This game was decided more by the Chargers making more mistakes than it was won by the Lions
Lions coach Matt Patricia is a big believer in the process of self-scouting. Like many NFL coaches, he’ll go back after the season and pore over every detail of game film, looking for nuances or things that he might have missed on the first go-through.
I’ve decided to do the same. I’m rewatching every play of every Lions game, using both the broadcast and coach’s tape feeds from NFL Game Pass. I’ll chronicle my reactions in real-time on the rewatch, focusing on specific plays or players in big moments as well as an overall postgame summary of my notes.
After the unsatisfying tie with the Cardinals in Week 1, up next is the weirdly unsatisfying win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2.
Pregame notes:
Starting LT Taylor Decker is out, replaced by Tyrell Crosby. Starting LB Jarrad Davis is also out, replaced primarily by rookie Jahlani Tavai. This game is in Detroit and the crowd was raucous.
First quarter
The Lions open in zone coverage with Jahlani Tavai and Christian Jones both quickly landmarking. First pass of the game goes to Keenan Allen, who drops the Philip Rivers dart just as Jones gets there. The Lions are lucky from the very first play, as Rivers doesn’t look at the slot receiver running a vertical route behind the outside receiver. It’s 6 points for Los Angeles if Rivers sees it because Darius Slay, the outside CB, doesn’t even think of running with the receiver.
Slay gets a PD on the first 3rd down when Rivers misfires behind Allen on a deep cross. Rivers has zero issue challenging Slay and it’s a theme that will play out repeatedly in this game.
Chargers blow an easy TD on the second drive when Mike Williams boots away a perfect fade route from Rivers, beating Rashaan Melvin over the top. Had to double-check to make sure it wasn’t Eric Ebron sneaking into the game for Los Angeles…
L.A. scores one play later when Austin Ekeler leaps over the pile from a yard out. A’Shawn Robinson just misses blocking the extra point and it’s 7-0 Chargers.
The Lions offense is trying to be creative to help ease the pressure against Stafford from the very impressive Chargers defensive front. Lots of quick-hit pass attempts early, plus a naked bootleg throw to Jesse James that is fraught with peril. James is functioning as an extra tackle, helping RT Rick Wagner with either Joey Bosa or Melvin Ingram on just about every play on the first two drives.
Another facet that works well in slowing down the pass rush: the screen pass. Stafford to Kerryon Johnson for 36 yards and the touchdown on a great display by Johnson. Center Frank Ragnow gets lauded by the broadest crew for a phenomenal downfield block that springs Johnson with a clear path to the end zone. It’s a brilliant play call that starts with slot WR Danny Amendola motioning out of the exact spot where Johnson catches the ball and taking the LB with him across the field. Graham Glasgow also makes a great block to pin the EDGE just as Johnson catches the ball on the quick screen. Early front-runner for my favorite Lions play of the year.
Matt Prater yaks the extra point. Snap and hold weren’t perfect but were good enough. 7-6 Chargers.
Second quarter
The quick-hit offense remains the status quo for the Lions. T.J. Hockenson is not having a good day blocking. We get our first sack on Stafford of the game on 3rd-and-4 and it’s a coverage sack. Kenny Golladay and Hockenson are both perfectly covered as Stafford frantically rolls to his right after Bosa beats Tyrell Crosby with a very basic shoulder dip.
Noting a change from the last game: Will Harris is off the punt protect team, replaced by Miles Killebrew. It’s a positive change.
On the Chargers punt after the next drive, Jamal Agnew gets the ball taken by Isaac Rochell like a schoolyard bully ripping away his lunch money. The play is negated by offsetting penalties. Agnew gets benched for Danny Amendola and the Lions promptly commit two penalties on the ensuing punt return.
Kerryon Johnson is running very well. Attacking downhill, no hesitation. Showing better vision than Week 1 and he’s reading the block from the play-side TE (usually James) very well. Lots of 2TE sets and James is holding up nicely as a blocker. Ty Johnson also runs well on this drive, some good work by Kenny Wiggins at RG here too.
The promising, ground-based drive ends badly when Prater yaks the 40-yard FG wide right one play after Stafford badly misfires behind Amendola on a short crosser. Chargers nearly blocked the kick with strong pressure off the right side.
Next Lions drive, Wiggins moves to LG, Glasgow in at right guard and it’s a trainwreck in both run and pass blocking. Stafford gets the Chargers to jump with a hard count but badly underthrows an open Marvin Jones on the free play. Should have been a big gain. One play later he hits Jones with a perfect throw. It’s that kind of random outcome type of game.
General note: The Chargers defense is very disciplined and well-coordinated. They cover the mesh points in the zones and transitions from short to deep very well. It’s giving Stafford problems and really giving Golladay issues trying to get space.
The Lions pass rush is pretty content to just roll with three, and the mix of zone and man is working well in coverage. Contrasting that is a play just before the half where Detroit brings six rushers. Rivers isn’t fazed in the least and hits Allen for a nice gain even though Slay was guilty of holding Allen on the play. The extra “pressure” brought by the blitzers was completely ineffective and uncreative.
A legit “wow” diving catch by Mike Williams on a 4-wide vertical route sets up the Chargers for the go-ahead 39-yard field goal at the half, 10-6 Chargers.
