Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images 7 takeaways from the Detroit Lions’ loss to the Buffalo Bills. Loss number two is in the books for the Detroit Lions. Their tilt with the Buffalo Bills was expected to be a high-scoring affair, and a 48-42 score line certainly lived up to it. Unfortunately, Detroit was not on the right side of this one, falling to Josh Allen and company. In what many viewed as a Super Bowl preview, Detroit looked vulnerable. If they want to win a potential rematch, there are plenty of corrections to be had. With a critical NFC North tilt ahead, let us examine some takeaways from an eventful loss. The Lions fail their Super Bowl audition A 12-win team should not get battered around like the Lions just did. The Lions have already booked their playoff ticket, but against a potential Super Bowl contender, this was a test they needed to pass. Despite Buffalo coming in with a lesser 10-3 record, they were the team that looked like the NFL’s best, not Detroit. The Buffalo offense was unstoppable and quarterback Josh Allen looked like the clear-cut MVP. He was so impressive that many are overlooking a fairly dreadful performance from the Buffalo defense. This was arguably Detroit’s toughest test of the season, and it was a mixed bag. The offense lived up to the hype (more on that later), but the defense fell completely flat as well (more on that later). This game was not a do-or-die situation for Detroit, but they would have preferred a more flattering performance. Many will be quick to proclaim them as frauds, but what exactly was fraudulent here? The Lions have an elite offense and scoring 42 points proves that. The Lions have a defense decimated by injury, and allowing 48 points proves that. The Lions lost to a Super Bowl favorite, yes. There is significant concern about the defense going forward, yes. Is it time to dismiss the Lions as a early playoff exit? Absolutely not. The injury bug claims more Lions Khalil Dorsey suffered a horrific leg injury. Carlton Davis was knocked out with a jaw injury. Alim McNeill left with a knee injury and was almost immediately ruled out. All three could be out long-term. In what has been a truly promising season, the Lions defense is cursed. Hutchinson: outDavenport: outMcNeill: outCominsky: outWing: outBarnes: outAnzalone: outRodriguez: outReeves-Maybin: outDavis: outDorsey: outMelifonwu: outYou can't make this up.— John Whiticar (@Whiticar) December 16, 2024 The Lions had boasted a top defense for most of season, but this was the first time that the defense truly looked like a defense composed of backups and practice squad players. There is no other way to talk about this injury epidemic. Everything that could be said has been said. It sucks, plain and simple. I agree with the onside kick Dan Campbell will get criticized for the onside kick decision with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter—far from the usual dire circumstances that would warrant one. The Bills returned the kick to the Detroit 5-yard line and immediately scored, a drive lasting just four seconds. However, this was the correct decision that few coaches would have the bravery to call. The Lions defense could not stop Buffalo. The only non-scoring drives prior to this moment were a missed 21-yard field goal, an end-of-half drive, and one punt. The Bills had gashed the defense for most of the game and the defense could not even pretend to resist. The Lions offense could score on every drive—and they nearly did—and it would not matter due to the deficit and the defense’s inability to stop Buffalo. You know what gives the Lions a chance to make it a one-score game without Josh Allen getting his hands on the ball? An onside kick. Had the Lions kicked off as normal, the Bills likely would have marched down the field and scored anyway. The only difference is that the Buffalo would have bled at least three minutes of the clock, something the Lions could not afford. Lo and behold, after the next Lions touchdown and kickoff, Buffalo kicked a field goal after a five-minute drive. I do not have the deep dive analytics to back up my mindset, but when you factor in the defensive performance, I would wager that Detroit’s win percentage before the onside kick and after the onside kick were almost the same—slim. The Lions did not lose this game because of the failed onside kick. An onside kick was perhaps the only way to get back into this game with enough clock remaining. Lions cannot win the shootout Detroit lost this game, but the passing offense is hardly to blame. Jared Goff and company had an outstanding outing against a Buffalo defense. Even an average defensive performance could have netted the Lions a win tonight—a team should not score 42 points and still lose. Goff threw for a whopping five touchdowns and nearly 500 yards, the