Three takeaways from Lions' loss to Panthers

The Detroit Lions lost to the Carolina Panthers by a score of 24-7 on Sunday. Here are my three main takeaways from the game:

The Lions are still struggling with finishing drives

Being unable to consistently finish drives with points was a huge issue for the Lions last season, and it was an issue again on Sunday. Three of the Lions' first four drives on Sunday ended without a punt, yet none of them produced points. The Lions missed two 49-yard field goals and also fumbled the ball away to the Panthers early in the game, and in the process they missed out on a major opportunity to take control of this game when Carolina was struggling to get things going on offense.

Right tackle is a major concern going forward

With LaAdrian Waddle sidelined with a calf injury and Corey Hilliard out for the season with a foot injury, the Lions had to turn to Garrett Reynolds at right tackle on Sunday. Considering he has mainly been a guard and was just re-signed this week, it's no surprise that he didn't play particularly well, nor did undrafted rookie Cornelius Lucas when he got into the game for a couple drives.

It's unclear how long Waddle is going to be out, but the Reynolds/Lucas combo is not the answer at right tackle. The Lions averaged just 3.9 yards a carry, and Matthew Stafford was sacked four times against Carolina. That's not all on the right tackle spot, of course, but that was consistently the weak link in the Lions' O-line.

There's no need to panic just yet

It was disappointing to see the Lions lose in such sloppy fashion, but keep in mind that the Panthers are a good team. They went 12-4 last season, so it's not like the Lions were handled by some last-place team, and it's not like they lost at home, either. It's clear the Lions still have a lot of work to do, but being 1-1 isn't the end of the world by any means.