Detroit Lions grades: Defense still looks lost under new regime; Jared Goff, offense OK

Free Press sports writer Dave Birkett grades the Detroit Lions in their 41-33 loss to the San Francisco 49ers:

Quarterback

Jared Goff was very much a mixed bag in his first game as a Lion. Goff struggled early, missing Amon-Ra St. Brown for a touchdown and Jason Cabinda in the flat on easy passes in the first quarter, and throwing a bad interception when he tried squeezing a ball to T.J. Hockenson in between three defenders in zone coverage. Give Goff credit for leading the Lions’ comeback attempt. He was 14 of 16 passing for 109 yards on the Lions’ two late touchdown drives, but his final throw, on fourth-and-9 was a panicked heave short of the first down marker in the direction of no one in particular. Goff finished with big passing numbers (38 of 57, 338 yards, 3 TDs) that don’t tell the full story of how he played. Grade: C-minus

Running backs    

Jamaal Williams was the Lions’ best player Sunday. Williams, starting over D’Andre Swift, had 54 yards rushing on nine carries and gave Anthony Lynn’s offense the physical element it was looking for. Williams finished with eight catches for 56 yards. He broke two tackles on an 11-yard catch in the third quarter and scored a late touchdown. Swift had 104 yards from scrimmage, and turned a screen pass into a 43-yard touchdown. Swift had a modest day rushing — he had a 16-yard run, and 23 yards on his other 10 carries — and dropped a slant that would have gone for a first down. Lions coach Dan Campbell said Swift’s rust was evident from missing most of camp this summer. Cabinda also dropped a pass on third-and-1. Grade: A-minus

SHAWN WINDSOR: No 'Same Old' in these Lions, who showed no fear just like Dan Campbell

Receivers/tight ends

When it wasn’t Williams and Swift, it was tight end T.J. Hockenson (eight catches, 97 yards) who was carrying the Lions offense early. Hockenson had eight catches for 97 yards and beat Jaquiski Tartt for a touchdown with a decisive out route early in the second quarter. Hockenson aside, the Lions got little meaningful production from their receivers and tight ends until late in the game. Only two receivers, Tyrell Williams and St. Brown, caught passes in the first two quarters and the Lions had nothing going in the vertical passing game. Quintez Cephus made a beautiful twisting catch on the sideline that was nullified by an illegal touching penalty, and he and Goff hooked up for both a late touchdown and two-point conversion. Tight end Darren Fells missed a block on Nick Bosa when Bosa stuffed Williams on a fourth-and-1 play that went for a loss on the Lions’ opening possession. Grade: C-minus

Offensive line

Penei Sewell made his NFL debut at left tackle and held up well for a rookie playing one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers in his first game. Sewell got beat on his first true snap in pass protection, gave up a sack to Bosa in the second half and got beat inside on a tackle for loss late in the first half, but it was a promising debut overall. Matt Nelson’s struggles were a little more evident — he gave up a sack to Dee Ford and was called for a holding penalty that stopped the clock and preserved a 49ers timeout late in the first half — but the line paved the way for the Lions’ 116-yard rushing day. Jonah Jackson was excellent as a run blocker. He and Frank Ragnow opened a huge hole on Williams’ 20-yard run in the first quarter, and he had the key block on a 7-yard gain one play later. He did appear indecisive, however, when Azeez Al-Shaair ran by him to throw Swift for an 8-yard loss on a screen pass, and he got beat for a sack in the first quarter. Grade: B-minus

[ Party returns for Lions game day tailgating ]

Defensive line

The Lions did not get many impact plays from their defensive line Sunday. Safety Tracy Walker recorded the team’s only tackle for loss, and the 49ers averaged about 10 yards per play while rolling up 31 points in the first half. Kevin Strong got buried by a double-team block on Elijah Mitchell’s 38-yard touchdown run, and George Kittle gave Mitchell the crease he needed to get to the end zone, turned Romeo Okwara to the inside. Michael Brockers did make five tackles, and Nick Williams slipped a block to stuff Trey Lance for no gain, with some help from linebacker Jamie Collins, on a third-and-1. Grade: D

Linebackers

Trey Flowers had the hustle play of the game, coming from nowhere to force a fumble on Deebo Samuel late in the fourth quarter to give the Lions one final chance at a tie. Flowers (4 tackles) also made a nice read on a Lance keeper to keep him to a short gain on a third-and-long. Collins made a heads-up fumble recovery when Jimmy Garoppolo fumbled the opening snap. Okwara forced an intentional grounding penalty but missed a sack on the opening drive of the second half, while Charles Harris drew a roughing-the-passer penalty when he hit Garoppolo in the helmet. Grade: C-minus

Defensive backs

Jeff Okudah left Sunday’s game with a potentially serious Achilles tendon injury, and he wasn’t great while he was on the field. The No. 3 pick of last year’s draft, Okudah got beat for a third-and-7 conversion on the 49ers’ first touchdown drive, when he was slow closing on Mohammed Sanu after playing off coverage against a stack formation. Okudah also gave up a 79-yard bomb to Samuel. Amani Oruwariye allowed the 49ers’ first touchdown, when he slipped trying to defend Trent Sherfield’s option route, though he did have a pass breakup that Ifeatu Melifonwu nearly caught for an interception. Melifonwu just missed a sack on Garoppolo, and Will Harris was called for a facemask penalty and had a couple missed tackles, including one on Mitchell’s long touchdown run, when he managed to trip up Okudah on the play. Grade: D-minus

3 QUESTIONS: Jeff Okudah looks especially bad in Lions' loss to 49ers

Special teams

Godwin Igwebuike recovered an onside kick to set up the Lions’ final touchdown, but he struggled in his debut as return man, losing one fumble on a kickoff and muffing another. Austin Seibert missed a 51-yard field goal attempt wide left in the first quarter, but made a 49-yarder later in the game. Jack Fox had his usual solid day punting, and the Lions shut down the 49ers’ return game. Grade: C-minus

Coaching

Things got out of hand early in Campbell’s first game as Lions coach, but give him and his staff credit for holding things together long enough to have a chance in the end. That’s not good enough, of course, but it’s a start in a game in which they were clearly outmatched against a good opponent. I like Campbell’s aggressive mindset early, going for two fourth-and-shorts in the first quarter. The Lions failed to get the first but converted the second, and went for and got another fourth-and-short in their own territory in the second half. Lynn challenged the 49ers’ discipline with lots of jet motion on offense, but the Lions need to push the ball downfield more. Defensively, it was a bad day all around and I fear the Lions will be in for another long year. Grade: C

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.