Detroit Lions film review: Early problems 49ers offense posed, how Lions righted ship and what it might mean for Week 18
The early stages of Monday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers were a frustrating watch, resurfacing some of the dread instilled by a 48-42 loss to the Buffalo Bills earlier in the month.
The first three times San Francisco possessed the ball, they sliced through Detroit’s defense like it wasn’t there, racking up 21 points. The only thing that prevented the opposition from capping a perfect first half, offensively, was a penalty that wiped out a long pass into the red zone and the ongoing struggles of kicker Jake Moody, who missed a 51-yard field goal following the infraction.
The onslaught continued after halftime with another six-play, 84-yard touchdown drive. At that point, eight minutes into the third quarter, the 49ers were averaging 9.7 yards per snap. For context, the Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed a league-worst 5.9 yards per snap this season.
You remember them. The Lions hung a franchise record 644 yards on the Jaguars in a 52-6 win in November.
Needless to say, it’s not a comp you want.
But unlike the Buffalo game, Detroit’s defense found its footing in the Bay. After the 49ers opened the second half with their fourth touchdown drive in five tries, they’d score just once more with their remaining four possessions, punching it in on a QB scramble with under a minute remaining. They turned it over twice during that closing stretch, and, importantly, averaged a far more palatable 5.4 yards per snap.
So why were the 49ers able to give the Lions so many problems early and what was the defense able to do down the stretch to turn the tide? That will be the focus of this week’s tape study.