Here are three observations after a second viewing and a night to ponder the Detroit Lions’ 41-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Expected improvements not there
Sure, this game was an early-season measuring stick for the Lions, but not as much as it was for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
After listening to an offseason of organizational praise for Sheppard, and hearing the coordinator promote the roster’s returning personnel having a better grasp of his scheme and the intentions within it, Buffalo provided the ultimate litmus test.
The results of that test were somehow both basic and acidic. Basic, in the sense that quarterback Josh Allen carved them up like he was playing a game of checkers against his 5-year-old nephew, and acidic because of the bitter taste fans were left with after Sheppard’s unit allowed six touchdowns on eight drives.
There were undoubtedly schematic problems within the game plan, but the bigger concern was the lack of fundamentals. From the opening drive, Detroit couldn’t set edges, linebackers couldn’t shed blocks and were jumping in wrong gaps, and the secondary had multiple busts, including the second in as many weeks that resulted in a 40-plus-yard play.
This brings us back to one of last week’s points of concern, that the team is rotating too many players, particularly in the back end. After being one of the league’s most man-heavy coverage teams for years, Sheppard is asking his group to play far more zone to open the 2026 campaign, but there’s a clear lack of chemistry among the personnel.
That’s all coaching. If your guys aren’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing after spending weeks of practice grinding the fundamentals, that falls on Sheppard and his position coaches.