DETROIT -- Despite an extra week to prepare for a familiar opponent and identify issues over the bye, the Detroit Lions and their loaded offense looked lost against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
The third-down issues remain. The running game lacked consistency and anything resembling explosive plays. The passing attack was wrecked by predictability and Minnesota’s unrelenting pressure.
It was all bad in the team’s 27-24 loss to the Vikings, coming off the bye back at Ford Field.
MLive’s Dungeon of Doom podcast broke it all down after the game from the press box. Hosts Kory Woods and Ben Raven discussed the offensive struggles, where the offensive line goes from here, and the nightmare day on special teams.
Woods isn’t calling for any drastic changes, but he feels coach Dan Campbell needs to put his foot on the accelerator to display some urgency on offense.
“John Morton has the keys to a Ferrari right now, and right now, it’s looking like a PT Cruiser,” Kory Woods said on the latest Dungeon of Doom podcast.
“This looked worse coming out of the bye week than it did going into the bye.”
The Lions went three-and-out on three straight possessions for the first time since 2023. After those three consecutive three-and-outs, their next drive ended when David Montgomery lost a fumble deep in their own territory.
Jared Goff has been sacked 18 times in eight games, including five times against the Vikings. The veteran Lions quarterback is on track to set his new high mark for most sacks taken in a single season. Detroit’s run game is at its worst levels since Dan Campbell took over, and now the offensive line has even more injuries and holes to manage moving forward.
And after focusing on their third-down struggles during the bye week, the Lions converted only five times on 17 third-down attempts. They put themselves in a brutal spot, with the average third-down-and-distance coming at 7.5 yards on Sunday.
“This team is too good not to add pieces,” Raven said. “Brad (Holmes) has made a deal at the deadline three years in a row. I think he needs to be very busy this week.”
See below to listen to the latest postgame podcast episode from the Dungeon of Doom:
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