The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have been recognized as the top two teams in the NFC North over the past few seasons. Because of that, many expected Sunday’s division clash at Lambeau Field to resemble a 12-round heavyweight fight that went down to the wire.
Instead, it turned into an overwhelming barrage, with the Packers manhandling the Lions on both sides of the ball for 60 minutes. The 27-13 final score, while decisive, doesn’t fully capture how unprepared and uninspired the Lions looked in their season opener. Losing is one thing, but aside from a late highlight play with seconds left on the clock, there wasn’t much positive for Detroit to hang its hat on.
Now 0-1 in the division, the Lions have plenty to address in the film room this week as they head into what already feels like an early must-win game, hosting the Chicago Bears in Week 2. Falling to 0-2 in the division would be a major blow to their hopes of a third straight NFC North crown.
**Quarterback:** Setting the one interception aside -- which might be hard for some to overlook -- Jared Goff didn’t play a bad game, but it wasn’t a good one either. He was efficient in the first half, going 13-of-16, and finished 31-of-39 for 225 yards with a garbage-time touchdown pass that gave the Lions their only trip to the end zone. The biggest issue was how passive he looked. With a wide receiver trio featuring Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Isaac TeSlaa, along with tight end Sam LaPorta, there’s no way the backfield should’ve combined for 14 receptions, including 10 by Jahmyr Gibbs. The checkdowns were excessive, and his longest completion — a 32-yarder to LaPorta — was more about yards after the catch than any special throw. He averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt. Not great. **Grade: C+**
**Running backs:** Regardless of whether someone predicted a win or loss in Week 1, if they were told Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery would combine for 20 carries, 44 yards and no touchdowns -- averaging 2.2 yards per carry -- they’d probably think you were crazy. Yet that’s exactly what happened. The duo nicknamed “Sonic and Knuckles” resembled more of Eggman’s “Scratch and Grounder” as the run game looked completely out of sorts, which was a surprise given they didn’t have to concern themselves with Kenny Clark.
Gibbs, last year’s NFL touchdown king and a top-five rusher, had nine carries for 19 yards, with 14 coming on one run. He contributed in the passing game with 10 catches for 31 yards, but none were impactful. Montgomery had 11 carries for 25 yards and offered little. The Lions’ backs were hit 16 times behind the line of scrimmage on 22 attempts -- the highest rate so far under Dan Campbell’s tenure. **Grade: D**
**Receivers:** It was a strange day for the receivers. Despite having St. Brown and Williams, it was TeSlaa who hauled in Detroit’s lone touchdown -- a highlight-reel catch that could get lost in the shuffle of a poor overall showing. He only played three snaps. St. Brown caught four of six targets for 45 yards, while Williams caught four of five for 23 yards. The group’s quiet day wasn’t entirely their fault; with a new coordinator and Goff struggling with pocket timing, they did what they could. **Grade: C+**
**Tight ends:** Sam LaPorta may have been Detroit’s best-looking player. He caught six of nine targets for 79 yards, including a 32-yard gain. He stood out by consistently finding ways to get open, something the receivers struggled to do. **Grade: B**
**Offensive line:** For a unit considered one of Detroit’s biggest strengths, the offensive line -- especially the interior -- had a poor showing, which was uncharacteristic. Yes, replacing center Frank Ragnow, one of the best of his era, isn’t easy, nor is filling Kevin Zeitler’s spot after he bolted to Tennessee. But everyone knows games are won in the trenches, and Detroit looked outmatched.
Pass protection broke down, as Goff took nine quarterback hits and four sacks. Rookie Tate Ratledge, Christian Mahogany and Taylor Decker were responsible for three of them. Even Penei Sewell had a rough outing, allowing new Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons to record three pressures. The run blocking wasn’t much better, evident in the lack of production from Gibbs and Montgomery. **Grade: F**
**Defensive line:** Of all Dan Campbell quotes, “We’re good” about not bringing back Za’Darius Smith might come back to haunt them -- especially if Smith produces in Philadelphia. The Lions’ pass rush, or lack thereof, was glaring. Jordan Love enjoyed a clean pocket all afternoon and wasn’t sacked once. Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport both returned, but neither made much impact. The saving grace was against the run, as Detroit largely contained Josh Jacobs. **Grade: D**
**Linebackers:** Derrick Barnes’ first game action in over a year showed flashes, including a strong stop on Jacobs to force a punt. Alex Anzalone dropped what may have been the easiest interception he’ll see all season, a play that could’ve changed momentum. Jack Campbell led the team with nine tackles but was beaten badly for the first touchdown of the game. **Grade: C**
**Secondary:** The absence of a pass rush left the secondary exposed, but they had their own self-inflicted issues. Brian Branch removing Tucker Kraft’s helmet and tossing it aside was an ill-advised move, compounded by allowing a touchdown soon after. Kerby Joseph often played too deep, leaving the middle open for Love. Arnold, who injured his groin on the second drive, was repeatedly beaten in coverage until exiting. **Grade: D**
**Special teams:** Kicker Jake Bates kept the game from being a blowout, hitting from 27 and 30 yards. But penalties on Craig Reynolds, Zach Cunningham and TeSlaa stood out as uncharacteristic for Dave Fipp’s usually disciplined unit. This feels like a one-off issue. **Grade: B**
**Coaching:** It’s far too early to panic, but new coordinators John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard looked unprepared for their first big test. An offense known for creativity and explosiveness looked vanilla, out of sync and failed to maximize its weapons, despite holding the ball nearly 11 minutes longer than the Packers. Defensively, their schemes did little to unsettle Love, who picked them apart early. There’s a lot to clean up before next week’s pivotal division matchup with the Bears. **Grade: F**
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