NFL Fans lament Detroit Lions' defensive issues, late clock management in OT loss to Seahawks
The Detroit Lions fell to 1-1 on the year after suffering a 37-31 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the season home opener.
It was a painful defeat for Detroit, who had high hopes after taking down the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. In front of a packed Ford Field, the Lions could not overcome injuries or crucial mistakes down the stretch. The defense couldn't get a stop, like most of the game, in overtime as Geno Smith led Seattle down the field for a game-winning touchdown.
The Lions fell behind by 10 after a Jared Goff pick-six with eight minutes left in the game. Detroit showed resilience to climb out of that hole but had a chance to win and opted to play for overtime instead, making a last-second field goal. Seattle won the coin flip and never gave the Detroit offense a chance with the ball.
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Here is what people on Twitter had to say about the Lions' overtime loss:
Lions lose in OT. Why they didn’t play to win it in the final 2 minutes shocked me. Campbell is never that conservative. Tough loss at home.
— HUGE (@Hugeshow) September 17, 2023
Should have gone for the win at the end of regulation. Just a complete and utter no-show by the Lions defense today. Pretty sobering performance as it relates to rest of the season.
— Michael Spath (@MichaelSpathITH) September 17, 2023
Bad loss. Defense disappointing and a great game from Goff but that pick-6 is brutal.
— Alex Reno (@alex_reno) September 17, 2023
Truly an embarrassing loss.
— Jeff Riger (@riger1984) September 17, 2023
JEFF SEIDEL: Lions' home crowd was ready to blow, but team couldn't deliver spark to light fuse
The game-winning touchdown is under scrutiny on social media because it appears the referees could have missed a hold on Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. The refs huddled but didn't call anything.
Refs missed a blatant holding call against the Seahawks on Geno Smith's OT game-winner https://t.co/p8aWp8a5k9 pic.twitter.com/ottGFcFw6u
— For The Win (@ForTheWin) September 17, 2023
some square-dancing going on in detroit pic.twitter.com/mWmhDd45aq
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) September 17, 2023
Yes, Hutchinson was held. But what held the Lions back all day was a lack of a push up front. Not nearly enough pressure on Geno Smith -- 32 of 41 -- against a hobbled offensive line. He was quicker than them on almost every snap.
— Will Burchfield (@burchie_kid) September 17, 2023
gotta put an asterisk on that Seahawks win because Hutch was held
— Alejandro Zúñiga (@ByAZuniga) September 17, 2023
CARLOS MONARREZ: Lions showed grit, but I was a disappointed by lulls in crowd noise at Ford Field
But it's not all bad news for Lions fans. The rest of the division struggled too.
Every team in the NFC North lost this weekend.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 17, 2023
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Fans lament Detroit Lions' defense, late clock management in OT loss
