The Detroit Lions suffered a crushing primetime defeat in Week 2. Detroit could not hang around with Buffalo, losing 41-31 in a game that felt over after the first quarter. The Bills jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the opening frame and never fell behind after that. The Lions do deserve some credit for outscoring the Bills 21-14 in the second half. But the damage was already done after surrendering 27 points in the first half.
Most NFL fans were expecting a shootout and that is exactly what they got. But instead of a heavyweight clash between two of the league's best teams, it felt more like Detroit attempting to keep up with Buffalo.
The Bills now look like the NFL's best team after huge wins against the Texans and Lions. However, it is less clear what to make of Detroit after just two weeks. Especially since the Lions have multiple issues on both sides of the football.
So what exactly went wrong for Detroit last night?
Here are the Lions most to blame for their devastating loss against the Bills on Thursday Night Football.
The offensive line is becoming a problem for the Lions
Everyone knows that the offensive line is supposed to be a strength for the Lions under Dan Campbell. But a series of injuries has that unit looking not so good early in the season.
It all started when center Cade Mays suffered a wrist injury during training camp. That injury should sideline him for roughly the first half of the regular season. Unfortunately, he is far from the only Lions offensive lineman who is injured right now.
Detroit lost left guard Christian Mahogany to a hip injury in Week 1. He did not finish that game and did not participate in Week 2. Mahogany was replaced by veteran Ben Bartch.
On top of that, first-round pick Blake Miller did not play against the Bills because of a knee injury. That forced Larry Borum into a starting role in Week 2 where he made several mistakes, including multiple penalties and missed assignments.
Penei Sewell and Tate Ratledge are still rocks on the offensive line. But they can only do so much with patchwork solutions at the other three spots on the line. Still, the Lions need to either get healthy or find some solutions as soon as possible.
Jared Goff was able to sling it behind this o-line, racking up 327 passing yards and four touchdowns. But the run game suffered, with Jahmyr Gibbs only managing 52 rushing yards on 16 attempts. That is a particularly big problem with the Lions attempting to feature Gibbs on almost every single drive.
Hopefully Miller and Mahogany get healthy very soon.
Why isn't Jameson Williams more involved on offense?
Jared Goff claimed to have Jamo's back after his disappointing season debut. But that did not lead to a bounce-back game for Williams in Week 2.
Williams has just six receptions for 78 receiving yards after Detroit's first two games of the season. The Lions made an effort to establish Jamo in Week 1, giving him a total of nine targets. But the speedy receiver had a few drops and could shoulder most of the blame himself. However, that was not the case on Thursday night.
Goff only targeted Williams four times on Thursday Night Football, connecting twice for 33 receiving yards. He was essentially erased from the game plan.
If this continues, it threatens to become a huge issue for Detroit's offense. The Lions thrive on explosive plays, and they don't just come from Gibbs. Jamo is one of Detroit's most electric playmakers when he is having a good day. It is worth getting him on a hot streak, even it involves heating him up first.
Remember, Jamo's blazing speed also holds defenses accountable. That respect simply has not been there yet from opposing defenses, likely because Detroit isn't threatening them with deep shots to Jamo.
The solution is not as simple as âÂÂthrow the ball to Williams.â Detroit needs to dig through the tape and find any big Jamo plays they are comfortable running behind their banged up offensive line.
Simply put, the Lions need to make Jamo a bigger priority in Week 3 against the Jets.
Detroit's entire defense deserves blame for failing to stop Josh Allen
The defense could merit multiple sections all by itself, For simplicity's sake, they are all rolled into one section here.
The story coming out of this game was that Detroit's defense simply could not stop Josh Allen. That was the expectation coming into the game, but it was still surprising for Allen to look literally unstoppable.
Buffalo scored touchdowns on their first four possessions of the game. Even when Detroit slowed the bleeding, they could only manage to force one punt the rest of the night.
The secondary is the biggest issue as the Lions just don't have enough talent in the back end. D.J. Reed is a talented cornerback, but he has practically no support with Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph still injured. To make matters worse, Avonte Maddox left Week 2 with an injury and did not return. That puts Detroit's thin defense under even more pressure.
Adding a lockdown player like Joey Porter Jr. could help. But it is hard to tell if even a blockbuster addition like that would move the needle.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard needs to figure out a new game plan quickly. Otherwise every opponent will abuse Detroit's secondary throughout the entire season.