DETROIT – Most fans of the NFL are waking up this morning either celebrating their first win or mourning a Week 1 loss. But the Lions’ win was four days ago -- fans in Detroit are used to that 1-0 feeling.
The dust still hasn’t completely settled, though. We asked Lions fans if they had questions after the 21-20 win over the defending Super Bowl champions. Here’s what you wanted to know.
NOTE: Some viewer questions have been slightly edited for clarity.
Why wasn’t the Chiefs’ right tackle called for more holding or false start penalties?
- Asked by: Pete S., Alan B., Levert S., and Bryan S. (on Facebook)
This was by far the most asked question, and it’s pretty easy to understand why: Even the rules experts on the broadcast couldn’t figure it out.
The holding penalties are one thing, because refs miss those all the time, no matter how obvious. It’s probably the single biggest problem with NFL and college football officiating.
But the way the right tackle lined up pre-snap and seemed to jump early every play? That was wild.
I’m guessing we’ll get some lame statement from the NFL about it, but the real question is, why wasn’t it addressed during the game?
NBC’s rules expert said officials will typically start looking for this type of violation when the other team brings it to their attention. If the Lions thought this was hurting them, there would have been video of coaches on the sideline losing their minds every play.
So either the Lions were resigned to the fact that Jawaan Taylor has a reputation for bending the rules and getting away with it, or they found a way to use it to their advantage. It seemed like Taylor’s positioning and pre-snap movement revealed whether the Chiefs were running or passing -- maybe the Lions wanted him to keep it up so they had an early idea about what was coming.
All that matters is the Lions won anyway, and now fans should hope that Taylor doesn’t get flagged against the Vikings, Packers, or Bears, either.
Why didn’t the defense blitz? Almost every play had four rushers
- Asked by: Mike W. (on Facebook)
This answer is twofold: I don’t think the Lions wanted to hang their defensive backs out to dry against a passer as great as Patrick Mahomes, and they thought they could get pressure without blitzing.
That’s probably the most important key to defensive success in the NFL: Getting pressure without dedicating too many players to the blitz. Aidan Hutchinson was in the backfield all game -- he hit Mahomes three times and seemingly forced a half-dozen incomplete passes.
Even though the Lions didn’t record a sack, their pressure was a huge factor in the win.
They won’t be able to survive without blitzing all season, but for Week 1, you should take it as a major positive that they dedicated only four or five players to the pass rush and still got pressure.
Maybe when they get Emmanuel Moseley -- arguably their top cornerback -- back on the field, the Lions will feel a little more comfortable pushing the envelope.
Do you think the Lions will have 11 (regular season) wins?
- Asked by: Ray C. (on Facebook)
Well, my preseason prediction was that the Lions would go 10-7, and that certainly didn’t include a win at Kansas City. So, you know what, Ray? Sure, let’s do it: The Lions will win 11 games.
When I look up and down the rest of the schedule, I see a lot of tough games, but not many daunting games. Playing on the road against the Ravens and Chargers will be challenging, but if the Lions can win at Arrowhead, they could feasibly win anywhere.
I think the Lions have a chance to win six or seven of their eight home games, so that means they would only need three or four more road wins the rest of the way to reach 11. Barring major injuries, that doesn’t seem farfetched.
Which receiver could step up and take us to the next level?
- Asked by: Harvest (on Twitter)
Great question -- you hit the nail on the head here. If there’s one negative to take away from the Week 1 win, it’s that the Lions are below average at wide receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Josh Reynolds is probably the top candidate to step up in Jameson Williams’ absence. I liked the way he bounced back from that critical third-down drop and saved the Lions during their game-winning touchdown drive.
Not only did Reynolds make the 18-yard catch to keep the drive going on third down and 12, he also turned a medium-length pass into a 33-yard gain that set up the score.
Other than St. Brown and Williams, I don’t see another receiver on this roster who can be a reliable difference-maker. Reynolds and Kalif Raymond are solid complimentary pieces, but probably not more.
For now, it looks like the Lions plan to make up the difference with rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, who caught five passes for 39 yards in the opener.
So let me ask: What does a tripping penalty look like?
- Asked by: Eric S. (on Facebook)
I know what you’re getting at, Eric. The officials spent all that time not calling holding or false start on Kansas City, and then David Montgomery gets called for a tripping penalty because a guy knocked him over?
That 15-yard penalty is basically a drive-killer, and the Lions did end up punting three plays later.
By definition, tripping is “the use of the leg or foot to obstruct any opponent (including a runner).” Basically, the league considers tripping to be a dirty play and wants to avoid injury.
Tripping was elevated to a 15-yard penalty and a personal foul this season. Players can even be fined or suspended for tripping someone.
Was Montgomery trying to trip Nick Bolton? It’s hard to say -- it kind of looked like it. But to be fair, he had just been tossed on his back like rag doll, so maybe he was a bit disoriented.
If you have any questions about the Lions that you want answered, please feel free to email me directly at dhutchinson@wdiv.com.