The Detroit Lions could not overcome a number of costly mistakes made against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2, essentially cascading to point of no return.
After lowing yet another double-digit lead — an NFL record fourth in a row — the Lions would eventually lose 42-21, leaving many scratching their heads and searching for answers.
The Lions started off hot, scoring touchdowns on each of their two opening drives and holding the Packers to only three points, but things went downhill real quick.
Lets set the scene.
After forcing a Packers punt, the Lions are looking to end the first half with the lead. The drive opens with a D’Andre Swift run, then Matthew Stafford takes a sack that almost landed the Packers two points, but instead, it is a ten-yard sack, and the Lions end up on their own one-yard line.
.@TheRealZSmith gets to Stafford for the SACK!#DETvsGB | #GoPackGo
📺 FOX
📱 https://t.co/2UxGSiVlvn pic.twitter.com/28S17hjxwK— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 20, 2020
The Packers use their last timeout to salvage any time they can get it to possibly land points to end the half. To keep the clock running, the Lions hand the ball to Adrian Peterson, but Oday Aboushi gets called for holding and, in turn, stops the clock leaving the Packers with a minute to drive down the field.
Green Bay opens their drive with an out of bounds throw, but Will Harris landed an unnecessary roughness call giving the Packers a free 15 yards. On the ensuing play, Harris was the culprit of another unnecessary roughness call this time horse-collaring Davante Adams after an eight-yard catch and stopping the clock on top of another free 15 yards for the Packers. A couple plays later and the Packers punch in it for six, giving them the lead.
A failed 57-field goal attempt from Matt Prater closes out the half, with the Packers in the lead — after the Lions had led the entire first half.
The Packers have all of the momentum opening the second half and capitalize with an Aaron Jones career-best 75 yard touchdown run.
To add further salt into the wound, not log after, Jamal Agnew gets called for unnecessary roughness penalty after calling for a fair catch and then blocking a Packers’ gunner, pushing the Lions to their five-yard line — this leads to a Stafford pick-six.
The number of mistakes the Lions committed at the end of the first half and to open up the second half was inexcusable.
The Lions will need a long look in the mirror after this loss and figure out where to go from here as they are heading into the desert for a Week 3 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.