Monday open thread: Do you feel better, worse, or the same after the Lions’ win over the Giants?

Most of us expected the Detroit Lions to beat the struggling New York Giants, and that happened this Sunday. However, it did not necessarily happen as we expected. The Giants were able to muster a surprisingly effective offensive attack and nearly pushed the Lions to the brink.

The Lions passing offense had another superb performance, and while Matthew Stafford made some errant throws, it culminated in a three touchdown game. After Marvin Jones Jr. tallied four touchdowns last week, it was Kenny Golladay’s time to shine, recording two touchdowns on six catches for 123 yards. The other touchdown pass went to Marvin Hall, the Lions’ deep threat. Though he has just five catches on the season, he has turned those into 201 yards. Stafford is playing like an MVP, even if the Lions’ record is not showing it.

The Lions rushing attack, however, remains toothless, and there are ruminations of a trade on the horizon. With Kerryon Johnson on the Injured Reserve, the Lions utilized a committee on Sunday, but the leader of the committee was an unexpected one. Tra Carson led the way with 12 carries for 34 yards, with Ty Johnson following with seven rushes for 25 yards. It was an uninspiring performance against a weak Giants defense. The Lions have been looking around the league for options at running back, and they might pull the trigger on a player like Kenyan Drake or Melvin Gordon.

The defense was a similar story to last week’s dreadful performance against the Minnesota Vikings. Though Devon Kennard returned a fumble for a touchdown, a secondary without Darius Slay and recently-traded Quandre Diggs struggled to stop the Giants’ rookie quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones threw for four touchdowns, with Rashaan Melvin losing on multiple occasions to Darius Slayton. The run defense held Saquon Barkley to under 100 yards rushing, but they were playing catch-up for most of the game, and he was deadly as a receiver. Coupled with Golden Tate’s return to Detroit, the Lions’ defense is a concern.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Do you feel better, worse, or the same after the Lions’ win over the Giants?

My answer: I feel the same about the Lions.

I came into this game with the expectation that the Lions would win, and they met that expectation—barely. This is a team that plays up and down to every opponent, and it is nerve-racking watching the Lion,s because I am always wondering how their opponent can come back. This game was probably the easiest of their games thus far, and the Lions still managed to make it a one-score game. A rare defensive touchdown turned out to be the difference. They need to bury teams like the Giants, but I have minimal faith that they will.

My thoughts are similar to last week’s: the passing attack is good, the run game is bad, the defense is bad. It feels like the Lions are not fixing their mistakes, and with injuries mounting, they are only getting worse. Stafford is elevating this team, but he needs help, and it is not coming from the running backs or the defense.

The Lions have a lot of questions with the trade deadline approaching, and the biggest of which is whether or not they will be competitors this season. Darius Slay could be a huge trade asset, but it would likely spell the end of this season.

On the other hand, trading for someone like Drake or a pass rusher could signal that they are committed to this team this season. I would prefer if the Lions hold on to their assets, hence why I am against trading for Gordon, who could prove expensive. Drake would be a better alternative in my mind, if the price is right.

As previously mentioned, one reason why these games seem close is due to the Lions’ inability to close out games, and that is due to an ineffective rushing attack late in games. Watching the offense go run-run-pass-punt late in the game is extremely aggravating.

The Lions seem destined to have more close games like this, and their passing attack will have to remain sharp if they want to challenge for the playoffs.