INGLEWOOD, CA — The Detroit Lions offense was sizzling like a hot Motown record during the first half. In the second half, they moonwalked back into the playoff bubble.
“The third quarter was rough on us,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said postgame. “They got a jump on us that we couldn’t overcome.”
The Lions surrendered 24 points in the second half — including 17 unanswered points during the third quarter — in a 41-34 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Dec. 14.
Things were going good for Detroit in the first half. Lions quarterback Jared Goff passed for 221 yards and three touchdowns. Most of Goff’s targets went to wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. The pair combined for 13 catches, 218 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. However, the Lions unraveled after halftime.
The Lions offense had just five total yards and no first downs in a miserable third quarter. While the defense gave up 24 points and 272 yards in the second half.
Goff and the Lions had previously won their past two games, including the playoffs, against the Rams. Sunday was a game the Lions needed to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
The Chicago Bears (10-4), Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) are both in front of the Lions (8-6) in the NFC North. The Lions are eighth in the NFC playoff race and were already swept by Green Bay this year. According to Next Gen Stats, Detroit only has a 41% chance to make the postseason. The Lions host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, and have road games versus the Minnesota Vikings and Bears to close the season. The Lions almost certainly have to win out — which is a tall task considering they haven’t won back-to-back games since Weeks 4 and 5.
“It starts with the guys in the locker room,” Lions linebacker Jack Campbell said. “Got the right guys, and it’s just how we respond, how we push forward, how we lean on each other.”
Detroit has won the NFC North for two consecutive seasons, but now there’s very little margin for error as the Lions are on the brink of being eliminated from postseason contention.
“8-6, still in it. Got three games left … like to win all three of them,” Goff said. “We got to win the first one.”
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