Lions in trouble if they don't get healthy and fix weaknesses that Josh Allen exposed
For months now, the Detroit Lions have overcome a rash of injuries using smoke and mirrors, not to mention some defensive replacements straight off the streets.
But Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen shattered those mirrors on Sunday, exposing all the Lions' defensive weaknesses, leaving them shambles.
Just when the Lions got some players back, just when you thought this team was getting healthier, three more defensive players got hurt, as the Bills rolled to a 48-42 victory at Ford Field.
So what does this all mean?
It’s pretty obvious.
Right now, on this day, the Buffalo Bills have a better team.
The key to that sentence? Right now.
If both these teams get to the Super Bowl — and I still think that could happen — the Lions could have linebacker Alex Anzalone and edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson back from injury, not to mention several players who got hurt on Sunday.
Yes, the Bills could have several players back, too. But let's just focus on the Lions' defense. Because that was the story of this game.
While the Lions never quit and the offense put up 42 points, which is incredible, really, not to mention admirable, but their defense crumbled and couldn’t do anything to stop Allen. Just let that sink in. The Lions put up 42 points ... and lost.
Ugh.
Listen, this was not exactly surprising. The Bills have a fantastic team with an incredible QB, who is playing at an MVP level. And it’s even harder to play against an elite QB, who is dangerous with both his arm and legs, when you lose both cornerbacks and a stud defensive lineman.
The Lions had a difficult time keeping Allen in the pocket and he made them pay, using his legs to buy time and finding open receivers.
Yes, having Hutchinson back would probably help, to say the least.
When Allen wasn’t using his legs to buy time to throw, he was using them as a threat, squirting into the end zone for a couple of first-half touchdowns, or plowing straight ahead to stay ahead of the sticks.
“Yeah, look, he’s doing what he does,” Lions coach Dan Campbell told CBS at halftime, after Allen put on a first-half clinic (254 yards passing and two TD runs).
Ugh, more injuries for Lions
A word here about the injuries.
The Lions got several players back from injury this week — offensive tackle Taylor Decker and defensive linemen DJ Reader, Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal and Alim McNeill.
But then, players started dropping.
As the Bills were scoring touchdowns, the Lions were calling for crutches.
Or worse, the medical cart.
Carlton Davis III went down with an injury. Then, David Montgomery limped to the bench (and then later returned). Then, it got horrible and emotional, as Khalil Dorsey suffered a gruesome leg injury. The entire Lions team left the bench and circled around him, as he was put on a board and taken to the hospital.
Then, somehow things got even worse when McNeill limped off with a knee injury.
Ugh — please make it stop.
Still, they could be No. 1 seed
Now, let’s look at the big picture.
This doesn’t kill the Lions season or even prevent them from winning the No. 1 seed, especially considering it was against an AFC team.
But it makes the Lions’ remaining games all the more significant.
And that's going to be even more difficult, because this game was so revealing.
All the Lions' weaknesses were exposed.
This was the Bills saying: You can’t guard Ty Johnson, who caught four passes for 95 yards in the first half. Some of this was by design, if not calculated risk. On a fourth-and-2 from the Bills 49, Allen hit a long pass to Johnson for 31 yards.
But some of this was a direct result of Allen’s streetball. On the Bills’ first drive, Allen sprinted out of the pocket, ran to the sideline and just sat there, pressure coming up his face — waiting, waiting — and he hit Johnson for 24 yards
This was a particularly tough assignment for the Lions without Anzalone and Malcolm Rodriguez. That forced linebacker Jack Campbell to keep an eye on Allen and Johnson sprung free.
Get Anzalone back, not to mention a coulpe of corners, and this will look different.
If they can't fix it or get healthy, of course, they are in a heap of trouble.
Now, there’s one more thought, if these two teams match up again.
Think of it this way.
It’s dang hard to beat a team twice.
The Lions showed so much fight in this game, just trying to come back. It was admirable.
But it won't matter, if the Lions don't get healthier.
Or fix those broken mirrors.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on X @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.