The Detroit Lions faced an old foe at Ford Field in a must-win Week 16 NFL contest.

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers made many weekends miserable for supporters, back when he ruled the NFC North playing for the Green Bay Packers.

Now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rodgers does not have the same caliber of weapons, but has led the AFC North squad to eight victories, prior to another crucial matchup against the Lions.

“I think, look, there’s a lot of short passing, ball out type of throws,” Dan Campbell said in a pregame interview with Dan Miller. “He’s been really efficient that way. But I know this, he’s finding the open receivers, he’s progressing fast and he’s not taking any hits, I can tell you that.”

Detroit has been essentially forced into playoff mode right now, as Campbell’s squad is still on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff race.

The offense and defense did not have anywhere close to their best performances in a critical game for Detroit’s playoff hopes.

After 60 minutes of hard-fought action, the Lions could not overcome a poor run defense and a third-quarter that was dominated by the Steelers, even though there were exciting, heart-pounding moments.

Detroit was called for a late pass-interference, on the brink of a game-winning touchdown.

Here are several takeaways from the Lions’ 29-24 loss:

 

Lions veteran tight end sparks offense, but no points scored in first quarter

Detroit went three-and-out on its first offensive drive, after the Steelers won the opening coin toss and elected to defer.

Pittsburgh got on the board first on its first offensive possession. Aidan Hutchinson derailed the drive when he was able to sack Rodgers for a nine-yard loss. Kicker Chris Boswell connected on a 59-yard field goal to give the Steelers an early 3-0 lead.

On Detroit’s next offensive possession, tight end Anthony Firkser, who has had multiple stints in Motown, was targeted often. Jared Goff was able to connect with the 30-year-old on three tosses for 34 yards.

Near the goal line, Campbell again elected not to kick the field goal, opting to go for it on fourth down.

Unfortunately, Detroit was not able to convert on a fourth-and-goal play-action call, as cornerback Joey Porter Jr. broke up the pass play intended for Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Lions’ run game struggles early

Detroit, like many NFL teams, want to establish the run on a weekly basis.

Coming into the game, Campbell’s squad was 8-1 when recording at least 100 yards on the ground. Early in the game, Detroit struggled to establish the run.

On multiple occasions, Steelers’ defenders found their way into the backfield to disrupt run plays.

Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer and Alex Highsmith were able to disrupt Detroit’s rushing attack, making life difficult for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.

Detroit tied the game on their third offensive possession. Jake Bates connected on a 36-yard field-goal to cap off an eight-play, 44-yard drive.

Goff went 10-of-14 for 104 yards through the middle of the second quarter and three possessions. Jameson Williams was able to record a couple of receptions early in the second quarter.

Tempo aids Lions’ offense to get into gear

Late in the second quarter, Detroit’s offense got into rhythm by boosting the tempo. On Detroit’s fifth offensive possession, Goff found Isaac TesLaa, Gibbs and Williams to move the football down the field.

Detroit was finally able to get into the end zone just after the two-minute warning, as the veteran signal-caller connected with TeSlaa on a 20-yard touchdown reception.

The scoring drive spanned six-plays and 62 yards and took just over two mins to take a 10-3 lead.

Pittsburgh had one final possession prior to the end of the first half.

Steelers tie game on fluky play

For most of the first-half, defense dominated the day. Both teams struggled to put together consistent drives, with the score being knotted at three points with two minutes to play in the second quarter.

Aidan Hutchinson was his usual dominant self, recording two sacks in the first half. However, the touchdown drive by the Lions ignited an offensive spark late in the second quarter.

Detroit appeared to have the Steelers bottled up, but Rodgers kept the drive alive with a 13-yard completion to Adam Thielen to convert a third-and-10. Two plays later, the Steelers scored a touchdown on what was a nearly indescribable and improbable play connection between Rodgers and Kenneth Gainwell.

Rodgers appeared to underthrow Gainwell, and the running back somehow found a way to corral the pass while going to the ground. He was not touched down by contact after controlling the pass, and as a result raced into the end zone.

