The 2021 Detroit Lions did not deserve to go 3-13-1 in 2021. If you watched any of their games last year, you would know that they stayed competitive throughout the entire season. Yes , they might have had a few blowouts, but for the most part, they kept NFL fans on the edge of their seats. Six of the 13 matchups they ended up losing last year got really close at the end of the game. Four of those six losses were decided by a three points or less. Essentially, had Detroit kicked a field goal in any one of these games, they would’ve had some more wins.
Now I’m not saying that last year’s Lions deserved to be a winning football team, either. All I’m saying is that, a lot had to go wrong for them to end up here. Had they had a few more calls go their way, we could very well be looking at a .500 team right now. This may be one of the few times in NFL history that a record doesn’t accurately reflect a team’s overall talent. Let’s breakdown the facts…
Middle of the “Pride” Kind of Team
Now normally I would’ve said “middle of the pack”, but I think it’s obvious why I changed the verbiage in this circumstance. When looking back at the 2021 NFL team stats, Detroit’s offense finished right around the middle in every category. Their defense however, is a different story. They’re not exactly helping plead my case here. On offense, they ranked 19th in total passing yards, and 18th in passing touchdowns. They also landed inside the top ten in CMP%, which basically translates to a lot of screens and short passing. All of this sounds good on paper, but if your defense can’t stop a nosebleed, it gets a little difficult. Not to put all the blame on one side, but the Lions were bottom five in both passing and rushing touchdowns allowed last year. Not the best look to have on your resume.
A Promising Offense
Their passing game showed signs of life early on in the season, and helped keep things close in tough matchups. Jared Goff may not be a top 15 QB right now, but he still has time to change that narrative. D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams made for a dangerous duo, although neither of them surpassed 1000 yards rushing. Tight end TJ Hockenson is arguably one of the top five players at his position right now. Last but not least, lets not forget about their young, up and coming receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown. He nearly racked up quadruple digits last season, and hawled in five touchdowns in the process.
Wild Opener Foreshadows 2021
Looking back at the 2021 season opener against the 49ers, they started off slower than slow. Trailing 38-10 at one point, it seemed if as if the Lions hadn’t changed once in their 93 year existence. But then, they started rallying a comeback. Swift cashed in for a 50yd score, which was then followed up by a 1yd gimme from Jamaal Williams. Still down 41-25 with only two minutes left in the game, the Lions recovered an onside kick, and scored another eight points. Just like that, it was a one score ballgame. This time Detroit wouldn’t be so lucky on kickoff, but the game wasn’t nearly over yet.
Garoppolo would connect with Samuel on a 15 yard pickup, seemingly closing the door on an improbable comeback. But then, sure enough, the improbable happened. Deebo Samuel fumbled the ball, and the Lions got it back with 49 seconds left. Like something out of Hollywood, this season opener went from being a sleeper to an absolute nailbiter. Unfortunately, the Lions fell 24 yards short of the endzone on their final drive. The final score would read 41-33, but despite the loss, Lions fans got their money’s worth. Both teams deserved to win, but put on a magnificent show nevertheless. This game would in many ways sum up the Lions’ season and become a recurring theme. They played with a ton of heart, showed lots of promise, but came up short in the end.
Series of Tough Losses Spoils Playoff Hopes
Here’s a look at the Lions’ 2021 season at a glance. They lost seven games by a touchdown or less. Keep in mind, had Justin Tucker not kicked an NFL record FG, the Lions would have four wins right now. Below is a short summary of those seven games…
WEEK 1: Failed Comeback vs SF
WEEK 3: Tucker’s NFL Record
WEEK 5: MIN Game Winner FG
WEEK 10: Tied with PIT
WEEK 11: CLE Win by 3
WEEK 12: CHI Game Winner FG
WEEK 16: ATL Win by 4
Key Takeaway…
Usually the number two overall draft pick in the draft is a pin of shame. Not in this case, I don’t see it that way. The way I see it, the Lions played like a .500 football team but got to pick second in the draft. Their record was terrible, don’t get me wrong. Look at it this way. I’ve seen worse teams with a better record, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better team with a record this bad. The Lions earned my respect. I feel for you Detroit, our hearts our with you this season for sure.
Thanks for reading my article, I appreciate the support! I just started writing for Gridiron Heroics, but if you’re interested in checking out more of my work here’s a link to another article of mine