DETROIT -- Everything seemed to go wrong for the Detroit Lions.
Outside of the first and last drives of the day, the offense did little to instill confidence. They struggled to run the ball, convert on third down and couldn’t seem to give Jared Goff a clean pocket.
But what might have sealed their fate in the 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings might have been the dreadful day on special teams. After opening with a score on their first offensive possession, the kickoff coverage unit got slashed for a 61-yard return by Vikings receiver Myles Price.
Luckily for the Lions (or not) on that one, kicker Jake Bates notched his third tackle of the season to keep Price from going all the way. Thanks to the prime field position, the Vikings were able to answer and tie the game after only five plays.
The woes on special teams didn’t stop there. Heck, if it weren’t for a late flag for a holding penalty, Price was inches away from having a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown in the second half.
Price finished with 164 yards on five kickoff returns, doing his best to shorten the field for the offense all day long. Lions coach Dan Campbell said those types of returns and plays gave them all the momentum they needed to take over.
“We got hemmed up on a couple; they doubled us on the perimeter a couple of times,” Campbell said. “We had some of the other guys we need if that happens to show up — they didn’t show up. They got cut out of their gap. Look, it’s a volatile play. We’ve said that all before. We’ve handled it pretty well, and it caught us today, it did. It still -- you don’t want any of these to happen. It’s like a slap in the face. That happens, and you don’t want them to happen, but hey, here it is. So, now you’re forced to stand there and stare at it -- how are we going to fix this?”
The final back-breaking play happened on special teams, too. Bates was lining up for a 45-yard field goal, with the Lions trailing 24-17, midway through the fourth quarter. And it wasn’t just the blocked kick, because, go figure, there was a huge return.
Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers scooped the ball and returned it 41 yards to put Minnesota’s offense at Detroit’s 26-yard line. The Vikings ate some clock and added a short field goal to extend their lead to a game-sealing 10 points.
“We made every critical error you needed to at the right time to lose it,” Campbell said. “Perfect storm. When you don’t play well in all three phases, that falls on the head coach. That’s me. I did not have them ready coming out of a bye. We weren’t -- we made too many critical errors, man.”
Campbell said the same about the blocked field goal, saying they were left to stare at it and wonder how to get everything cleaned up. The protection didn’t hold its ground, with long snapper Hogan Hatten getting pushed back. Campbell added that Bates’ low kick didn’t help matters in that situation.
Earlier this season, special teams coordinator Dave Fipp was asked about the uptick around the league in blocked field goals. Fipp said, historically, that’s something that tends to happen early in the season. It’s something that has been preached, but it came back to hurt the Lions against the Vikings.
“No different from the field goal getting blocked,” Campbell said. “You stand there, you preach it, you talk it, and it freaking happens to us. You get hit square in the face. It’s about cleaning it up, it’s about correcting errors, and we move on.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our [User Agreement](https://www.advancelocal.com/advancelocalUserAgreement/user-agreement.html) and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our [Privacy Policy.](https://www.advancelocal.com/advancelocalUserAgreement/privacy-policy.html)