It’s over. That’s about the only saving grace for the Detroit Lions in one of the most inept displays of football by any NFL team in recent memory.
The Lions fell at home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 47-7, on Saturday. It was a Boxing Day display that fans should try to return to the nearest store, because it certainly wasn’t worth the time investment to watch what is the lowest point for the franchise since the winless 2008 campaign.
The Buccaneers racked up over 400 yards in the first half en route to a 34-0 advantage. It really wasn’t that close, either. They scored touchdowns on five of their six possessions. The Lions managed two first downs in their first five drives, all ending in punts. Oh yeah, quarterback Matthew Stafford hobbled to the locker room with an ankle injury. Thankfully he did not return.
This is not a reflection on interim-to-the-interim coach Ron Prince and the skeleton coaching staff rushed into service well above their pay grades. With many key players sidelined due to injuries, Prince and the crew really didn’t have much to work with. But whatever they tried did not work.
Tom Brady ended with a perfect passer rating of 158.3 on four touchdown passes and 348 yards. Just for good measure, Bucs backup Blaine Gabbert threw two TDs of his own and netted more passing yards (143) in a handful of drives than the combination of Stafford, Chase Daniel and David Blough managed (113) all game.
It’s a sign of just how difficult the mercifully deposed Bob Quinn/Matt Patricia legacy is going to be to overcome. The view without Stafford at quarterback was downright terrifying, something to consider when the inevitable talks of trading No. 9 fire up. This loss was as bad as any Lions game I can remember in my lifetime and I remember Greg Landry as the starting quarterback over 40 years ago.
The misery ends next Sunday when the Lions host Minnesota in a game that decides last place in the NFC North. It can’t possibly be worse than what we witnessed on Saturday.