Lions Red Zone Recap: Pre-Bye Week Overview

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Since the Lions were on a bye this past week, there is no game to analyze for the Red Zone Recap. Instead I figured now would be a good time to take a look back at what the Lions have done so far this season in the red zone, both on offense and defense.

Offense - 13 scores on 16 chances (10 touchdowns, 3 field goals, 3 interceptions)

In the first two weeks of the season, the Lions had their best touchdown percentage in the red zone. All five opportunities inside the 20 resulted in touchdowns. Since then the Lions have had only one perfect game, which was against New York. The Lions only ventured into the red zone once in that game, though.

In the third, fourth and fifth games, the Lions had four, three and three red zone chances and were able to score only one, one and two touchdowns, respectively. The Lions had one red zone field goal in each of those games, showing that in the post-bye portion of the season, Detroit definitely needs to get back to punching the ball into the end zone when they get inside the 20.

Defense - 14 scores on 17 chances (9 touchdowns, 5 field goals, 2 fumbles, 1 turnover on downs)

The defense has been really hit or miss. In the first game of the season, the Bears were unable to score a single touchdown in four red zone chances and actually only got two field goals out of their trips inside the 20. The next week, though, the Lions gave up three touchdowns on three red zone chances against the Eagles. In the game against the Vikings, Detroit gave up one touchdown and one field goal on two red zone opportunities. A week later, though, the Packers went two for two with touchdowns in the red zone. Things got better when St. Louis could only manage two field goals in three red zone chances, but in their most recent game, the Lions allowed the Giants to score three touchdowns on three red zone trips.

Overall

There is lots of room for improvement on both sides of the ball inside the red zone. The Lions need to start scoring more touchdowns on offense and they need to be more consistent defensively when it comes to keeping teams out of the end zone.

Based on this trend where they have been good one game and bad the next on defense, they are due for a solid performance in the red zone against the Redskins, so let's hope for at least one more week the inconsistency continues on the defensive side of the ball.