Thomas Harper halts Steelers’ momentum to start second half

Detroit’s defense struggled coming out of halftime, allowing the Steelers to both run and pass the football effectively.

Thielan, Metcalf and Jaylen Warrren were all instrumental in assisting the Steelers move the football.

Rodgers led the team deep into Detroit territory when safety Thomas Harper made a momentum-changing play.

Harper knocked the football loose from Washington’s possession and the football was recovered by linebacker Jack Campbell.

After Detroit challenged, the officials ruled the football was knocked loose prior to Washington hitting the turf.

Last-play TD nullified; loss to Steelers puts staggering Lions on thinnest ice for making playoffs

Steelers sack Goff for a rare safety, eat up clock in third quarter

Unfortunately for Detroit, their next drive after the fumble recovery started on their own 3-yard line.

Goff tossed the ball out of bounds, which was then followed by short toss to Gibbs. On 3rd-and-8 from their own five-yard line, the 31-year-old was sacked in his own end zone by Steelers safety Kyle Dugger.

After the safety, the Steelers took a 12-10 lead and marched down the field on the ensuing possession.

In the third-quarter, Detroit only ran three offensive plays, as the Steelers ate up the clock on a drive that lasted 17-plays and ate up nearly 10 minutes.

Detroit trailed 15-10 when they next had an opportunity on offense early in the fourth-quarter.

Photo gallery from Lions hosting the Steelers at Ford Field

Lions’ defense was a disaster in second half

After Warren extended the Steelers’ lead to 22-10 on a 45-yard touchdown scamper, Detroit was able to respond with a solid offensive drive of its own.

Goff spread the football evenly and was even able to successfully convert a critical fourth down.

Veteran Kalif Raymond was targeted often, including on a 4th-and-2 call, trailing by 12.

Raymond was targeted and scampered 27 yards after the reception to trim the Steelers’ lead to five, 22-17.

Unfortunately, Detroit’s defense, needing a stop when trailing by five, gave up another 45-yard touchdown scamper to Warren.

Gibbs found the end zone in the fourth quarter to trim the Steelers lead to 29-24, giving the defense one more opportunity to make a stop.

The Steelers missed a 37-yard field goal that would have made it 32-24.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

The Detroit Lions kicked off a three-game stretch in the next 11 days with a home matchup against the New York Giants.

Even though the Giants were dealing with their own issues, Dan Campbell’s squad was seeking to get back on track, following a tough loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, especially on offense.

“Listen, this is step number one in getting back in the win column,” Campbell said in a pregame interview with Dan Miller. “We’ve got them at home, our crowd, our place. Just take it one game at a time, and take each play one at a time. Give it your full attention, and let’s get back to playing winning football.”

While many expected the game to be a blowout, it remained competitive all throughout the four quarters of action.

The Giants had a chance to ice the game late, but a failed fourth-down try in the red zone gave the Lions an opportunity to march down the field to tie the game.

After 60 minutes, the game was tied, 27-27, when Jake Bates drilled a 59-yard field goal, sending the game to overtime.

Here are several takeaways from the Lions’ 34-27 victory, which improved their record to 7-4.

 

Giants give Lions taste of their own medicine

The Lions and their aggressive head coach have become synonymous with trick plays over the years.

After winning the opening coin toss and deferring, Kelvin Sheppard’s defensive unit took the field first. The Giants, with really nothing to lose in the Week 12 contest, were willing to try a trick play of their own.

After an explosive 23-yard reception by wideout Darius Slayton and a couple of rushing attempts, the Giants caught the Lions’ defense and successfully ran a trick play of their own at Ford Field.

Running back Devin Singleton tossed the football back to quarterback Jameis Winston, who was then able to find Wan’Dale Robinson wide open for a 39-yard touchdown reception.

The Giants quickly took an early 7-0 lead on a four-play drive that spanned 70 yards.

Again in the fourth quarter, the Giants dialed up a trick play that extended their lead to 27-17. Wideout Gunner Olszewski tossed the football to Winston for a 33-yard highlight score.

