Being a Detroit Lions fans is not for the faint of heart. Case in point, this team had every fan on a high after they upended Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs last week. So, naturally, they came out in Week 2, blew an early lead to the Seattle Seahawks, fought back to force overtime, and promptly couldn't stop Geno Smith to lead to a 37-31 loss.
In the grand scheme of things, this isn't too detrimental to the Lions. The Packers lost, so they are still tied for the best record in the NFC North after two weeks. They've also played two playoff teams from last year, beating the reigning Super Bowl champs and then forcing OT against Seattle.
That logic, however, doesn't erase the heartbreak of Sunday's loss. And when that happens, you have to start pointing some fingers. These three Lions in particular deserve the, well, lion's share of the blame for the Week 2 loss to the Seattle.
Detroit Lions to blame for OT loss, No. 3: Aidan Hutchinson
It seemed like everything was shaping up for this to be a massive game for the Lions defense. The Seahawks were without Charles Cross and McClendon Curtis at tackle for this game, which set up big for Aidan Hutchinson and the Detroit pass rush to make life difficult for Geno Smith. In fact, the Rams gave the blueprint for that in the second half of Seattle's Week 1 loss.
Instead, Hutchinson and the Lions pass rush were largely ineffective and held at bay. There was no presence of any meaningful substance in the Seahawks backfield and it was costly. All told, Detroit managed just one sack, one tackle for loss and one QB hit in the game.
Hutchinson is the obvious target to blame. Last year's first-round pick should've taken better advantage of a great matchup and put pressure on Smith, who largely picked the Detroit secondary apart. But in totality, it's Hutchinson and the entirety of the defensive front that deserves the blame for this.
It should be noted that Hutchinson could've made a huge play in overtime but the refs missed an obvious hold. That might've changed the narrative in itself. But through four quarters of play and overtime, the Lions front seven didn't do much to inspire confidence as they were unable to create pressure despite being matched up with backups on the edge.
Detroit Lions to blame for OT loss, No. 2: Jahmyr Gibbs
Whenever Dan Campbell and the Detroit coaching staff talked about rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs this offseason, they used phrases like "offensive weapon". Through two games, we're starting to see more of what they mean.
On Sunday, the Alabama product was a major factor in the passing attack. Gibbs led the Lions in both targets (9) and receptions (7), ending the day with 39 receiving yards and as an effective option out of the backfield. However, I'm putting some blame on him for his lack of effectiveness in the run game.
Gibbs was all but shut down entirely when asked to be the guy in the rushing attack. He carried the ball seven times against the Seahawks and managed a measly 17 yards for the day, good for only 2.4 yards per carry.
When at full strength, that wouldn't be great but would still be passable with David Montgomery on the field to shoulder the load a bit more. Unfortunately, the veteran newcomer from free agency this offseason was sidelined due to an injury suffered in this contest. That put the pressure on Gibbs to deliver as a runner and he simply didn't.
There are going to be growing pains for a rookie. This may well be one of them. But especially if Montgomery is forced to miss any further time, the Lions need him to be a more efficient and effective runner for him to have the needed impact on this offense.
Detroit Lions to blame for OT loss, No. 1: Jared Goff
Just looking at the box score, it was far from an awful Sunday at the office for Jared Goff. The Lions signal-caller completed 28-of-35 passes for 323 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. That interception, however, came at the worst possible moment.
After the Lions had already squandered their halftime lead with Seattle leading 24-21, Detroit needed a good drive and an answer. Instead, Goff made by far his worst throw of the day, missing Gibbs well behind the rookie, and putting it right into the arms of Tre Brown. The Seahawks DB then took it to the house to increase the Detroit deficit to 10 points at the time.
Credit to Goff and the Lions offense for fighting back from that moment to eventually force overtime. At the same time, though, they could've avoided that situation -- and the eventual OT heartbreak -- if Goff hadn't made the awful throw that got picked off.
Whenever people, largely from outside of the Lions fanbase, talk about the need to replace Goff, this is the type of thing that comes to mind. He's obviously proven that he can be an effective passer in Ben Johnson's offense. At the same time, though, the mistakes and limitations always appear evident, especially in crucial moments.
Detroit is still going to win a lot of games this season with Goff at quarterback. However, his biggest blunder of the day ultimately set up the Lions to be doomed and drop to 1-1 on the season.
