The Lions battled the Packers (and the officials) for NFC North supremacy in Week 6. Both teams did some things well. Both teams made some critical mistakes. But in the end, only one team had to overcome several bad calls in the 4th quarter, and we all know which team that was: your Detroit Lions.

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About last night…

Add another game to the growing list of heartwrenching, controversial losses for the Lions in the past decade. Our old buddy Stephen Tulloch was kind enough to put together a collage of some of the most memorable:

Trey Flowers was flagged for “illegal use of hands” twice in the 4th quarter, both on third down stops, leading to the ten points the Packers needed to seal the victory. The first stop would have forced Green Bay to punt. The second would have forced a 33-yard Mason Crosby field goal, which is not a gimme given his shaky history, particularly against Detroit. Even had he converted, the Lions would have received the ball with roughly 90 seconds left, needing only to reach midfield to give Matt Prater a chance to win the game. We know how that would have ended…

Green Bay possessed the ball for the final 6:46 of this game, and roughly 12 minutes total in the 4th, due in large part to the drive-extending penalties that were at best controversial, and at worst flagrantly wrong. Flowers had never been flagged for this type of penalty in his five-year career prior to the 4th quarter of this game. Apparently he fundamentally changed his technique on the fly when the game was in the balance. I hope my sarcasm translates in print. 

Not all controversial losses are created equal. Some of the most infamous occurrences, such as the Calvin Johnson “complete the process” game against the Bears in 2010, didn’t have a huge impact on the season (the Lions went 6-10 that year, missing the playoffs by 3 games). This one, however, has the potential to be season altering. The Lions are now just another fourth-place division team, alongside such juggernauts as the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. Except for the fact that they look and feel like so much more.

*This just in! League executives plan on reaching out to Martha Ford and Bob Quinn to admit the second Flowers penalty shouldn’t have been called! Wait, are we still in last-place? We are? Oh. That’s a shame.

The laughable number of times this team has been shafted deserves its own column, and that one is coming. Check back later this week. Next, I will move on to a phrase that has been grinding my gears (motor city!) for years:

“Good teams overcome bad calls” = Garbage

I hate this narrative so much. This has been a go-to phrase for “SOL”ers for years when criticizing this franchise. Where do I begin?

It’s easy to see why this line is used so much surrounding this team. The number of times this team has been betrayed by the league and its officials is staggering. But why is it always Detroit’s job to overcome all odds?

Tell em’ Phil…

“Good teams overcome bad calls” removes accountability from the officials on the field who consistently get these calls wrong in the biggest moments. It also lets the league off the hook, who can’t seem to strike the right balance of logic and technical clarity for their rulebook. Do you know who else is let off the hook with this nonsense “overcome bad calls” criticism? Detroit’s opponents who need unfathomably bad calls to go their way just to beat the lowly Lions in the first place.

Shouldn’t there inherently be a flip side to this coin for the Lions? The one that says “sometimes teams are gifted wins because of bad calls”? Where have all those been over the years? The Lions should have a few hundred unearned wins in their back pocket if game-altering bad calls just happen randomly. Imagine how different the narrative behind this franchise would be if just half (a reasonable notion) of the brutal calls they have endured went the opposite way. They’d still be a franchise looking for their first Super Bowl, but might they have that ever-elusive playoff win (what say you, Cowboys)?

They would have a couple more playoff appearances at the very least. And how might those calls have affected their opponents‘ seasons? We always over-analyze the Detroit side of things, but we will never know the trickle-down effect. Hey, if it’s truly circumstantial, then surely the next horrible call (or eight) is going our way, right? RIGHT?!?

“Can’t settle for field goals” = Garbage

Another line I can’t stand that comes when you fail to put away an opponent. Sure, just stroll into Lambeau Field and score touchdowns every time you cross midfield. Coming right up! It’s not like the Lions were going up against a first-place team with a legendary quarterback that led the NFL in turnover margin (+7) or anything. 

The Lions are not the Kansas City Chiefs. Sometimes you have to settle for field goals. The last time I checked those are worth three points. Obviously, they would have loved to convert more of their opportunities into TDs, but it doesn’t always work like that, for any team. Would people be complaining if the Lions had three touchdowns, rather than one with five field goals like they had on Sunday? Yes, because there is no winning, literally or figuratively.

Points have the same value, regardless of how they are accumulated. Their “settling” still produced a multiple score 4th quarter advantage that should have been enough to win. There are many good teams, including the Bears, Saints, Bills, and even these very Packers, who average fewer points per game than the Lions. Trust me, those teams would love some more field goals. The Packers sure could’ve used some “settling” in Week 5 last year…

And finally, some analysis

I’ve spent enough time complaining, now for some quick-hitting analysis to finish up the Week 6 takeaways.

Lions finish +3 in turnover margin

This result really threw a wrench in my “turnover margin is the most important statistic” campaign (I know I’m not reinventing the wheel here), as the Lions finished plus-three, yet still wound up on the losing end of this game. That’s not gonna happen very often, and shouldn’t have here.

Defensive line disappoints

In what has to be the biggest disappointment of this game, as well as the season, Detroit’s defensive line continues to make little impact. For what was touted in the preseason as one of the top units in the NFL, this bunch just doesn’t make a consistent impact.

“Snacks” Harrison had the only sack of the day, but this was mostly cleaning up on penetration from Jahlani Tavai. If you’ve read my work this season, you’ll know I’ve had my microscope on Harrison for weeks now, who can barely stay on the field for more than one play at a time, much less contribute anything meaningful. This guy is just a ghost out there, you barely notice him. The Lions became a top-10 run stopping unit after acquiring Harrison last season. After allowing 170 rushing yards to the Packers, who only ran the ball on 42% of their plays, the Lions now allow the 6th most rushing yards per game in the NFL.

I offered up this opinion on Twitter before kickoff…

Harrison’s snap count in this one: 40%. He was regularly in the 60s, reaching as high as 71% last season. Extremely disappointing.

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Stafford still dealing

Just another day at the office for Matthew Stafford in 2019, who averaged 8.3 yards per attempt in this game, improving his career-best pace. He came out of the gate guns blazing, racking up 168 yards in the first quarter, including an opening play 66-yard flea-flicker. He did not have a touchdown, although one was dropped by TJ Hockenson (who hasn’t been making the tough catches lately). 

I actually kind of feel bad for Aaron Rodgers

Man, do his “weapons” drop everything. Aaron Rodgers is a polarizing guy, but there is no denying his greatness, and he could have had a monster day if anyone on his team knew how to catch the ball. He has no poker face either. You know he hates each and every player who drops one of his passes.

That being said, Darius Slay and Justin Coleman were great for the Lions in this game. You might have thought Slay didn’t play in this one, that was how infrequently Rodgers targeted his matchup. Coleman, meanwhile, jumps off the screen with his pass breakups and big play ability. The lack of pass rush made what these two did all the more impressive. 

House money is all used up

A few weeks ago, before the Kansas City game, I said the Lions were playing with house money, based on the improbable 2-0-1 start they got off to. Well, following two very competitive and tough losses, the piggy bank is empty.

As I’ve written ad nauseum, the Lions’ schedule is front-loaded. They have one more difficult game next week (MIN) and an opportunity to come out of the early storm with a winning record. Make no mistake, this was a massive blow to the Lions’ hopes to win the NFC North, but there is still ample opportunity to make this a wild card type season. At the end of the day, the Lions’ record actually reflects their performance pretty accurately. 

The real crime is that Barry is sick now.

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