Defense allows too many explosives

Making his second start of the season, Winston looked far too comfortable at times against a Lions’ defense that has had success pressuring passers throughout the year. In addition to his touchdown to Robinson on the first drive, Winston had multiple other explosive passes throughout the first half.

Winston and Robinson connected for a 40-yard gain on the Giants’ third possession, then again for 15 yards that would turn into an even bigger gain thanks to a helmet-to-helmet hit by Brian Branch. The Lions’ safety could face a fine for this for a second straight week.

After the Lions cut New York’s lead to 10-7, Winston rolled out and hit a wide open Tyrone Tracy for a 42-yard catch and run. On the play, cornerback Amik Robertson ran with the vertical route and the flat was completely vacated, leading to Tracy having plenty of running room.

Winston would throw his second touchdown pass of the game to Isaiah Hodgins in the second quarter. He finished the first half completing 9-of-14 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns.

Safety Thomas Harper was able to intercept Winston in the fourth-quarter, but Detroit’s offense was not able to take advantage, as the Giants defense clamped down and forced a Jack Fox punt.

Lions’ offense picks up pace in second quarter

After falling behind 10-0, the Lions’ offense was able to get on the scoreboard early in the second quarter.

To start the game, Detroit’s offense punted on their first two possessions. On Detroit’s second possession, Amon-Ra St. Brown had another drop and causing supporters at Ford Field to get quite restless.

Detroit’s offensive line had some early struggles with the Giants defensive line.

Tight end Brock Wright, who is now tasked with leading the unit after Sam Laporta injured his back, kicked off the team’s third drive with a 20-yard reception.

St. Brown was also able to draw a rare defensive pass interference call on Detroit’s first scoring drive.

The former fourth-round pick capped off the seven-play, 65-yard drive with an 11-yard reception, cutting the Giants lead to 10-7.

Jahmyr Gibbs breaks free, rescues Lions in overtime win vs. Giants

After drop, Amon-Ra St. Brown gives offense needed boost

Following an uncharacteristic drop in the fist half, the talented wideout found his groove, especially in second half.

St. Brown was able to recover from the mishap to be the key playmaker on offense, along with Gibbs.

Trailing 20-17 midway through the third-quarter, St. Brown gave the offensive a boost with a 30-yard reception that took the Lions from their own 10-yard Lions to the 40-yard line.

On the brink of taking a lead or at least tying the game, Goff’s pass to St. Brown went off his hands and into the arms of safety Jevon Holland, halting the offensive momentum Detroit had gained in the third-quarter.

Goff, who was pressured all afternoon, led his team on a 13-play, 53-yard drive late in the game, leading to Bates most crucial kick of the season.

Photo gallery from the Lions’ overtime win over the Giants

Gibbs takes advantage of poor Giants rush defense

Trailing early in the fourth-quarter by 10, Detroit again struck quickly. It only took three plays for the Lions to trim the lead to 27-24.

Gibbs exploded for a 49-yard touchdown rush that gave Detroit’s offense momentum.

Campbell continues to lean on the speedy running back, as he continued to earn more carries than David Montgomery.

Jahmyr Gibbs again sparked the offense, as a 49-yard scamper was integral in a three-play drive that cut the Giants lead to 17-4. Gibbs caught a short three-yard toss to cap off the quick scoring drive late in the second-quarter.

In overtime, the former first-round pick took a Goff handoff and scampered 69-yards to give Detroit the lead in the extra period.

The former Alabama Crimson Tide running back secured 219 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 15 carries. He also added 11 receptions for 45 yards and a receiving touchdown.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

It was a cold and blustery evening at Lincoln Financial Field, when the the Detroit Lions arrived to face a Philadelphia Eagles squad that had won seven of their first nine games of the season.

Dan Campbell is quite familiar with the hostile environment, as he spent several seasons playing for the New York Giants.

