Detroit Lions Score Low Marks In Final Loss Of 2013
By Chris Morgan
Thanks to the Detroit Lions collapse, their season finale against the Minnesota Vikings didn't mean much. At best, the Lions would finish 8-8. The two big names for these teams are Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson. Neither played. It was not exactly an exciting outing. That was the case on the field as well, as the Lions lost 14-13, although they gave up a fourth quarter lead for old time's sake. The Lions finish 7-9, and Jim Schwartz will likely not last past Monday. Here are the grades for the Lions in their final game of 2013.
Quarterback Grade: B-
Well, at least Matthew Stafford didn't turn the ball over in this game. He didn't have Megatron, but he still went 22-for-33 for 217 yards and a touchdown. Stafford had a rough end to the season, and this isn't a good note to go out on – although it is slightly better than most performances this season. The Lions need Stafford to find his footing next year. Maybe their new coach will help.
Offense Grade: C
The Lions only managed 13 points and 245 total yards. The run game couldn't get going, as Reggie Bush led the way with 32 yards on 14 carries. Joique Bell had 31 yards on eight carries. Bush did catch Stafford's touchdown, however, and he didn't fumble, while Bell did, although the Lions didn't lose it. Kevin Ogletree of all people led the team with 75 yards receiving.
The O-line struggled giving up five sacks. They had been very good in pass protection this year, so that is kind of surprising. Hopefully that isn't a sign of things to come. Detroit not having a healthy blocking tight end may have been the issue. Overall, a poor performance on offense.
Special Teams Grade: B-
Detroit had some trouble defending returns in this game but didn't give up anything too big, aside from one 50-yard punt return. Which, you know, probably should not be considered a side note. David Akers made both of his field goals, including a 53-yarder. Sam Martin had a busy day punting, and did well. It was a decent enough game, thanks to the kickers, although Akers overall had an awful year and may not be back.
Defense Grade: B
Sure, the Lions only gave up 14 points, but they gave up a lot of yardage to backup players. Peterson's backup, Matt Asiata, rushed 14 times for 115 yards, and Cordarrelle Patterson had a 50-yard touchdown rush.
Detroit did have an interception, thanks to Louis Delmas, and they recovered a fumble. They also picked up three sacks. The overall numbers may not look bad, but when you consider who the Vikings had at their disposal, it looks less impressive.
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Chris Morgan has been a diehard Detroit Lions fan through the good (Barry Sanders) and the bad (Matt Millen) and that love has led him to take jobs writing about sports, including as a fantasy sports "expert." His work can be found on Examiner.com. .
