Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) walks off the field after being sacked by the Baltimore Ravens in the second quarter on December 3, 2017 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. File photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI |
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It wasn't long ago that a 9-7 record would have been celebrated in Detroit. Now, it's considered disappointing enough that it cost Jim Caldwell his job.
Caldwell was fired the day after the season when the Lions missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. One of the NFL's darlings to start the season, the Lions had a legitimate chance to win their first division title since 1993 when Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone in mid-October. But rather than contend for the NFC North, they stumbled to the finish with three losses in their final six games and proved once again they couldn't beat the best teams on their schedule.
General manager Bob Quinn said he thought the Lions' talent merited more than nine victories, and in some ways he was right. The Lions got a strong season out of Matthew Stafford and the passing game, they fielded an opportunistic defense that forced 32 turnovers, third most in the league, and they had one of the best special teams units in the NFL.
Unfortunately, they also lacked depth on both lines, and that caught up to them as the season wore on. The running game was non-productive once again. The Lions started 11 different units on their offensive line, and never got enough pass rush out of their defensive front. Ziggy Ansah once again battled injuries at defensive end, major free-agent additions Rick Wagner and T.J. Lang underperformed their contracts, and the Lions now will play under new coach Matt Patricia.
WHAT WENT RIGHT: The Lions had the seventh-highest scoring offense in the NFL as Matthew Stafford took advantage of a deep group of wide receivers. Stafford finished third in the league in passing, and Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay emerged as viable deep threats. On defense, Darius Slay tied for the NFL lead for interceptions, and punt returner Jamal Agnew had two of the Lions' seven defensive or special-teams touchdowns.
WHAT WENT WRONG: The offensive line was a major disappointment as injuries and inconsistent play wreaked havoc on the unit. The Lions started 11 different combinations up front, Stafford was the second-most sacked quarterback in the NFL, and the Lions couldn't run the ball no matter how hard they tried. Defensively, the Lions were equally as bad against the run after Haloti Ngata was lost to a torn biceps.
