Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Lions film study: What I learned from the Week 10 win over the Chargers

Here’s what Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon learned from the film review of the Lions win over the Chargers in Week 10.

Film study sessions are always a lot more fun when the Detroit Lions are coming off a win. The 41-38 thriller over the Chargers tested that proclamation a bit.

Detroit’s road win in Week 10 should have been by a much bigger margin. That was clear from watching the game live the first time. The breakdown on All-22 and another refresher on the broadcast feed reinforced that overarching takeaway. The film breakdown took some interesting turns in this one.

Thanks to a glitch in the NFL’s app, the film study got delayed a bit; watching the same second-quarter play on loop was fun for a minute or two, but not six hours. Better late than never!

Here’s what I learned from the film review of the Lions win over the Chargers in Week 10.

Dan Campbell explains what went wrong with the Lions pass rush in win over Chargers

The Lions failed to record a sack and Dan Campbell wasn’t happy with the lack of a pass rush

The Detroit Lions won the Week 10 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, but the 41-38 triumph wasn’t easy. Detroit’s defense got gashed for five straight touchdowns after starting out well.

The lack of a pass rush was a primary factor. Other than Aidan Hutchinson, who logged three QB pressures and three other hits on Justin Herbert, the rush was nearly nonexistent. Detroit did not sack Herbert once.

Head coach Dan Campbell was asked about the ineffective work from the defensive front. Campbell zeroed in on the technique and coordination of the rush and coverage.

“Yeah, look, I go back to some of this is, we’ve got to really hone in on our technique with where we’re at. We’ve got a lot of things that are schemed up that we can be better at, the execution of it,” Campbell said of the pass rush.

Blitzing linebacker Alex Anzalone worked early, but the Lions got away from that later. The lack of success clearly frustrated Campbell.

“We had a number of different pressures and games that we had lined up in the second down, third down, that we just weren’t getting there fast enough and it was,” Campbell said. “We talk about all the time, the rush into coverage, and it was we’re covering pretty good and then man, we’re just not quite getting there and so (Chargers WR Keenan Allen) 13, we’ve got him doubled, well, he’s able to run through the double because we’re not getting there fast enough.”

That has ripple effects, as Campbell noted,

“And then on the flip side, we’re getting there, but we’re not tight enough in coverage. So, we’ve just got to get them to mirror up and we’re got to keep working our technique, man. We’ve got to win our one-on-ones when they show up upfront, and really, even in the backend, too. When those times present themselves, we have to win a one-on-one. Certainly, more than we did yesterday.”

Campbell seems confident the Lions pass rush will bounce back against the Bears in Week 11.

“It’s been something we’ve been pretty good at,” Campbell told reporters. “We played – we bounced back, played pretty good against the Raiders, played damn good. So, we will bounce back from this and we’ll get it right.”

Snap count notes: Deep rotation on defense didn’t work vs. Chargers

Snap count notes: Deep rotation on defense didn’t work vs. Chargers but the RB rotation did

Defense was largely optional in the Detroit Lions’ 41-38 win in Los Angeles over the Chargers in Week 10. After a solid first few possessions, the Lions defense was the football equivalent of using an overripe banana as a hammer.

No matter what combination of personnel defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn trotted out against Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense, the banana kept getting smushed. And Glenn certainly tried mixing things up.

Aidan Hutchinson was the primary workhorse, with the DE playing 59 of the 72 snaps. The other EDGE spot rotated between several players and combinations:

Josh Paschal – 39

John Cominsky – 27

Julian Okwara – 22

Charles Harris – 18

Romeo Okwara – 18

That entire grouping aside from Hutchinson netted three total tackles and one QB pressure for the game.

The secondary was consistent. The primary five DBs — Brian Branch, Cam Sutton, Jerry Jacobs, Tracy Walker and Kerby Joseph — all played at least 60 of the 72 snaps. Will Harris saw five snaps in spot relief, with Ifeatu Melifonwu on the field for two and Khalil Dorsey for one, a play where Jacobs had to sit after needing attention from trainers.

On offense, the entire line played the whole game intact. Jared Goff also played all 66 offensive snaps. Rookie TE Sam LaPorta played 53, with Brock Wright on for 34 and James Mitchell chipping in another seven at TE, showing the Lions’ emphasis on 2-TE sets against a very talented Chargers defensive front.

The running back and wide receiver snap counts have an interesting breakdown. With both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery healthy at RB, Gibbs played 38 snaps to Montgomery’s 25. Reserve Craig Reynolds played three. Add those up and you get 66, shelving the idea of using Gibbs and Montgomery together for at least another week.

