Not Logan Thomas: Why the Lions' Last Play Call Was a Disaster

The Lions battled with the Raiders all Sunday long.

Despite the Raiders rushing for 171 yards, the Lions were one play away from tying the football game.

Detroit was only able to muster 90 yards of rushing against Oakland.

In the second half, the I-formation rushes were simply ineffective.

Those play calls should be limited as the season moves forward.

Despite two costly turnovers in the first half, the Lions were able to drive late in the fourth quarter.

One play with eight seconds left.

In the midst of the chaos, the Raiders called a timeout, and bailed the Lions out.

Detroit did not have any timeouts remaining, and the clock was running.

This allowed the Lions to set up the play they felt would give them the best chance to score and tie the game.

Detroit offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, quarterback Matthew Stafford and head coach Matt Patricia understood what was called.

Stafford proceeded to leave the sideline, though, without two key components of the offense.

Inexplicably, both Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay were left on the sideline.

How? Why? So many questions piled in from Lions fans and have continued to circulate since the game concluded.

Remember, it was fourth-and-goal, with the game on the line.

But instead of Jones and Golladay being on the field, tight end Logan Thomas was.

Thomas, for some illogical reason, ended up being the receiver targeted by Stafford on the last play of the game.

Not Jones. Not Golladay. But Thomas, who is by no stretch a go-to target when the game is on the line.

The play resulted in an incompletion, and the Lions fell to the Raiders, 31-24.

Disastrous Play Call

Both Golladay and Jones were having productive days.

Jones had eight receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown grab. Meanwhile, Golladay had four receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown grab as well.

Not having at least one of them on the field for the fourth-and-goal was egregious.

Additionally, veteran receiver Danny Amendola was left on the sideline.

Not targeting either Golladay or Jones is one thing. However, all of them being on the sideline for the last play of the game is unacceptable.

What is frustrating to many is with the plethora of weapons on offense, why is Logan Thomas even a consideration for receiving the football in such a high-leverage situation?

Golladay, Jones, Jesse James, Amendola, Ty Johnson and J.D. McKissic were all better options in that situation.

So, what does that make Thomas: the seventh-best option?

What is most head-scratching, though, is how a play like that is even called in the first place. Once again, with the game on the line, people.

The Lions should have known that -- with a multitude of plays available to them -- choosing to throw to Thomas was destined for failure.

But that is probably giving the Lions -- with their organization's track record -- too much credit.

The end result was a similar one for Lions fans this season -- a loss in a game that went down to the wire.

A loss is a loss, any way you slice it. But it still would have been nice to lose with the best available talent on the field.

Add us as a preferred source on Google