Jim Schwartz/Photo Credit: Andre Smith
Lion fans will most likely have to wait another year for a chance to see their team in the playoffs. The Lions lost 18-16 to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night giving them their fourth loss in their last five games. The Ravens were able to win without a touchdown as kicker Justin Tucker made six field goals on the night, including a game winning 61 yarder.
The Lions entered the game a half game out of first place since the Bears took care of business against Dallas on Sunday. With the loss, the Lions now fall to third place behind both Chicago and Green Bay. The Lions now need both the Packers and the Bears to lose one of their last two games to have a chance at the playoffs. The bad news is that they play each other in week 17. This means that if both teams win their games next week, the Lions will be eliminated from contention.
The game’s opening drive foreshadowed a different game than the one that occurred. The Lions offense moved down the field at will to take an early touchdown lead. The Ravens responded with a quick three and out. Next, the Lions drove it to the Ravens 47 only to stall on third down due to an uncharacteristic drop by Calvin Johnson. This drop halted a drive that would have more than likely resulted in a touchdown or a least a field goal. If that ball gets caught, it would have been a completely different game.
Calvin Johnson dropped another first down pass later in the game which led to the end of another drive. He was held to 6 catches on 14 targets for 98 yards. We have come to expect much more from Johnson. The only receiving touchdown of the day went to Joseph Fauria late in the fourth. The Lions turned the ball over three times on three Matthew Stafford interceptions. The last interception was with 38 seconds left.
The lone bright spot for the Lions was Reggie Bush. After returned from injury, he rushed 17 times for 86 yards and a touchdown. He was not as effective in the pass game as he only caught 2 balls for 15 yards. Joique Bell was not very productive as he ran for 24 yards on 9 carries.
Reggie Bush/Photo Credit: Andre Smith
The game may have marked the end of the Jim Schwartz era. After making the playoffs two years ago, he has squandered a playoff caliber team for the second year in a row. At this point in the season, the Lions should not be 7 and 7. It is a disgrace to their talent. They had no business losing to teams like the Buccaneers. Schwartz has defiantly helped the Lions franchise but it seems he can take them no further. It is time for a change.
About Post Author
