We already took a closer look at the Detroit Lions offensive performance against the Carolina Panthers, identifying a myriad of reasons coach Dan Campbell was so frustrated with the unit.
Of course, that was the lesser of Detroit’s problems Sunday night. The defense was gouged for 445 yards, 28 first downs, 10 explosive plays and six consecutive scoring drives in the 32-26 loss.
Let’s pull the band-aid off and figuring out the cause of the festering wound that continues to hinder the Lions through the first month of the season.
Possession 1
Almost immediately, we see the Panthers manufacturing avenues to get Tetairoa McMillan in favorable situations.
Playing with three wide receivers and tight end Darren Waller on third-and-9, the Panthers stuck McMillan as the inside option of spaced out trips to quarterback Bryce Young’s right. That made the receiver Jack Campbell’s responsibility, at least underneath.
The Panthers cleared out that side of the field with two vertical patterns as McMillan ran a short out route that Campbell couldn’t match. However, it was well short of the sticks and the linebacker reacted quickly enough to make the stop, only for Campbell to take a bad angle and missed the tackle.