The Detroit Lions are as bad as we thought they were: Who's to blame?

CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 11: Head coach Matt Patricia of the Detroit Lions watches the action against the Chicago Bears from the sidelines at Soldier Field on November 11, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Bears defeated the Detroit Lions 34-22. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

DETROIT – Don't second guess yourself. The Detroit Lions are indeed bad. 

We should have accepted this fact after the New York Jets pummeled the Lions on national television to open the season. The Jets are 3-7. They are not a good football team.

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Or maybe after the now 2-7 San Francisco 49ers beat the Lions in Week 2 (but they had Garoppolo). Or maybe after the team basically quit against the Minnesota Vikings last week.

But let there be no doubt on this glorious Monday morning: The Detroit Lions are bad. They were bad before being blown out by the Bears on Sunday.

Related: Lions' Matt Patricia, Matt Stafford discuss loss to Bears

There's plenty of blame to go around. First-year head coach Matt Patricia seems to be taking the majority of the heat from fans. Quarterback Matthew Stafford doesn't seem to be improving in any way. The offensive line has completely fallen apart. The defense, riddled with injuries, has no depth. 

Let's take a look at how bad the Lions are, by the numbers:

Offensive ranks:

  • 24th in yards per game
  • 22nd in total points scored
  • 19th in third down conversion percentage
  • 19th in passing yards per game
  • 7th in sacks allowed
  • 20th in passer rating
  • 23rd in rushing yards per game, total rushing yards
  • 17th in passing touchdowns

Defensive ranks:

  • 14th worst in yards allowed
  • 6th worst in yards allowed per play
  • 9th worst in total points allowed
  • 5th worst in points allowed per game
  • 7th worst in passing touchdowns allowed
  • 29th in total interceptions
  • 2nd worst in yards per catch allowed
  • 2nd worst in opposing passer rating
  • 12th in sacks
  • 5th worst in yards per rush allowed
  • 9th worst in total rushing yards allowed
  • 1st worst for most 40+ yard rushes allowed

These are obviously not the rankings of a winning team.  It's really telling when you compare these numbers to last year.

In 2017, the Lions ranked No. 13 for yards per game and No. 7 for total points scored. The offense has gotten worse.

The Lions will face three potential playoff teams in the next three weeks, and it probably won't be pretty. Carolina comes to town on Sunday, followed by a Thanksgiving rematch against the Bears and then against the NFL's best team, the Los Angeles Rams.


About the Author:

Ken Haddad has proudly been with WDIV/ClickOnDetroit since 2013. He also authors the Morning Report Newsletter and various other newsletters, and helps lead the WDIV Insider team. He's a big sports fan and is constantly sipping Lions Kool-Aid.