is well in the NFC playoff mix and the Lions are going to need some help to get out of the NFC North cellar. Detroit is too good to be bad but not good enough to be good.