Embed from Getty Images “Same old Lions!” You could hear Detroit Lions fans shout after the team completing a fourth quarter collapse that ended in a tie with the Arizona Cardinals. Don’t go there. Not yet. While the Lions do have many questions it is not time to panic after one game.
While this one game feels achingly familiar, fans need to remember the Detroit Lions are technically rebuilding. Yes, it has been an ongoing rebuild since 1957, so what’s a little longer? Not too mention blowing an 18 point lead in the fourth quarter to the Arizona Cardinals led by a rookie quarterback and rookie head coach is inexcusable.
Still there was some good to come out of the disappointment. Quarterback Matthew Stafford along with his teammates T.J. Hockenson, Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay, Danny Amendola and Kerryon Johnson looked as if they had a plan. And then penalties began to stall their new offense.
Then Matt Patricia called for a timeout that nullified a first down play which was a maddening, mind numbing timeout that should have never been. In the post game media session Patricia absorbed the blame for the timeout mishap and for the tie in general, chalking it up to “bad coaching,” he said more than once.
For as hyped as the Detroit Lions defense was, Matt Patricia couldn’t adjust his defense as the Cardinals rookie quarterback scrambled for long runs and ran around to find open receivers.
While this year Lions squad could be the makings of another 10 loss team. It could also maybe the making of a team that could still surprise. This is a team that is hard to get a handle on. The next two games do not hold a lot of promise the L.A. Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.
After those games the Lions season should be in better focus. So should the job security for general manager Bob Quinn and his hand picked head coach Matt Patrica.
But a tie in game one is not a loss. It is a lot like kissing your sister though.