FanPost

Mistakes, AJ Parker and officials: What we learned: Ravens @ Lions

Ahhhh another week of brooding is upon us Lions faithful. You know what time it is. Who even reads these anymore? We all should know it's going to be about the same thing if we keep losing. But the show goes on. We shall soldier forth. It's time for What we learned, Week 3. This past game Detroit hosted the high-flying Baltimore Ravens in Ford Field, and we were witness' to a game we wouldn't ever forget. But in the span of one minute, the reasons for that we would remember it would change drastically.

Let's begin.

Safety help is needed. Maybe even more than linebacker and wide receiver.

I'm not sure if I was the only person that noticed this, but almost every play the ravens were making was through the air. There wasn't really any large, gashing runs that leave Lions linebackers flatfooted. That's because the big plays were made elsewhere. I must've counted at least six or seven 20-yard passes that torched Detroit. You can take your picks on which one hurt the most: the 3rd and 18 at the end of the half where they gave up a monstrous touchdown where nobody was within ten yards of the receiver, or the 4th and 19 where they gave up a 40 yard play after seemingly ending the threat.

We knew better than to think the deep problems were fixed. I honestly have no clue which position to fill first, because it has been downright hard to watch the safeties play. It's almost like they're nonexistent. Hopefully Campbell has a solution in the offseason.

If you ever want to find a team that needs momentum, it's Detroit.

I'm also unsure if anyone realized this: Detroit hadn't scored points in over 60 minutes of gameplay. Yep, you read that right. Travelling back to MNF against Green Bay, Detroit would pile up 17 points against the Pack and bring a small lead into halftime. If you recall, they would be shutout in the second half against their rivals. Then, they opened with six straight punts and got shutout in the first half against Baltimore.

There is no team that needs momentum and builds streaks up more than Detroit. They would score all 17 points against Baltimore in three straight drives, two touchdowns in a row to open the half and then the field goal that we thought could win it. Detroit needs consistency, the good kind at least. It's been an underlying issue not a lot of people are mentioning. Get it fixed boys.

AJ Parker is stepping up.

From what I saw in the preseason, I knew there was an opportunity for Parker to shine. Today he made two huge tackles that stopped the Ravens offense in their tracks, both on crucial third downs. From what I saw from his coverage, I didn't see Lamar targeting him at all. I began to think to myself, just how good was AJ Parker? Why wasn't anybody targeting him?

Sure, it could be the sample size. But with what hand he's been dealt, he's actually been spectacular. Before the Ravens game, he was ranked as the 11th best cornerback in the NFL and the 2nd best rookie corner, only behind Eric Stokes of the Packers. He's just ahead of Surtain. This is seriously great news for Detroit, as they're incredibly young and underdeveloped at the position and finding a potential gem in Parker would work magic for the secondary. Parker has a 75.0 PFF grade, not far off of elite status, and he's been up against some of the best teams in the league. What's next for the UDFA? I'm excited to find out.

Mistakes, Mistakes, Mistakes

So many of them. It hurt to watch. I can't list them on one hand, that's how many I could count. I appreciate Campbell opting to go for it on a 4th and 1. It shows guts. Then, a Detroit lineman jumped and forced Detroit to punt. Then, later in the game, it was 4th and 1 again, and lo-and-behold, bam—another false start. This time it's Sewell. Then, they immediately follow it up with a delay of game penalty. Lovely. Keep in mind-- we're in Detroit, not Baltimore.

What's next? How about Frank Ragnow tripping Jared Goff on a handoff? Jack Fox, the usually reliable punter shanking a punt and then letting the Ravens get the 25 yards he did get immediately back in a single pass? What about Jerry Jacobs running out of bounds on a punt play that cost Detroit a chance to begin a drive around the Raven's redzone after recovering a fumble? Kalif Raymond dropping passes left and right? Refusing to throw the ball to Hockenson? You know? Arguably their best offensive player?

How many deep passes did they give up? I thought it was six but I think now it was more. The Ravens, a usually run-heavy team, stuck to passing and it worked out for them in the end. It was a fun but brutal loss. It was pretty sloppy from a mistakes standpoint. They need to get moving and clean up their act.

The Lions vs Ravens legacy was all in effect the final drive

I think this game perfectly epidemies the Lions franchise. They were putrid for a half, then played tremendous to get everyone's hopes up, made a big play to keep hope alive, took the lead and had Baltimore dead to rights, then gave up a crucial play, the officials screwed the Lions over yet again and Baltimore wins the game in unreal fashion.

The delay of game penalty was blatant. The clock had stopped for multiple seconds and no flag was thrown. Take the extra five yards and this is a completely different post. The scariest thing is that this isn't the first time Detroit's potential playoff hopes rode on Baltimore. Justin Tucker broke hearts in Detroit before, when eight years ago he kicked a game-winning 61 yard field goal. Remember, this is around the time as Matt Prater's 64 yard field goal as well. With 38 seconds left, Tucker smoked the game-winning three-pointer, ending Detroit's playoff ambitions entirely.

Lions choking the game? Check. Officials costing us with a penalty/missed penalty that ultimately makes us lose? Check. Heartbreaking? Double check.

I don't know how to feel about this game. We competed hard. We fought hard. We kept it close and played up to our competition, but we lose in heartbreaking fashion. It's just your typical sports Sunday as a Lions fan I guess.

What player from Detroit did you like this week? Let me know!

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pride Of Detroit or its writers.