FIRST DOWN: RED ZONE
One of the key statistics in Detroit's 27-13 loss to Green Bay Sunday at Lambeau Field was the discrepancy between the two teams in the red zone.
Green Bay was an efficient 3-for5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone while Detroit was just 1-for-4, with their one conversion coming in the final minutes when the game was already decided.
Both Lions head coach Dan Campbell and quarterback Jared Goff said after the game that their inability to finish drives with touchdowns was the most disappointing aspect of the loss and likely the biggest reason for it as the Lions dropped to 0-1 to start the season.
"We were patient, and I thought we moved the ball on these long drives. If you're going to be patient you have to score in the red zone," Goff said of three 13-play drives that resulted in only one touchdown. "If you're not going to score on 60-yard touchdowns, when you get down there, you have to score touchdowns."
The Lions are breaking in three new starters upfront and a new offensive coordinator, and Goff admitted it might take some time for the Lions to gel offensively.
Last season in a Week 2 loss to Tampa Bay, Detroit was 1-for-7 in the red zone. The following week in a win over Arizona they were perfect in the red zone and Detroit finished the season as the No. 3 red-zone offense in the NFL at 69.4 percent.
Hopefully Sunday was just an anomaly like Week 2 last season and not the start of a trend.
SECOND DOWN: OFFENSIVE LINE PLAY
Detroit looked like a team breaking in three new starters along their offensive line that includes a second-year player making just his third career start and rookie making his first.
The Packers have a veteran defensive front and their experience showed throughout the contest. Detroit averaged just 2.1 yards per carry on 22 carries for 46 yards. Green Bay recorded nine tackles for loss in the game.
Goff was sacked four times and hit nine times total.
"We didn't execute our game plan at the level we were supposed to," veteran left tackle Taylor Decker said after the game. "I can say that confidently even not watching the film. I think we average two-something a carry. That is not up to our standard.
"You get behind in points and they get to put out there their shiny new pass rusher (Micah Parsons) with Rashan (Gary) and they put (Lukas) Van Ness inside and they get to pin their ears back. That's a challenge, especially when we have some young guys in there with communication and stuff."
It's something Detroit has to fix heading into next week's contest vs. Chicago.
THIRD DOWN: TRUSTED WEAPON
One of the bright spots for the Lions Sunday was the play of third-year tight end Sam LaPorta.
He led the team with 79 receiving yards on six catches for an average of 13.2 yards per reception. His 32-yard catch in the second quarter was the longest play from scrimmage for the Lions' offense.
LaPorta was one of the top players on the field in the offseason training program and in training camp, despite missing some time in camp with an injury. It's good to see him take that right into the regular season as a trusted pass catcher for Goff. Both his teammates and coaches have raved about the season LaPorta could be setting himself up to have.
FOURTH DOWN: PASS RUSH
The Lions felt good about the return of edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport to be the focal point of their pass rush from the edge, but the results on the field Week 1 against the Packers fell short.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love had too much time to throw the football. He completed 16-of-22 passes with two touchdowns and a 128.6 passer rating. The Lions didn't record a sack in the contest and only hit Love twice.
"They nudged the edges and made sure they hit Hutch and weren't going to let Hutch go one-on-one," Campbell said. "That's the world he's in. He doesn't get one-on-ones. We have to be better. We have to be better."
This is a copycat league and if Davenport, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Detroit's other pass rushers opposite Hutchinson and in the middle don't generate more pressure, Hutchinson is going to continue to see double teams and nudges with a focus of keeping him off their quarterback.
Detroit's defense didn't blitz particularly well Sunday and eventually had to abandon those looks almost completely. The pass rush is certainly going to be a big storyline this week as the Lions get ready to host a Chicago team that allowed the most sacks in the NFL (68) last year.