largest benefactors being Amon-Ra St. Brown (14 catches for 193 yards) and Sam LaPorta (seven catches for 111 yards). This was a notable game for LaPorta as well, his first 100-yard game of the season amidst a quiet sophomore season. Even Dan Skipper got in on the action with a 9-yard touchdown grab! In any other game, this performance from Goff would be lauded, but it will likely get lumped into “garbage time” discussion. For as bad as things looked, the Lions had a chance until the dying seconds, and that was because of their offense. The Lions never got the run game going, with Jahmyr Gibbs only finishing with 31 yards on eight carries, while David Montgomery had more carries (five) than yards (four). It is difficult to get too upset with this, however, given how the game script went. Detroit was playing from behind for most of the game, and opted to air it out for most of the second half—Goff finished with 59 passing attempts. I have zero concerns with the offense entering the playoffs. They have the talent to challenge any team in a shootout. The problem falls fully on the defense failing to uphold their end of deal. Linebacker letdown When a team is missing five of its top six linebackers, you would expect a significant problem. The Lions had treaded water without Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez, and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, but solid performances from Trevor Nowaske and Ezekiel Turner had kept the linebacking corps playing decently well. With Nowaske out of the lineup and Turner taking a step back against the Bills, it was an unmitigated disaster for Detroit. Ty Johnson, the former Lions draft pick, thrived in his pass catching duties, totaling a whopping 114 yards on just five catches. The Bills and their offense were making mince meat of the Lions linebackers, a mismatch on nearly every down. The run defense fared no better, with James Cook rushing for 105 yards, 14 carries, and two touchdowns, including a massive 41-yarder that feature horrendous tackling all around. Josh Allen added a pair of rushing touchdowns as well, as his maneuverability gave the defense nightmares. Going back to one of my earlier points, there is only so much you can take away from this overwhelming number of injuries. Regardless, the Lions need better linebacker play if they want to make a deep playoff run. The good news is that Alex Anzalone’s return could be on the horizon. Is Za’Darius Smith enough? Taking a home run swing at the trade deadline was not and has never been Brad Holmes’ modus operandi. Yet, in the closing weeks of the regular season, one has to wonder whether he should have. Za’Darius Smith has been a positive acquisition for the Lions without doubt, but he alone has not salvaged a pass rush that was nearly invisible without blitzes. Detroit failed to generate pressure on Josh Allen for most of the game, allowing the star quarterback a clean pocket at best or an easy escape route at worst. Contain was a significant issue for the front seven, contributing to the 197 rushing yards allowed on the day. Allen did his usual wizardry outside of the pocket on multiple third- and fourth-down opportunities to extend drives that Detroit badly needed to stop. Josh Paschal and Ezekiel Turner were the only players to register a quarterback hit for Detroit. The Lions defense has played phenomenally relative to all the injuries they have accumulated, but they did not look like a Super Bowl-caliber unit against the Bills. They continue to bleed talent, and they do not have the players to compensate. In what could be the Lions’ best chance at a Super Bowl run, there is a genuine debate about whether going all-in was the right move. Coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn could be head coaches elsewhere next season. The contracts on the team are only getting more expensive. Should the Lions have pulled the pricey trigger on a pass rusher like Trey Hendrickson? The defense has been punching above their weight for most of the season, but regression to the mean was long overdue. The question now is whether the Lions can weather another defensive calamity like this one. The trade deadline is long gone, the Lions will have to make do with the pieces they have. The uniform jinx has ended For those of you that subscribe to superstition, the Lions finally lost a game while wearing matching jerseys and pants. Detroit was previously undefeated in 2024 while wearing blue-blue, white-white, or black-black jersey and pant combinations. Their lone loss this season before this outing came against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, during which they wore blue jerseys paired with silver pants. Will the Lions banish the black jerseys to the void? Will they stick to the superstition? This will be must-watch television next week.