At wideout, Amon-Ra St. Brown played 61 of 66 snaps, followed by Josh Reynolds at 46. Jameson Williams asserted himself as WR3 by outrepping Kalif Raymond 34 to 17.

Quick takeaways from the Lions last-second road win over the Chargers

Takeaways on the Lions offensive line dominance, Goff outdueling Herbert, red zone issues, stars of the game and much more

What a Sunday afternoon for the Detroit Lions! Dan Campbell’s Lions traveled to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and treated the boisterous Detroit fans in attendance, not to mention everyone watching around the country, to a thrilling 41-38 win over the Chargers.

If you like offense, this was a great game. The Lions gained 533 yards, picked up 23 first downs and scored seven times, including Riley Patterson’s game-winning field goal on the game’s final play. Aficionados of defense didn’t have nearly so much to like, but that’s what sometimes happens with two gifted QBs behind talented offensive lines go to battle.

Here’s some of what stood out from the initial watching of Sunday’s big Lions win over the Chargers.

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Studs and Duds for the Lions win over the Chargers

Here are this week’s Studs and Duds for the Detroit Lions victory over the Los Angeles Chargers

Following the bye week, the Detroit Lions aimed for a triumphant return against the Los Angeles Chargers. The competition remained intense throughout the day, but the Lions clinched their seventh win of the season, securing a 41-38 victory with Riley Patterson delivering the decisive field goal.

The Lions initiated a strong start in the early phases of the game, but it evolved into a seesaw battle as the Chargers found their offensive rhythm. The matchup featured numerous daring fourth-down calls, totaling eight, yet none surpassed the boldness of the decision that ultimately sealed the game. Opting to go for it on fourth down at the game’s conclusion, Coach Dan Campbell displayed confidence, and Jared Goff’s poised throw to Sam LaPorta positioned them perfectly for the game-sealing field goal.

The Lions earned a hard-fought, gritty triumph, embodying their team mantra. In the aftermath of this victory, let’s take a look at the Studs and Duds in the Lions victory over the Chargers.

What they’re saying about the Lions win over the Chargers

Lions v. Chargers: What they’re saying after the game about Detroit’s Week 10 win

The first-place, 7-2 Detroit Lions are fresh off a thrilling, last-second road victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Detroit prevailed when kicker Riley Patterson hit a 41-yard field goal as time expired to cap off a 41-38 win.

Here’s what folks are saying about the Lions after the game on social media.

Lions fire last in a shootout win over the Chargers

The Detroit Lions fired the last shot in a 41-38 shootout win over the Chargers in Week 10

The quirky NFL schedule made Detroit Lions fans wait an excruciatingly long time between the Week 8 win over the Raiders and Sunday’s late-afternoon kickoff in Los Angeles against the Chargers. It was worth the wait.

Riley Patterson nailed a 41-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Lions to a 41-38 win in Week 10. The Lions had the last shot and made it count in a thrilling shootout that was tight for the entire second half.

Detroit played very well in the first half but only managed to eke out a 24-17 lead at halftime. Two failed red zone possessions made the game a lot tighter than it should have been with the Lions largely dominating the first two quarters.

The Chargers scored on the opening drive of the second half to tie the game a 24. The two teams then exchanged touchdowns again. And again. Equal parts great offense and really bad defense from both squads progressed to a 38-38 tie when Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen for a too-easy catch-and-run touchdown with just under four minutes to play.

The Chargers scored touchdowns on three different fourth-down snaps, including Allen’s late TD. Detroit answered with a gutsy fourth-down conversion of its own to set up Patterson’s game-winner, which was dead solid perfect the whole way.

Detroit racked up 533 yards of total offense and scored five touchdowns. The Chargers matched the TD total and cranked out 421 yards of offense on their own. The Lions raced out to over 300 in the first half, but the inability to cash in drives kept the game close and tense.

The second half had the feel of a game where whoever had the ball last would win. It took the clutch 4th-and-2 pass from Jared Goff to rookie TE Sam LaPorta to allow the Lions to be that team.

With the win, the Lions improved to 7-2 on the season and have won two games in a row. The Chargers fall to 4-5. Next up for Detroit: a 1 p.m. ET kickoff at home against the Chicago Bears in Week 11.

Lions vs. Chargers: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction

Lions vs. Chargers: Last-minute thoughts and final score prediction from Lions Wire’s Jeff Risdon

We’re back into more of a normal Lions routine…mostly. After a Monday night game and a bye week, it’s been a few weeks since I enjoyed the Sunday morning pot of coffee while pondering the day’s Lions game.

