Lions are lucky to be above .500 after a disappointing 5-game stretch

DETROIT (AP) — Last year, the Detroit Lions went 15-2 and locked up the top seed in the NFC.

This season, they are lucky to be above .500.

After a 5-2 start, coach Dan Campbell’s Lions have lost three of five and needed a 59-yard field goal from Jake Bates to avoid a home loss to the New York Giants.

On Thursday, they lost 31-24 to the Green Bay Packers with an unusually sloppy performance. Detroit (7-5) is two games behind the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears (9-3) and a game-and-a-half behind the Packers (8-3-1).

There were two plays in which the offense was called for illegal formation because it had only six players on the line of scrimmage. The defense was called for having 12 men on the field. One of Campbell’s patented trick plays turned into a disaster when Jared Goff dropped a long lateral from David Montgomery.

“As I told the team, this is frustrating,” Campbell said. “It sucks to put ourselves into a hole like this, but we’ve done it. We’re the only ones who going to get ourselves out of it.”

That’s not going to be easy. The Lions host the Dallas Cowboys next Thursday, then have 10 days off before they face Matthew Stafford and the NFC-best Los Angeles Rams. That’s followed by a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and another familiar face in Aaron Rodgers.

They play on Christmas Day at Minnesota — they’ve already lost once to the Vikings — and finish the season at Chicago. Given their 1-3 record in the NFC North, they can’t avoid any more slip-ups if they want a third straight division title.

“It’s simple,” Campbell said. “We have to do our job. We’re also going to need some help, but it all starts with doing our job. We have to find a way to win the next game.”

What’s working

Goff was under pressure throughout the game. Green Bay finished with three sacks and seven quarterback hits, with 2 1/2 of the sacks and four of the hits coming from Micah Parsons. That’s normally a rough spot for Goff, because Detroit’s passing offense relies so much on timing.

However, after starting the game with three incompletions, Goff finished 20 of 26 for 256 yards and two touchdowns. He even broke out of a collapsing pocket for a 24-yard run — the second-longest rush of his career.

What needs help

Parsons might be the best pass rusher in the league, but Goff can’t be as effective as he needs to be if his offensive line can’t keep him upright. Darius Alexander sacked him twice in the nail-biting overtime win over the Giants, and the Packers were also able to bottle up Detroit’s run game. Four days after setting a franchise record for running backs with 264 yards from scrimmage, Jahmyr Gibbs only had 86 on Thanksgiving.

However, help is coming from an unexpected source. Center Frank Ragnow retired last summer after going to the Pro Bowl in four of the last five seasons, and the Lions hadn’t come close to replacing him. That’s why it was a shock when Detroit announced it had a new candidate for the job — Frank Ragnow.

Goff was one of many Lions players trying to talk Ragnow into a return.

“A few weeks ago, he reached out and said he was interested in playing again,” he said. “He’s got that itch again, and we’re excited.”

Stock up

Jameson Williams has made a mark as one of the top deep threats in the league, but he’s never been the type of receiver to catch passes in bulk. He’s never had a 60-catch season, and he averages fewer than three catches a game in his four-year career.

On Thursday, though, the Lions lost top receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in the first quarter. With tight end Sam LaPorta sidelined with a back injury, Goff’s two favorite targets were out.

Williams was able to change his game, catching seven passes for 144 yards and a touchdown. However, he couldn’t pull in a fourth-down pass from Goff late in the game.

Stock down

Safety Brian Branch appeared to give up on a play that ended with a touchdown pass by Jordan Love, and he got beat on the fourth-down completion that secured the win for Green Bay.

Injuries

The biggest concern coming out of the game was St. Brown’s ankle injury. Campbell said he doesn’t expect St. Brown to miss extended time, but he could be out for a game or two.

Key number

11 — The span of days in which the Lions will play three home games. After Sunday’s win against the Giants and Thursday’s loss to the Packers, they will be back at Ford Field to face the Cowboys next Thursday.

Next steps

The biggest move the Lions can make in the next week is getting Ragnow ready to play. His presence could make a massive difference for a struggling offensive line.

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