Week 12, 2018 Detroit Lions versus the Chicago Bears @ Home on Thanksgiving Day

Turkey Day.

The 4-7 Detroit Lions lose this one against the 8-3 Chicago Bears with a score of 16-23. The Lions would have to win all their remaining games this year in order to have the same record as what Caldwell achieved for the final two years of his tenure. It's fairly safe to assume the Lions will have taken a step backwards in Patricia's first year as head coach. Even if you prefer to watch the games rather then read stats, it's quite evident the team is not playing as well as they had in the recent past. The offense is (or was) nearly the same as the 2017 offense, even including the same coordinator, yet after 12 weeks there are still guys running the wrong routes and dropping passes. Guys who left were replaced by guys of lesser quality, or at least, so far, unable to produce as well as their predecessors. For example, the TE Roberts in the final minutes of the game today, ran towards the front pylon while Stafford through to the back pylon, which produced an interception, as the Lions were about to tie the game. This was the 2nd wrong route that got intercepted on turkey day, and the third such interception in the past couple of games.

Matthew Stafford was 28 of 38 (73.68%) for 236 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Blount ran 19 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns. There were another 23 yards rushing by 3 other players on offense. Stafford threw to 10 different receivers during the course of the game. Two or three correct routes being run and the outcome of this game is much different.

Meanwhile, the Bears backup QB Chase Daniel was able to complete 27 of 37 passes (72.97) for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Four different rushers ran for a grand total of 38 yards. How does a defense allow a guy who hasn't thrown in an NFL game for 4 years to complete nearly 73% of his passes, allow two touchdowns, yet completely stop the run game? By not being good enough, that's how.

Lions defense sacked Daniel twice as much as Stafford was sacked. Lions nearly tripled the Bears total rushing yardage. The passing yardage was nearly the identical. Lions had a couple more penalties, but it could be said that there was pass interference not called on that second interception when Roberts was nearly blocked to a stop on his way to the wrong spot. Yet and still, I'm going to blame the officiating for the loss. I'm not going to even blame the Stafford or the defense for the loss. I'm going to continue to blame the coaching until such time as the team is able to execute basic plays. I'm assuming, of course, that that will actually eventually happen... even though so far I've not seen anything to actually convince me of that, other then the games the Lions won (all four of them). Those four games the team actually looked like it could execute basic plays, for most of the time at least.

I do get criticized for not blaming Stafford for his actions though, but that isn't what I mean to convey (that he is not to blame for anything). He does do things wrong, executes plays wrong, some games maybe 6 plays, some games maybe as many as 10. But guess what, most games, most QBs do that many wrong things. Some way more then that even. It's not that Stafford doesn't err, it's that he doesn't err more so then other top QBs in the league. So replacing him simply replaces one set of errors with another set of errors, and the team will still end up with similar results. Why? Because the team is not executing plays correctly, even the basic ones at times. Perhaps I shouldn't blame the coaching for not having the team ready, perhaps it's the nature of the beast that it takes more time then 11 months for a new coaching staff to get all the players on the same page (when the book is relatively new, meaning full of new pages). Perhaps I need to give them more time then to Turkey Day of their first year... but even if that is true, I'm not going to blame someone or something else instead. Not when it's apparent to me at least that the coaching and the players are not yet quite able to execute all the things they are being asked to do.

So once again we Lions fans are sitting at the bottom of the division, looking now towards a draft pick perhaps in the single digits, perhaps shortly after the 10th pick, and once again all the blame tends to end up in the wrong spot. Only thing different this year is that a first year head coach isn't usually fired, a GM who is drafting fairly well isn't usually replaced either, and Stafford's contract is such his cap hit would be too disastrous to cut or even trade in 2019, so he'll be the Lions QB next year along with the coaching staff and front office... aside from the usual exits and entrances of an individual or two or three. It's entirely possible a second year of these coaches coaching, some more influx of talent in the draft, and maybe a lucky free agent pickup or two, and the team will THEN be ready to execute the plays they need to complete. But that leads to another common Lions fan saying... "just wait until next year". And once again we get to start saying it on or in my case, just before, turkey day.

Next Sunday the Lions have off (obviously) so it's December 2nd before they play again. At home. But it's against the 9-1 LA Rams. After that, 3 of the final 4 games are away. Where the Lions will be drafting is about the only thing that isn't decided yet this year. With that, all I have left to say, hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving (or as much of a good one as you could).