Detroit Lions Struggle Offensively, Squander Late Opportunities

DETROIT — For the second straight week, the Detroit Lions' offense looked out of sync in Sunday afternoon's ugly 20-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field.

The Lions (1,1) scored just one touchdown, turned the football over twice and went a dismal 1-7 in the red zone.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff never really looked comfortable in the pocket, throwing two interceptions, including one in the red zone that likely took three points off the board in the fourth-quarter.

The Lions also missed out on three points at the end of the first half when the coaching staff mismanaged the clock, leading to a penalty for too many players on the field.

Those are points the Lions could have used late in the game.

Despite all that, the Lions still had a couple of chances to win the game late, but they squandered away those opportunities as the offense struggled to sustain any momentum throughout the game.

If there's one silver lining from Sunday's loss, it was the Lions' pass rush, which pressured Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield throughout the game and sacked him five times, including four from Aidan Hutchinson alone.

The defense overall held the Bucs to just 47 plays for 216 total yards and forced one turnover. But the Bucs capitalized when it mattered most, including two crucial Mayfield quarterback scrambles that ultimately resulted in a go-ahead touchdown late in the third quarter.

The Bucs scored their other touchdown earlier in the second quarter off a Lions blown coverage that left wide receiver Chris Godwin wide open for a 41-yard touchdown pass.

The Lions, on the other hand, couldn't finish drives with touchdowns. Outside a 12-play, 68-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard David Montgomery touchdown late in the third-quarter, the Lions settled for three field goals (22-yard, 35-yard and 32-yard).

Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown bounced-back with 11 catches for 119 yards and Jameson Williams caught five passes for 79 yards, including the team's lone explosive play - a 50-yard reception early in the game.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson tried to get Jahmyr Gibbs involved in the passing game, but his seven receptions only went for 22 yards. Gibbs did add 84 yards on the ground with 13 carries.

Goff threw for 307 yards on 55 pass attempts, but it wasn't enough to overcome his poor decisions, including an inexplicable fourth-quarter interception in the red zone.

Overall, the Lions dominated ball control, running nearly twice as many plays as the Bucs and out-gaining the Bucs 463-216 in total yards.

Next up on the schedule for the Lions is the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday. That game will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 eastern time on FOX.