Once again, the Detroit Lions played hard and got the national spotlight of Thanksgiving, but once again, a loss enters their record and adds to their misery.
Thanksgiving Day in the NFL sticks out in many people’s minds, specifically the Detroit Lions, as it’s the one day when they know they are on national TV.
Unfortunately, though it is a tradition that the Motor City has its gridiron troops be portrayed for everyone to see, the experience is less than desirable. 2021 proved to be no exception. After leading by one in the fourth quarter, Detroit collapsed against the Chicago Bears in a 16-14 losing effort, highlighted by Cairo Santos delivering a 28-yd kick as time expired.
This loss now leaves Detroit at 0-10-1, with the lone tie coming against the Steelers. Given the rest of their schedule, the possibility of not winning a game this year grows more and more probable. Chicago improves to 4-7 on the year with their victory.
Moreover, it has become abundantly clear that the offensive line is a mess, and Jared Goff is not the solution for the ever-revolving door of the position that is the Detroit Lions quarterback. 21/25 for 171 yards and two touchdowns looks nice on the sheet, but it was clear that an aging and vastly underperforming Bears defense was still stingy enough to hold firm.
The running game, headed by Jamaal Williams’ 65 yards, didn’t necessarily make the best impression. The flip side is that defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s troops had their moments to shine, and while they had moments, they also fell flat on their face.
Andy Dalton carved up the Lions with 317 yards passing and a touchdown. Darnell Mooney had five catches for 123 yards. Sure, Amani Oruwariye had the great endzone interception off Dalton, but what difference does it make when several passes that could have been turnovers for Detroit fall flat on the turf like turkey and mashed potatoes on a thanksgiving plate?
The Detroit Lions have so many holes to fix, but nothing seems to go right, and it’s just sad at this point.
It’s not just about Detroit; however, it’s Chicago and their ineptitude as well. The way they played against Detroit was enough to have a losing effort. The Lions looked like they could win this game and have something to celebrate, but once again, they came up short. As mentioned before, it does not get any easier for this team.
Two division games, at home against Minnesota and the season finale against Green Bay, still remain. Additionally, both Arizona and Denver are looking better, and though Seattle is struggling, they still provide a challenge. Lastly are the Atlanta Falcons. They aren’t exactly the cream of the crop, but Matt Ryan is a proven quarterback in this league.
Seriously though, what will it take for the Lions to get out of the mess that they almost always find themselves in? If they do happen to finish 0-16-1, it may be just as bad as 0-17, and it would be the first time in NFL History, a franchise has three winless seasons (1941 with 0-11 and 2008 with 0-16). It’s not even funny anymore; it’s depressing.