Matthew Stafford attempted just two passes over 15 yards in Thursday’s 23-16 loss to the Chicago Bears, a conservative approach that he said was due more to the Bears’ stingy defense than the Detroit Lions’ short-handed offense.
“These guys are a good, good defense,” Stafford said. “To get guys down the field you got to hold the ball and holding the ball against these guys isn’t a good recipe for success. So we tried to get the ball out as quickly as we could.”
The Lions played Thursday without leading rusher Kerryon Johnson and No. 2 receiver Marvin Jones because of knee injuries, and their absence had an adverse effect on the offense.
Stafford’s lone completion on a pass that traveled longer than 15 yards in the air was a second-half throw to Kenny Golladay.
Related: Lions grades: This loss's on Matthew Stafford, who gets an F
His only other attempt longer than 15 yards was the interception he threw on the Lions’ final possession.
LeGarrette Blount played well as a fill-in for Johnson, running for a season-high 88 yards on 19 carries, but the Lions got little from their receiving corps outside of Golladay.
Wide receivers Bruce Ellington, TJ Jones and Andy Jones combined for just eight catches and 47 yards.
“I don’t know if it was conservative or we’re just trying to go down and give ourselves a chance to win, which we had multiple situations there where we could’ve put ourselves in a situation to win,” Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “We’re doing the best we can with all of it. Short week, game-plan, really good team, good pass rushers, good cover guys, different personnel for us. But I wouldn’t say that. I just think we were trying to grind the game out. It’s a 60-minute game and that’s what we were trying to play."
Stafford, who completed 28 of 38 passes for 236 yards and threw two fourth-quarter interceptions, said the Lions’ cautious approach was not necessarily influenced by the six sacks he took in a loss to Chicago earlier this month.
“I think it’s just influenced by what you see on tape when you see them play,” he said. “Teams that hold the ball against those guys don’t get the ball off quite a bit. So just tried to make sure we mixed it up and for the most part, I don’t have those two turnovers, I don’t make those poor plays, right where we want to be.”
Holiday bonus
Blount ran for two touchdowns Thursday, his fourth and fifth of the season, to earn himself a nice little holiday bonus.
Blount, who signed a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $2 million in March, has a $350,000 incentive in his contract for scoring five rushing touchdowns.
“I don’t know that,” when told he triggered his incentive after the game. “And I don’t really care. ... It's about winning."
Blount can earn another $350,000 in incentives if he scores two more touchdowns, and an additional $350,000 beyond that if he gets to 10 touchdowns on the year.
He also has incentives in his contract for reaching 767 yards rushing — he has 271 on the season — which he’ll only have a chance to hit if starter Kerryon Johnson misses the final month with his knee injury.
Related: Stafford's two late picks leave Lions basically out of playoff chase
Flag day
It wasn't quite reminiscent of the 2014 playoffs, but the Lions were once again on the wrong end of a referee's decision to pick up a penalty flag.
The Bears scored their first touchdown Thursday on a 10-yard pass from Chase Daniel to Taquan Mizzell, when officials flagged Allen Robinson for offensive pass interference.
Robinson, lined up in the front of a bunch formation to Daniel's left, ran a curl route that was essentially a pick on Lions linebacker Christian Jones.
Referee Brad Allen said in a pool report that after the flag was thrown "another official who had a different view of the play came in and offered information" that caused officials to pick up the flag.
Allen did not address why Robinson's route was not considered interference, and Patricia said it was a judgment call that's "kind of in their wheelhouse."
“I think I got pretty much the same explanation that everybody else did," he said. "Just the mechanics of the play, where it went to as far as the view and who had a better shot of it. They picked it up.”
More: Stock watch: Lions need more playmakers at WR
Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and Android!
Read Again https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/11/22/detroit-lions-offensive-plan-not-smart-too-conservative/2089579002/Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Lions football: Was offensive plan vs. Bears smart or too conservative?"
Post a Comment