This was certainly not the start that we were hoping for.
It was never a foregone conclusion that the Detroit Lions would waltz into Lambeau Field and trounce the Green Bay Packers, but it was at least expected to be a competitive bout. Instead, the Lions were given a rude awakening and a stern reminder that the 2024 season is in the rearview mirror—2025 is a whole new ball game, one that the Lions blundered in their season debut.
Looking solely at the score, it does not give the appearance of a one-sided affair, but the 27-13 loss for the Lions was a devastating one. The once-proud offense of the Lions looked lost under new offensive coordinator John Morton. The defense, also headed by a new coordinator in Kelvin Sheppard, was equally lackluster against Green Bay. For all of the pride that Detroit had coming into this game, none of it translated to the field. The dominant run game was silenced. The aerial attack was grounded. The revamped defense could do little to stop the pass. As a whole, it was a Week 1 to forget.
The Lions need to regroup quickly, with the Chicago Bears on deck next week. Their identity under head coach and former Lions coordinator Ben Johnson is still a mystery as of this writing, but a good showing on Monday Night Football could instill some concern in the Lions community. As of now, the Lions are currently favored at home, but they will need to demonstrate that this loss was a matter of rust, not regression. No early-season games are considered must-wins, but the Lions would rather avoid facing the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 with a 0-3 start on the line.
If the team wants to get back on track against Chicago, what is the Lions’ greatest concern that needs addressing?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lions position group worries you the most?
My answer: The offensive line.
The Packers outright dominated the Lions in the trenches on Sunday. On defense, the pass rush was invisible, and it resulted in plenty of time for Jordan Love to carve up the secondary. On offense, the blocking was failing to hold up in pass protection and failing to pave the way in the run game. These pillars of the Lions’ grit mentality were completely absent.
I am significantly concerned about the pass rush, but the Lions have also shown the ability to overcome it with good blitzing, good run defense, and an offense that can win a proverbial boat race. It is the latter part of that sentence that makes me more concerned than the lack of pass rush. If the offense cannot return to its high-scoring ways, this will be a short season.
The key to a successful Lions offense is the offensive line, plain and simple. In 2024, the offense ground down defenses with their mixed attack of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. On Sunday, the duo combined for 20 carries for 44 yards. In 2024, the offense had a threatening pass attack capable of blowing the top off most defenses. On Sunday, Jared Goff completed 31-of-39 passes for just 225 yards—in fact, he only completed two passes beyond 15 yards in the air:
What makes the run game successful? Good blocking up front to facilitate running room. What makes the passing game successful? Good blocking up front to facilitate passing opportunities. Like a bad physicist, the Lions’ offensive line could muster neither space nor time against the Packers.
The Lions took a significant risk this offseason by rolling with an unproven interior. Christian Mahogany impressed in a brief two-game stint in 2024, but he looked overwhelmed on Sunday. Graham Glasgow had taken a step back in 2024, and a transition to center did not alleviate those concerns on Sunday. Tate Ratledge was slotted into the lineup as a second-round rookie, but the growing pains and miscommunications were abundant on Sunday. Just one game into the season, and the Lions certainly miss Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler.
Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker were similarly subpar. Sewell, in particular, was poor, putting together one of the worst performances of his career. Even on downs when Micah Parsons was off the field, Sewell was on skates against the Packers’ front seven. Normally, the crown jewel of the Lions’ offense, the offensive line was downright awful.
The Lions will not repeat as NFC North champions if the offensive line is not up to snuff. As a whole, I am more optimistic about the offensive line rebounding than the pass rush—the offensive line will have opportunities to gel as a cohesive unit—but I need to see it on the field before I change my tune. The Lions can survive with a bad pass rush. I do not believe they can survive with a bad offensive line.
Your turn.
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