Grades: Lions' Defense Dominated by Panthers
The Detroit Lions were dominated in every way, shape and form Saturday by the Carolina Panthers.
Christmas Eve served as an afternoon to forget for the playoff-hopeful Lions, as the Panthers served them a lump of coal in the form of their dominant run game. Carolina rushed for 320 yards, including 240 in the first half.
The loss drops the Lions to 7-8, and keeps them a game out of the playoffs in the NFC. Here are the grades for each position group, based on the performance of each group in Saturday’s game.
Quarterback: C+
Jared Goff came out firing, going four-for-six on the opening drive, capped off with a touchdown pass to Shane Zylstra. However, the offense failed to keep the momentum, as it sputtered for most of the afternoon.
His lowest moment served as the momentum-changer, as he lost a fumble after a bad snap deep in the Carolina red zone. The Panthers turned the score into a touchdown drive that lasted nearly seven minutes.
Goff’s performance Saturday was populated with underthrows and deflections, as he had three first-half passes batted down. In all, though, he took the Lions to the red zone six times during the game.
The mishaps doomed Detroit, though, as Goff’s fumbled snap ended one drive in the red zone and a turnover on downs ended another early in the fourth quarter.
The signal-caller finished 25-for-42 for 355 yards and three touchdowns, all to Zylstra.
Running backs: D
The Panthers made mincemeat of the Lions’ run game, as both Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift were held in check for most of the afternoon.
Williams was held to 11 yards on seven carries, while Swift finished with 12 yards on four carries. Goff finished as the team’s leading rusher, thanks to a 14-yard scramble.
Carolina’s defensive line made it difficult for the Lions to get going, as the likes of Derrick Brown and Brian Burns swarmed Detroit’s running backs.
© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Wide receivers: B
Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark both had solid games. Chark led the way with four catches for 108 yards, including a key third-down conversion on the first drive of the game. St. Brown, meanwhile, led the team in receptions, with seven for 75 yards.
Josh Reynolds finished with 31 yards on two catches, but had a crucial drop in the end zone when he was jarred by defensive back Xavier Woods. Kalif Raymond, meanwhile, hauled in a 56-yard pass to set up the Lions’ second score.
Jameson Williams was once again not a factor, as his snap count was limited. His only target was an underthrown hook route, as Goff’s throw came up short on a third down.
Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports
Tight ends: C+
Zylstra had a career day, catching three short touchdown passes from Goff. He finished with five receptions for 26 yards and the three scores, as his ability to get open in the red zone was pivotal.
Brock Wright and James Mitchell also contributed as receivers. Mitchell finished with 31 receiving yards and two receptions, while Wright had one reception for 11 yards. However, the tight ends struggled to block Burns coming off the edge in the run game.
Offensive line: D
It was difficult for the Lions to get going on the ground, and the stunts shown by the Panthers' defensive line were the cause for much of the struggle.
Taylor Decker was beaten once for a sack, while Evan Brown allowed another when he was late to pick up Burns.
Center Frank Ragnow was at the center of Detroit’s red-zone fumble, as he committed an unusual bad snap. Known as one of the best centers in the league, his mistake was puzzling.
Defensive line: F
After stringing several solid performances together consecutively against the run, the Lions’ defense took a massive step back against Carolina’s well-oiled run game.
Running back Chuba Hubbard set the tone with a 30-yard run on the game’s first play, and the Panthers scored to conclude a five-play, 83-yard drive to start the game. Carolina’s off-tackle scheme dominated the Lions, as the youth of Detroit's tackles and ends were exploited.
Rookie Aidan Hutchinson and fellow end John Cominsky were often isolated, with the Panthers’ tackles offering kick-out blocks and quarterback Sam Darnold making his reads based off them in the option game.
There was very little pressure brought by the Lions’ defensive line, as Darnold was not sacked for the entirety of the game.
Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports
Linebackers: F
Detroit’s linebackers were exploited severely, as they struggled to get run fits against the Panthers’ running backs. Alex Anzalone and Malcolm Rodriguez combined for 10 tackles, but struggled to make the big stops against the likes of D’Onta Foreman and Hubbard.
Derrick Barnes returned to action after missing two weeks, and made a key stop on a short pass in the red zone. Late in the first half, Chris Board committed an illegal hands-to-the-face penalty.
Much like the other two defensive units, tackling was an issue for the Lions’ linebackers Saturday.
Secondary: F
No unit tackled worse on Saturday than the Lions’ secondary. Jeff Okudah and Kerby Joseph missed multiple tackles, as they were in the right place but failed to make the key tackle.
Joseph committed a defensive holding penalty in the second quarter, and missed multiple tackles as Saturday turned out to be among his worst performances as a rookie. Okudah was in the spotlight, too, as the usually sure-handed tackler struggled to bring down runners in space.
Second-year safety Ifeatu Melifonwu played a big role in the absence of starter DeShon Elliott, and finished with seven tackles, including one for loss.
Special teams: B
Michael Badgley made his only field-goal attempt and both his extra points, while Jack Fox averaged just over 50 yards per punt.
Justin Jackson contributed plenty in the return game, totaling 140 yards on five returns, including a 42-yard run back in the fourth quarter.
Coaching: D-
It was clear that the Lions were not physically ready for Carolina’s punishing run game. Be it sloppy tackling or missed assignments, Detroit’s defense was out of place for much of the afternoon.
Offensively, there was no run game to speak of, as the Lions were one dimensional. Goff threw for 355 yards, but offensive coordinator Ben Johnson couldn’t generate any momentum on the ground.
Defensively, coordinator Aaron Glenn couldn’t make any successful adjustments after Carolina’s touchdown drive to start the game. It was a frustrating effort through and through for the Lions, which showed flashes of the team that started 1-6, in what was the most important game of the year.
