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Five things to know as Lions face Stafford, Rams

The 0-6 Lions, looking for their first win, will need a miracle and a half to leave Tinseltown with a ‘W’ after facing the 5-1 Rams on Sunday.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (still seems odd to write that) will likely lead the 5-1 Rams to their sixth win. He’s been having a phenomenal season and he has plenty of help including wide receiver Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald, the best defensive player in the NFL.

After covering Stafford while he was in Detroit, when he says it’s just another game to him it is. He said that every week while wearing Honolulu blue no matter the opponent or the situation. So there is every reason to believe him. And it was no surprise this week when he told the Los Angeles media that he had nothing bad to say about the Lions or the people in Detroit — actually it was quite the opposite.

It would be much different if this was being played at Ford Field, but it’s at the brand-new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Five things to watch:

1. The Lions defense played just awful last week in the blowout loss to Cincinnati. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn usually can find a bright spot in any loss but not in that one. Defense can’t let Stafford get off to a big early lead because there will be no way for the offense to catch up.

2. Containing Stafford? Good luck. Stafford’s completion percentage is 69.5 with 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. So far in just six games he has thrown for 1,838 yards and been sacked just six times.

3. Don’t forget this is a homecoming for Jared Goff too. He led the Rams to a Super Bowl, then got booted to Detroit. So he might have a bigger chip on his shoulder. After last week’s loss coach Dan Campbell said Goff needed to step up more. He wasn’t picking on him, just being his honest self. Goff agreed with his assessment.

4. With D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams the Lions finally have a good, healthy one-two punch. But they shoot themselves in the foot when they get behind in the first half and are forced to go to the air to try to catch up. A fire needs to be lit under the offense from the get-go.

5. It seems Campbell has not lost the team. They’ve had two heartbreaking losses due to 50-yard plus field goals. Last week was horrific, but they’ve shown more in the other five games. He needs to keep them in it. This season isn’t even half over.

Prediction: Rams 35, Lions 20

Lions brass excited about the hiring of GM Brad Holmes

Owner Sheila Ford Hamp couldn’t hide her excitement about new Lions general manager Brad Holmes as she was introducing him on Tuesday during a virtual press conference.

“Just wait, you’ll see,’’ Hamp said repeatedly.

Team president Rod Wood explained how he trusts his first impressions. Within two or three minutes of the first interview with Holmes (which was virtual), Wood wrote a note to himself, “This is the guy.”

Holmes, 41, has worked his way up in the NFL.

In fact, he noted the last time he was at the Lions practice facility was when he was interviewing for a PR intern position. That was around 2003.

Instead he took the same job with the St. Louis Rams and worked his way up through the scouting ranks. He spent 18 seasons with the Rams, most recently as director of college scouting. He brings his knowledge of the 2021 draft class to Detroit.

Hamp was right, Holmes seems to have the right attitude to get the Lions back to the playoffs and not just get there, but also win.

“Everything is about the team, bottom line,’’ he said. His delivery guaranteed those are not empty words.

He was quite clear about the intangible he wants to see in every player. That would be passion. Holmes said there is no margin for error. Passion is of utmost importance when it comes to intangibles.

“We will build a winning and inspired culture… There will be no ego in this process,’’ Holmes said.

He’s not looking at a five-year plan. He’s looking to put a winning team on the field in the fall.

It’s hard not to like this guy just from watching this one virtual press conference.

Now he has to put some muscle behind his words and make the best decisions. He will be involved in the next big hire – the head coach.

Hamp, Wood, Chris Spielman (special assistant to Hamp) and Mike Disner (vice president of football operations) were in on all of the interviews. They talked to a dozen GM candidates.

When they debriefed after the initial Holmes interview, it wasn’t just Rod Wood who knew he was The Guy. It was unanimous.

It could be the dawn of a new era for the Lions franchise which hasn’t won a playoff game since Jan. 5, 1992.

Or it could be just another Lions’ GM hire.

I’d bet on the former.

Just a gut feeling.

Detroit Lions lose to L.A. Rams: Five things to know about loss

Defense solid but not quite good enough

DETROIT — It was a game not new to the Lions. They held on against a tough opponent, kept it close until the fourth quarter and then couldn’t get across the finish line.

Sunday’s 30-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams dropped the Lions to 4-8 with losses in five of their last six games.

You know what they said afterward about needing to improve as a team moving forward. It’s been said in eight post-game press conferences this season.

“Give the Rams credit. That’s a really good team over there. They’re very explosive, very dynamic, and I think we tried to be in it all the way through it,’’ Lions coach Matt Patricia said. “Obviously, we didn’t get it done in the end.”

Five things to know about the loss:

1. The defense actually played pretty well through most of the game. Defensive back Quandre Diggs had a solid game with an interception, two pass defenses and six tackles. He wasn’t alone. Damon Harrison and Eli Harold each sacked quarterback Jared Goff. And, at least in the first half, running back Todd Gurley was kept in control. Although he finished with 23 carries for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

2. Matthew Stafford kept the offense moving until late in the game. He was 20 of 33 for 245 yards, one touchdown and an interception in the end zone trying to make a play with 11 seconds left in the game. But when he was sacked by Aaron Donald in the fourth quarter, he couldn’t hold onto the ball, fumbled it and the Rams were able to recover at Detroit’s 24-yard line. Three plays later Gurley scampered in for a touchdown to put the Rams up 23-13 with 6:53 left. It was a killer play.

3. Fans were booing loudly when on a third-and-19 in the third quarter, Theo Riddick ran a draw play. It seems to happen quite often that the coaches are so conservative on third-down plays. The Lions settled for a field goal on that drive after Riddick picked up 8 yards. On a third-and-13 in the fourth quarter, Stafford passed short right to Bruce Ellington for 5 yards. It’s not just in this game, either. This is a theme with the coaching calls on third down.

4. Tight end Levine Toilolo stepped up with four catches for 90 yards. He caught one for 22 yards on a first-and-20 in the third quarter on a drive that led to a Matt Prater field goal. Then on the Lions’ next possession he caught one deep down the middle for 39 yards, getting Detroit to the Rams’ 23-yard line. Three plays later left tackle Taylor Decker caught a touchdown pass.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)

5. Rams defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh seemed to be quite fired up for this game, his first return to Ford Field since he signed as a free agent in 2015 and left town. Suh finished with six tackles (his season high is nine) and no sacks. He was whistled twice for personal fouls. With 1:41 left in the game and the Rams leading 30-16, Suh was penalized for roughing the passer. Inexcusable. Stafford was asked if his former teammate had anything to say to him: “Nope.” Then he was asked if he said anything to Suh. “Nope.” End of story.

NEXT UP: Lions at Arizona Cardinals (3-9) at 4:25 p.m. on Dec. 9. The Cardinals upset the Packers at Green Bay, 20-17, on Sunday.