Lions Week 11 Analysis: Surviving the Newton Experience
By Editorial Staff
Lions Analysis: Lions 49 (7-3) Panthers 35 (2-8)
What Happened:
That was quite the game. I told readers before the game this would be an exciting matchup between two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. The Cam Newton experience was all that it was cracked up to be. Newtonwill be a force with some more seasoning. Stafford showed a lot of heart coming back from a disastrous 1st quarter. His hand obviously is not going to hinder him too much going forward…at least indoors. The best story on Sunday was Kevin Smith. With numerous knee injuries he was cut from the Lions and unemployed until a couple of weeks ago. On Sunday he accounted for 201 total yards and three touchdowns. He looked fast and strong and appears to be healthy. This is great news not only for the Lions run game but also their passing game.
Matchup outcomes:
- 1. Jeff Backus vs. Charles Johnson: Advantage: Jeff Backus. Backus shut down Johnson for the most part. Panthers did get two sacks but were mostly contained by the Lions OL. Lions even ran the ball for 169 yards. Backus has had a polarizing season, but on Sunday he did a fine job against a very solid DE.
- 2. Panthers Run Game vs. Lions Run Defense: Advantage: Tie. Panthers ran the ball for 137 yards and got into the end zone twice. That being said they did not control the clock when they were ahead by multiple scores. Whether it was the play calling or the Lions defense overloading the run in the second half is unclear.
- 3. Calvin Johnson vs. Chris Gamble: Advantage: Calvin Johnson. Chris Gamble held Johnson under 100 yards and out of the end zone. That being said the Lions took advantage of the attention CJ received and got everyone else involved. 5 different receivers scored touchdowns and Stafford threw the ball for over 300 yards. The Lions passing game destroyed this secondary and most of it was because of the attention the Panthers gave CJ.
- 4. Lions Run Game vs. Panthers Run Defense: Advantage: Lions Run Game. There is a reason the Panthers have one of the worst run defenses in the league. They gave up 169 yards to the Lions….140 of which Kevin Smith ran for. Kevin Smith had only been active 2 weeks and up till this week only had 19 yards rushing….Panthers definitely need to improve this part of their team if they are to turn their fortunes around.
- 5. Lions DL vs. Panthers OL: Advantage: Lions DL. I know the Lions only got 1 sack and allowed 137 yards rushing. That being said they hounded Cam Newton and were responsible for the 4 interceptions he threw. Suh was in his face all day and Vanden Bosch was relentless. With the Lions missing Lawrence Jackson and Willie Young, who are both vital pieces in their DL rotation, the rest of the Lions stepped up. Nick Fairley had his best game so far and showed some flashes that he has a lot more to offer.
Questions That Need Answers
- 1. Can Kevin Smith be the constant force at running back the Lions need this season. Can he get 70-80 yards a week and be able to replicate Jahvid Best’s impact in the passing game….tune in to find out.
- 2. Can Nick Fairley use this game to spring board into an effective last 6 games? Injuries and no offseason have limited his effectiveness…a foot injury is devastating for this kind of player.
- 3. Can the Lions continually overcome turnovers, bad special team plays, and costly penalties on the defense? Lions have shown the ability to do so against bad to mediocre teams…I doubt they can do this against good teams as the Bears showed last week.
What’s Next?
Hosting the Packers on a short week on Thanksgiving. The Lions are finally relevant at Thanksgiving and will give the nation a game that anyone would like to see. Finally the Lions are a welcome appetizer and not indigestion on Turkey Day.