3 takeaways from the Lions’ loss to the Texans: Enough is enough

The Detroit Lions were blown out yet again. Their only chance to put on a show to a national audience this season ended predictably, and now we’re headed towards another blowup of the franchise. At 4-7, the season is not only over, but it seems like a lot of things are about to end here in Detroit.

Here are my quick thoughts on the 42-25 loss to the Texans.

Turnovers killed this team early, but it may not have mattered

The Lions actually came out and played fairly well to start the game. The offense was moving consistently and the defense was able to force Deshaun Watson into a couple of early punts. In fact, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the Lions outplayed the Texans in the first half.

Of course, none of that matters, because the Lions turned the ball over three times in their first three possessions, causing Detroit to head into the locker room down six points when they should have been up.

How much did that halftime deficit matter? Probably not much; as we’ve seen far too many times this year, the Lions were lifeless in the second half anyway. They scored just 11 points, and eight of those were during garbage time. Meanwhile, the defense gave up 17 points on the first three second-half possessions, and the game was over.

The shine is off Amani Oruwariye

Last week, Oruwariye made PFF’s Team of the Week for a fantastic one-interception performance against the Carolina Panthers. This week, it was a complete disaster for the second-year corner.

While it’s worth noting that Oruwariye was dealing with a mid-week back injury, he stayed in the entire game and was consistently beat by the Texans’ talented receivers. Will Fuller V finished with six catches, 171 yards and two touchdowns, while Brandin Cooks added 85 yards of his own.

Enough is enough

I’m not really one to call for a head coach’s job in the middle of the season. At this point the Lions’ season is lost, and there is little to be gained by an interim coach.

But enough is enough. This team is lifeless, embarrassing and there is just no point in going into each week with conservative game plans that are frustrating fans and have to be frustrating the players, whether they admit it or not.

The Lions need to fire Matt Patricia and Sheila Ford Hamp needs to make a statement. Lions fans are all out of hope, and as we found out earlier this week, not many believe Ford Hamp can turn this thing around. For the sake of confidence, she needs to not only make a move, but be front and center publicly expressing her frustration, anger and embarrassment for what has happened over the past few years. Anything short of that will lead to more cynicism and doubt.