“To go back to all this, in my own history I was in the NFC East for seven years. Philly, I know it well and it’s a special place to play,” Campbell said in an interview with FOX-2. “It is hostile, it’s gonna be as hostile as a place we’ve ever been to. It is an electric atmosphere, man. Our guys are going to love this. We get a champion, get to play a champ, it’s gonna be a heavyweight fight. We’ve got to be on cue, and it’s just the type of game that we love, so this is perfect.”

Both teams understood the significant ramifications of the NFC heavyweight showdown.

After 60 mins of action, the Lions’ offense was not able to overcome Vic Fangio’s stingy Eagles defense.

Next up is a home contest against the New York Giants at Ford Field.

Here are several takeaways from the Lions’ 16-9 loss to the Eagles:

 

Eagles defense forces early turnover

After Detroit won the opening coin toss, the defense was able to force a stop on the Eagles opening offensive drive.

Campbell decided to start the game on their first possession passing the football, finding Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs for early completions.

Unfortunately, the Eagles defensive line made a play early in the Week 11 contest. Jordan Davis was able to tip a Jared Goff pass that was intended for tight end Brock Wright, resulting in Cooper DeJean interception that was returned to the Lions 11-yard line.

After a sudden change of possession, Detroit’s defense held, as the Eagles were forced to settle for a Jake Elliott 27-yard field goal.

Lions offense struggles to establish rhythm in first half

It was tough sledding for Detroit’s offense throughout their first four offensive possessions.

Last week, Detroit was able to move the football quite easily. In the rougher weather conditions, the ability to extend drives early in the game proved to be quite difficult.

Unfortunately, rookie right guard Tate Ratledge left the game during the team’s third offensive possession. He was replaced by Trystan Colon for a brief period of time before returning to action.

Eagles linebacker Jaelan Phillips made his presence felt by sacking Goff in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Campbell made the decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 near midfield. The Eagles defensive line, which stuffed Jahmyr Gibbs the play prior, was able to again stuff Detroit’s rushing attack, forcing a turnover on downs.

Jameson Williams helps team, also hurts team

The Eagles capitalized on sniffingn out Detroit’s attempt at a fake punt in the second quarter.

After taking a 6-0 lead, the Lions found their top two offensive weapons on their sixth offensive drive of the first half.

Amon-Ra St. Brown was on the receiving end of a 34-yard reception. The very next play, Goff found Jameson Williams, who was then able to easily scamper for a 40-yard touchdown.

After jumping into the uprights, the speedy wideout incurred an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, forcing kicker Jake Bates to try a 48-yard extra-point. Williams celebration ended up costing his team.

In tougher conditions, Bates sent the extra point wide right, keeping the game tied at 6-6.

Super Bowl champs put clamps on Lions’ offense, Eagles prevail

Lions do not execute at championship level on fourth down

Last week, Gibbs recorded three touchdowns against Washington, becoming the sixth player in NFL history to score 40 prior to his 24th birthday.

On Detroit’s first drive of the second half, the team was not able to execute on fourth down, as a Goff pass was low and unable to be caught by Williams.

Following a defensive stop, Gibbs sparked the offense, assisting the team move down the field and into the red zone. He took a screen pass for a big gain, bursting 42 yards to the Philadelphia 24-yard line.

However, after Gibbs took three more runs inside the Eagles’ 10, the drive stalled out. On fourth down, the Eagles defensive line pressured Goff, forcing the incompletion on a toss to St. Brown.

Photo gallery from Sunday Night Football matchup between the Lions and Eagles

Eagles defensive line exposes Lions offensive line

The Eagles feature one of the top defensive line units in the league. As the game went on, and noticeably in the third quarter, the offensive line struggled to protect Goff enough to allow him enough time to make throws.

It was pointed out on the television broadcast just how much difficulty Detroit’s offensive line had with Phillips and Jordan Davis.

As a result, Goff was regularly pressured, hurried and struggled to consistently find his receivers in stride or in position to allow for yards after the catch. He had multiple passes batted at the line of scrimmage and was forced off platform routinely.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

Even though the road game against the Washington Commanders did not have the level of excitement as a playoff game, the Detroit Lions were seeking to get revenge against a team that previously eliminated them from the postseason.

