This is not how the Detroit Lions anticipated their 2026 season starting. They nearly choked against the New Orleans Saints and the fatigue from that overtime win lingered over into their Thursday night bout against the Buffalo Bills. The Lions got down 21-0 early and played from behind the whole game. Slow starts like this means it’s time to hit the panic button.
Yes, the Lions have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL, so they can probably afford to struggle early. It also hints that a slow start and some early-season struggles could be red flags for them regardless of who they play. Detroit’s season is far from over, but its early struggles are less about rust and fatigue and more about problems that are going to hinder this team all year.
Defense can’t get off the field
Second-year defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard is facing some adversity. Last year, he coached one of the better defenses in the NFL and this year, they already look like one of the worst. Last season, the Lions defense averaged 62 plays per game. In Week 1, the defense played 86 snaps and through one half against the Buffalo Bills, the Lions defense played 36. That’s not a good sign for the Lions when they’re already dealing with injuries all over their defense.Â
For context, their 86 plays in Week 1 was league high, and they’re on pace for more than 70 plays in Week 2, per the Prime broadcast. The offense needs to give the defense some help, which was pretty apparent against the Bills. That said, the defense has to get a stop. In the first half against Buffalo, Detroit let Josh Allen run all over them in the first half. They had defensive lapses that led to explosive plays.Â
This defense was always going to go through a transition when it lost Aaron Glenn to the New York Jets for his first head coaching job. But it’s been a tale of two seasons and right now, this defense won’t hold up in the playoffs if it can even manage to get the Lions there.Â
Offense has no rhythm
While the Lions jumped out to a 21-0 lead in Week 1 and had a near-perfect drive to eventually win the game, they looked scared against the Buffalo Bills. Jared Goff got stripped by Aidan Hutchinson (which Detroit recovered) and then the very next play, it was a bad snap that ended the drive. The only time the offense had success in the first half against the Bills was when Jahmyr Gibbs had the ball in his hands — save for the final drive before the half that got Detroit three points to take a 17-point deficit into halftime.Â
Detroit has to figure out how to get this offense on track and it starts with the offensive line. They have to protect Goff better. Goff, in turn, has to do better at getting the ball to his playmakers. Amon-Ra St. Brown was non-existent in the first half. Jameson Williams had just three targets in the first half and only one catch on the final drive. This isn’t the same offense that looked like it would be fine in the post-Ben Johnson era.
Penei Sewell is struggling in his new left tackle role
The Detroit Lions drafted Penei Swell in the top five of the 2021 NFL Draft to be the left tackle on this offense. He moved to right tackle early into his career and became an All-Pro. Now he’s back at left tackle and getting exposed. He’s struggled his first two games this season at left tackle and the Lions can’t afford him to continue to struggle protecting Goff’s blindside. A lot of the struggles the Lions offense had in the first half against Buffalo stemmed from not having a clean pocket.Â
Sewell has to improve. He has one of the most important jobs on the offense. If the Lions offense is going to look better than it has, he has to do a better job of stopping some of the best pass rushers on each team. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to do, but the Lions are counting on him and right now, he’s coming up short.Â
Injuries galore and it’s not getting any better
The injuries are continuing to pile up on both sides of the ball for Detroit. D.J. Reed was questionable coming into Thursday’s game, Avonte Maddox was knocked out of the game and they’re currently down Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph to start this season. That’s just on the defensive end. Blake Miller (right tackle) and Chris Mahogany (guard) were out of Thursday’s game, adding to the offensive line problems. Injuries are part of the game, but the Lions luck with injuries has been brutal.Â
They have to be healthy if they want to be one of the best teams in the NFL and reach the playoffs. This is one of the biggest issues right now with Detroit. The best ability is availability, and right now that’s a problem for them. The more injuries become a problem, the more it will hinder this team from having the success it should have.
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