Of course, today’s game is a late-afternoon kickoff in Los Angeles. At least the NFL has given us a breakfast game from Germany to help wake up the football mind.

Here’s what I’m thinking about the Lions and the Chargers in Week 10.

Why I think the Lions will win

This Lions unit is about as close to full strength as any team can reasonably be expected to be in Week 10. The bye week came at a great time for Detroit, allowing a lot of key players with nagging injuries to rest and heal. It’s especially true on the offensive line, and that’s the engine that runs Ben Johnson’s offense.
The Chargers are on the wrong end of the schedule hose. They played in New York on Monday Night a week after playing on Sunday night in L.A. Their bye came in Week 5, so there’s no rest for the wicked.
L.A.’s offense gets one-dimensional too easily. Their last game, the Monday Night Football win over the Jets, is a great example. The Chargers ran the ball 21 times, but nine of those attempts came on their final 10 offensive plays, with the outcome already decided. Four other carries came on 3rd-and-short situations. The Lions defense handles predictable, one-dimensional offenses well. The Chargers have considerable talent with Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen et al, but paint by the passing numbers way too often offensively. Aaron Glenn’s defense should be able to handle that.
The Chargers pass defense is really bad overall. They’re really good at two things: pressuring the quarterback and creating takeaways. Actual coverage and tackling? Not so much. They’re bottom-tier in yards per pass attempt (30th), passing yards per game (32nd), net yards per attempt (28th), 3rd down conversion rate via pass (30th), and opposing QB Rating (25th). As long as Jared Goff avoids mistakes–which he’s done very well all season–and the healthy OL gives him a little time, it could be a very big game for the Lions passing offense.

What worries me about the Chargers

The Chargers are very good at converting red zone possessions into points. The L.A. defense is middle-of-the-pack in the red zone, but Detroit’s offense (somehow) ranks near the bottom in scoring touchdowns in the red zone. That could be a real problem if the game evolves into a shootout.
That Chargers defensive front/pass rush is as good as any the Lions will see all year. Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack get the attention, but L.A. is a lot more than just those two All-Pros. EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu is a front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year, leading all rookies in sacks, QB pressures and penalties drawn. Morgan Fox might be the most anonymous player in the league with five sacks. They also blitz LB Kenneth Murray quite effectively. The Chargers are 3rd in TFLs on first-down run plays, too. Even against a great Lions OL, they’re capable of ruining the day.
Los Angeles leads the NFL in turnover margin, including the dumb luck of recovering a league-high nine fumbles on defense and special teams. They’ve given the ball up just six times in eight games. I believe in two things here: regression to the mean is coming, but the positive inertia of good luck is a fickle mistress to tangle with.
At some point, they have to stop underachieving relative to high-end talent. Right? Right?! There is some existential dread that coach Brandon Staley figures out how to stop “Chargering” and does it against Detroit.

Final score prediction

This is a tough one. On paper, the Chargers should be a very difficult matchup for Detroit. Los Angeles probably should expect to win this game at home. I don’t fault anyone for thinking (or betting) that the Chargers will win.

There are many scenarios in the bottom of my coffee mug where the Lions lose this one. But I topped off the java and feel good about the Lions not losing. Emphasis on “not losing” more than winning. The Chargers need to force mistakes on both sides of the ball to beat a team. I trust Dan Campbell’s Lions to not make those costly mistakes. I expect a sharp Lions team that is looking to make a statement coming out of the bye, too.

Lions 27, Chargers 20

Lions vs. Chargers: How to watch, listen, stream the Week 10 matchup

It’s back to work for the Detroit Lions after the bye week. The Lions head west on a business trip to Los Angeles to face the Chargers in Week 10.

Detroit Lions (6-2) at Los Angeles Chargers (4-4)

Sunday, November 12th

SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, 4:05 p.m. ET

Watch

This game will be on CBS. The game draws the network’s top broadcast team of Jim Nantz and Tony Romo. Markets in the red on the map below (courtesy 506 Sports) will get the game on their local CBS affiliates.

Listen

The game will be broadcast over the Detroit Lions radio affiliate network. Dan Miller handles the play-by-play, with Lomas Brown as the color analyst and T.J. Lang reporting from the sidelines.

The flagship station is 97.1 The Ticket in Detroit. The full list of affiliates can be found here.

On Sirius XM, the Lions broadcast feed is available on channel 812.

Stream

The NFL+ app (subscription required) is the league’s own network to view the game via a streaming device.

FUBO TV (subscription required) is another option.

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