Detroit was seeking to get the bad taste out of their mouth, following a disappointing performance last week at home in loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

“We’ve got to play clean football. We’ve got to clean our stuff up, take care of it,” Dan Campbell told play-by-play voice Dan Miller this week. “We’ve got to find a way to get takeaways. You can’t give them any confidence, and by the way, we just came off a loss so we’ve got to clean our stuff up and get our confidence back. The best way to do it is to go on the road and get a win.”

Early in the game, supporters watching on television quickly noticed that Campbell was acting differently on the sideline.

After 60 minutes of action, the Lions’ offense has been given a new jolt of excitement, led by an apparent change in play-calling duties.

Here are several takeaways from the Lions’ 44-22 victory against the Commanders:

 

Dan Campbell called offensive plays

Early in the game, the television broadcast noticed Campbell was donning glasses and communicating much more prior to plays being run.

While it took a while to be officially confirmed, the offense clearly looked like much more efficient, explosive and involved more players.

At halftime, it was acknowledged by the fifth-year head coach the team wanted a ‘changeup’ in how things operated, but offensive coordinator John Morton still had a role.

Throughout the first half, Detroit’s offense scored at will and was able to run the football.

In the second half, Jameson Williams was involved and found his way into the end zone. Also, the team did incorporate more plays to Kalif Raymond, the third wideout on the depth chart.

Lions offense starts fast

During the week leading up to the game, Campbell indicated he had plenty of ideas to try and get the offense into gear.

Early in the game, cameras caught Campbell with a play sheet and communicating into the headset. At the same time, it did not appear from the broadcast that offensive coordinator John Morton was making calls.

On Detroit’s offensive drive, the team got into rythym quite quickly, as they established the run and converted on third-down.

Jared Goff led the team on a 10-play, 78-yard drive that was capped off by a Jahmyr Gibbs 14-yard touchdown grab.

By the conclusion of the contest, Detroit had racked up over 500 yards of offense.

Commanders defensive lineman ejected for striking Amon-Ra St. Brown

Tensions boiled over at the worst possible time for one of the Commanders’ top defensive lineman.

In the second quarter, defensive lineman Daron Payne was ejected for striking Detroit’s top wideout, Amon-Ra St. Brown, after Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored a 13-yard touchdown.

Gibbs was assisted to the end zone by St. Brown and tight end Sam Laporta, who both gave the extra push needed to force the speedy running back into the end zone.

St. Brown was struck in the facemask as he walked past the veteran defender, prompting the immediate ejection.

The additional penalty yardage was used to assist Detroit successfully complete a two-point conversion, giving Detroit a 22-3 lead.

Dan Campbell calls plays, Lions plaster Commanders with dominant offense

Defense has solid first half, issues arise in second half

With Jayden Daniels sidelined, the Lions were tasked with slowing down Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. A big kick return set up Washington’s first scoring drive, which ended in a field goal, but the defense largely answered the bell.

Mariota was 7-of-11 for 98 yards in the first half, but the Lions were able to smother Washington’s run game aside from one drive. The Commanders averaged just 2.9 yards per in the first half. Detroit forced two punts on five first half drives, and was able to use its explosive offensive start to build a 25-10 halftime lead.

The Commanders were able to get things rolling offensively in the second half, as they were able to get into the end zone. Mariota led a nine-play, 69-yard drive that culminated in a fourth-down scoring throw to Deebo Samuel to cut the lead to two scores.

Photo gallery from Detroit Lions’ road win over Washington Commanders

Jameson Williams more involved in the offense

Prior to the season, coaches indicated the expectation was for the speedy wideout to have a breakout season.

Prior to the Commanders game, there were growing concerns the former first-round pick was being overlooked.

He was not being utilized as effectively as many would have liked, prompting supporters to call for the former Alabama Crimson Tide wideout to be used better in the offense.

This week, Williams was involved more effectively. By the start of the fourth-quarter, he was targeted six times and recorded six receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions