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Five things to watch as Lions face the Seahawks; plus prediction

If the Lions are going to make a big turn-around this season, the defense must step up. Quite frankly, it stinks. The turn-around should come quickly with the Seahawks visiting on Sunday.

The Lions’ defense rates at the bottom of the NFL in giving up points per game (31.0) and red zone efficiency (90.91%). It’s at 28th for total defense and takeaways. Rushing defense is ranked 27th, passing defense 25th.

“Not give up points. That’s how you fix it. But I will say this, in the red zone, man, you’ve got to watch this tape. I mean there are times when we’re in position, and we’re just not finishing plays,’’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said this week. “And a lot of times, we’ve got to make sure that we’re coaching the players to do the things that they need to do too, so. And I will continue to say, man, that’s a two-way street between coaches and players, and we’ve got to continue to understand that. But man, you watch those early parts of the game, we’re playing like gangbusters.’’

He said the guys are competing and playing physical until it gets to crunch times. “it just seems like, ‘Ah, how do we do this here, or do we have to do this and when we don’t?’ We just keep doing the same things we have been doing to put ourselves in that position, and that’s what we have to continue to coach, and that’s what we have to continue to do as players,’’ Glenn said.

The offense has had its share of injuries — and will be missing D’Andre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown on Sunday — but it still ranks third in the NFL in total offense and second in points per game.

Finger pointing is not allowed in the locker room, but all three units need to play better. Five things to watch as the Lions (1-2) host the Seahawks (1-2):

1. Defense must get more pressure on quarterback Geno Smith who leads the NFL with a 77.5 percent completion rate. It’s not all one rookie defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson but he can do better. He had one half with three sacks and has made plays that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet, but he and the linemen can do better. Alim McNeil and Michael Brockers do their part on stopping the run but the line must step up.

2. The defensive backfield does not get a pass. With Tracy Walker (torn Achilles) out for the season their task will be even tougher. Coach DanCampbell would not say who will step in to fill Walker’s position. Cornerback Jeff Okudah has come back nicely from his torn Achilles last season. Cornerback Amani Oruwariye had a nightmare of a game against the Vikings with multiple penalties but the coaches still have faith in him. “I think Amani’s a pro and he had a rough game. And that’s – that’s just the bottom line. But I also know – he also snapped back there at the end and got a big stop for us one-on-one with (Adam) Thielen on the perimeter,’’ Campbell said. “So, I think Amani’s got thick skin. I know that he’s going to want to be better. And he’ll come out this week ready to work. I’m really not worried about him. I think he’ll snap right back to the Amani we know.”

3. Jared Goff has got off to a solid start and now must find ways to keep the chains moving without his two offensive stars, D’Andre Swift (shoulder/ankle) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) along with wide receivers Josh Reynolds (ankle) and D.J. Chark (ankle) who are both questionable. Goff said it really won’t change his role much. “We may or may not have a couple of those guys, the guys who would step in I feel comfortable with,’’ Goff said. “Last year as brutal as it was there were a lot of valuable reps with a lot of those guys who would potentially need to step in. It’s guys I would feel comfortable with.’’

4. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has come up with imaginative game plans and that’s expected to continue.An emphasis was put on third downs this week after they converted just 3 of 16 in the loss to the Vikings. “Clearly, we didn’t convert at the rate we’d like to. However, you look at last week, and we were a yard short on a number of them, so we are very close. I think we called the game the way we wanted to in those situations,’’ Johnson said.

5. Campbell will not change his modus operandi. He is who he is. But he is also introspective and admitted that he should have gone for it on fourth-and-4 late in the Vikings loss. “I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to learn from it no different than the players have to, and I’ve got to do my part, and I plan on doing my part,’’ Campbell said. “So, I’m not going to be fazed. I’m going to have this team up and ready to go, and we’re going to be better.”

Prediction: Seahawks 28, Lions 27. Detroit’s injuries on offense will be too much to overcome.

Lions’ offense takes big hit with multiple injuries

ALLEN PARK — While the LIons’ offense has been steps ahead of the defense through three games, injuries could take a toll on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Two Lions wide receivers missed practice with injuries on Wednesday and D.J. Chark (ankle) was limited. Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) and Josh Reynolds (ankle) were sidelined along with tight end T.J. Hockenson (foot), running back D’Andre Swift (shoulder/ankle), center Frank Ragnow (foot), left guard Jonah Jackson (finger) and kicker Austin Seibert (right groin).

Ragnow is expected to play on Sunday, per coach Dan Campbell. He started against the Vikings after missing the previous week. It’s turf toe and Ragnow is frustrated but expected to fight through it.

Campbell read the long list of the injured before practice.

“Look, I don’t feel like it’s something we did different. I don’t feel it’s because of the way we went about stuff. Things happen in this game,’’ Campbell said. “Some teams don’t put everybody on the injury reports, some of them will practice or won’t practice. I’m just trying to be open and put everybody out there. So I know it obviously looks worse than maybe it is at times. We looked at everything and it’s not like I’m blind to the fact that we have injuries. I pay a lot of attention to that, I look at all the data…. I don’t feel like it’s something that we’re doing.’’

Even with a 1-2 record, the offense is ranked second in the NFL for points per game and third for overall offense.

Campbell said Swift and St. Brown are kind of day-to-day, but St. Brown is closer to playing on Sunday.

“Swift would have to be significantly better to play. It would have to be when the skies open up and the bright light comes down, it feels unbelievable and here we go,’’ Campbell said.

Last week Swift played a limited role due to an ankle injury.

“We leaned on Jamaal (Williams) and he did a helluva job. Craig (Reynolds) will take a little more and so will (Justin) Jackson. It will be by committee, we’re confident,’’ Campbell said.

If wide receivers St. Brown and Josh Reynolds are sidelined, expect to see more of Quintez Cephus and Kalif Raymond.

“We don’t play today. That’s the best way to look at it. We’ll see what Sunday brings,’’ wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El said. “We’ll just keep working at it that way.’’

Randle El said that Cephus was coming on last season before he got hurt.

“It was early but he was coming along. He’ll pick up where he left off if we need him to be out there Lif (Kalif) is Lif, he’s going to do his thing,’’ Randle El said.

They’ve all practiced at different spots for situations that arise like these.

“I think the biggest thing that changes is run blocking. Those guys don’t do some of that stuff. Although you see the guys blocking in the run game, they don’t do some of the going up and catching the linebacker and safety from the inside. They mostly do that from the outside unless it’s Saint,’’ Randel El said.

The coach played wide receiver for nine seasons in the NFL but hung up the cleats years ago. When asked if he would suit up Sunday, he had a quick answer: “I can run. It’s stopping that’s the problem,’’ he said.

(Next up: Seattle Seahawks (1-2) at Lions (1-2), 1 p.m. on Sunday at Ford Field.)

Five things to know about Lions 51-29 loss at Seahawks

While COVID and injuries have decimated the roster for weeks, on Sunday at Seattle the Detroit Lions were outmatched and outplayed in the 51-29 loss.

Coach Dan Campbell has found bits of magic here and there during the two-win season, but it was difficult to find positives on Sunday except for wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown who continues to excel in his rookie season.

Detroit’s defense could not stop the Seahawks’ run game or Russell Wilson. It was a mismatch in the trenches all day long. It was not an unexpected loss and, in fact, the Lions (2-13-1) were better in the second half, once again showing off their never-give-up spirit.

Five things to know:

1. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to amaze. Doesn’t matter that the surrounding cast is depleted, this guy moves. On Sunday he became the first rookie in NFL history with at least eight catches in five straight games. In the loss, he also scored his first rushing touchdown along with eight catches for 111 yards and one receiving touchdown. Remember he was a fourth-round draft pick.

2. The Lions did not appear to give up even when they were down 31-7 to start the second half. Credit to Campbell. Several of the young guys are trying to earn a roster spot in Detroit or elsewhere for next season. That helps, but not enough. Campbell has somehow got them playing hard for 60 minutes no matter the score. In the second half Detroit actually outscored Seattle, 22-20. (Sometimes you have to dig deep to find a positive.)

3. Dan Campbell continued his aggressive play-calling throughout and not just on fourth down. In the third quarter he had Tim Boyle throw to offensive lineman Matt Nelson who couldn’t keep his mitts on the ball. Then he tossed a touchdown pass to left tackle Taylor Decker. Didn’t see that coming. Of course, a lack of healthy tight ends made that an option. When the Lions get more talent, hope Campbell keeps up with the aggressiveness and out-of-the-box calls.

4. Quarterback Tim Boyle, in his third career start, threw for an interception to start the second half but redeemed himself a bit with a touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the third quarter. Boyle is who he is. He is not Jared Goff (knee) who was watching from the sidelines. Boyle finished 22 of 37 for 262 yards (a career-high), two touchdowns and three interceptions.

5. Defensively Detroit had no answer for running back Rashaad Penny who had 25 carries for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns. This is the same defense that held the Falcons to 47 rushing yards in the previous week’s loss. The Seahawks finished with 497 net yards including 265 rushing yards. Campbell is in it to win it until the bitter end and it is obvious he has got his players thinking the same way.

NEXT UP: Green Bay Packers at Lions at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 9, to close out Detroit’s season. The bitter end.

(Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions)