The Detroit Lions started the opening weekend of football by punishing the San Diego Chargers in the first half of regulation.
Lion’s fans were reluctant of that second half.
Philip Rivers opened a can of Keenan Allen and cooked up 15 completions for 166 yards. Ten of those hookups came in that second half. Rivers ended the day going 35-for-42 with a pair of touchdowns and a pair of interceptions to match.
Rivers did not look as spectacular as his stats portrayed. Most of his passes were completed to a wide-open Allen running a route underneath all kinds of coverage.
Every time.
That second half of the game was abysmal and the Lions must put it behind them if they want to win this week against division rival Minnesota Vikings. But where did the Lions go wrong?
For starters, it was hot. Field temperatures were said to have reached 105 degrees after the half.
Knowing that bit of information can answer a few questions. Why did Haloti Ngata look like hot garbage? Why were Lions defenders missing easy open-field tackles?
It was hot. The players that were in shape struggled, the players that weren’t failed.
Time of possession mattered in the end. The Chargers ended the game with 17 more minutes of possession than Detroit. The offense suffered four three-and-out series. If the offense is not succeeding, the defense feels the consequences. And they felt it.
Matthew Stafford did not have the greatest day, but finished 19-for-30 with 246 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The last thing to note was the absence of linebacker DeAndre Levy. For every tackle missed last Sunday, there would be two made if Levy were on the field. A captain’s presence was missing and Stephen Tulloch was far too rusty to convince fans otherwise.
Moving forward, the Lions need to focus on their strengths and find their identity. No better matchup to figure out your identity than the team clawing its way out of Minnesota.
Calvin Johnson has to be more involved if the Lions offense is to be as elite as it is on paper. Second round pick Ameer Abdullah looked insanely fast and his ceiling is only rising.
The Lions need to focus on their strengths right now and need to make their case for second place in the NFC North where only the Packers have a positive 1-0 record.
